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[00:00.69] Government reports expect that, at the current rate, the working age population will drop by 40 percent to 45 million by 2065.

[00:15.83] Supporters of the three-days-off model say it helps people remain in the workforce longer.

[00:24.60] It would give them more time to raise children and care for older relatives.

[00:32.05] For retirees living on retirement pensions, it would provide additional income.

[00:40.83] Akiko Yokohama works at Spelldata, a technology company that lets employees work a four-day work week.

[00:53.04] She takes Wednesdays off along with Saturdays and Sundays.

[00:59.42] The extra day off allows her to get her hair done, go to other appointments or go shopping.

[01:08.71] Her husband works in real estate.

[01:12.43] He also gets Wednesdays off but works weekends, which is common in his industry.

[01:21.72] Yokohama said that it lets her and her husband go on midweek family outings with their elementary-school age child.

[01:34.47] But there are signs of change.

[01:38.20] A few companies, including Uniqlo, Ricoh and Hitachi have begun offering a four-day workweek.

[01:49.89] A recent Gallup public opinion study measured employee engagement.

[01:55.46] Gallup said Japan has among the least engaged workers of all nationalities it has studied.

[02:02.90] Only six percent of the Japanese who answered described themselves as engaged at work compared to the worldwide average of 23 percent.

[02:16.44] That means relatively few Japanese workers felt happy and highly involved in their workplace.

[02:22.29] Most were putting in their hours without investing passion or energy.

[02:28.14] Kanako Ogino is president of Tokyo-based NS Group.

[02:33.45] She thinks offering flexible hours is needed for filling jobs in the service industry, where women are most of the work force.

[02:42.48] The company offers 30 different scheduling patterns, including a four-day workweek, but also taking long periods off in between work.

[02:54.43] To ensure none of the NS Group's workers feel out of place for choosing a different schedule, Ogino asks each of her 4,000 employees twice a year how they want to work.

[03:08.77] Voicing your own needs is disapproved in Japan, where you are expected to sacrifice for the common good.

[03:17.01] "The view in Japan was: You are cool the more hours you work, putting in free overtime," Ogino said with a laugh.

[03:27.11] "But there is no dream in such a life."