Japan Recovery Association Releases 'Fatigue Situation in Japan 2026' Based on Nationwide Survey of 100,000 People

The Japan Recovery Association (Headquarters: Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director: Hideki Katano), in collaboration with the Japanese Society of Fatigue Science and Venex Co., Ltd., conducted its annual large-scale internet survey, 'Kokoro no Tairyoku Sokutei' (Mental Vitality Measurement), in May 2026. The survey, which has been carried out since 2017, covered 100,000 to 140,000 people nationwide aged 20–79.

Survey Summary: - The percentage of 'energetic' people rose slightly to 22.6%, while 77.4% reported fatigue. - 79.1% of women reported fatigue, exceeding the 75.7% for men. - High-frequency fatigue among those aged 20–40 remains serious at approximately 50%. - High-frequency fatigue among women in their 20s–40s remains above 50%. - People sleeping less than 6–8 hours remained stagnant at 50.1%. - The feeling of 'having roles and being unable to rest' improved to 27.3%, an improvement from the previous year. - Self-investment in fatigue countermeasures has expanded, rising 1.35 times compared to 2023.

Note: Population conversion is based on the 91.33 million people aged 20–79 announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on April 20, 2026.

Yasuyoshi Watanabe, Chairman of the Japan Recovery Association, commented that while fatigue remains a chronic social issue, awareness of recovery is beginning to change. He noted that the era where fatigue can be managed by sleep time alone is over, and the association aims to build a new social infrastructure centered on recovery.