A nationwide online survey of 100,000 people in Japan found that 14.8% of men and 17.7% of women were classified as high-stress, with younger adults (20s and 30s), those with short sleep time, long working hours, and low household income being most affected.
The proportion of individuals classified as high-stress differed by sex, with 14.8% of men and 17.7% of women meeting the high-stress threshold.
Younger adults in their 20s and 30s had a significantly higher proportion of high-stress individuals compared to other age groups, for both men and women.
The most common stress coping methods for both men and women in the general population were 'sleeping' and 'bathing.'
Stress coping methods differed between the high-stress group and the general population, with 'receiving chiropractic massage' being most common for high-stress men and 'spending time in the bathroom' being most common for high-stress women.
Binomial logistic regression analysis identified 'short sleep time,' 'long working hours,' and 'low household income' as significant factors associated with being in the high-stress group.
The authors conclude that the stress factors and coping methods identified are important health issues for the entire nation and are relevant to preventive medicine and public health.
This research surveyed 100,000 people across Japan to understand how stressed the general public is and how people cope with that stress. Using a standardized stress scoring system, the researchers found that about 1 in 6 women (17.7%) and roughly 1 in 7 men (14.8%) were classified as highly stressed. People in their 20s and 30s were the most stressed age group, and having less sleep, working longer hours, and having a lower household income were all linked to being in the high-stress category. The study also revealed interesting patterns in how people manage stress. For the general population, the most popular methods were simply sleeping and taking baths. However, highly stressed individuals tended to seek different outlets — highly stressed men were most likely to get chiropractic or massage treatments, while highly stressed women were most likely to spend extended time in the bathroom, suggesting these groups seek more deliberate or prolonged forms of relief. This research suggests that stress is a widespread public health concern in Japan, particularly among younger working-age adults and those facing economic hardship or poor work-life balance. The findings may be useful for designing stress prevention programs at a national level, highlighting that improving sleep, managing work hours, and addressing income inequality could be meaningful targets for reducing population-level stress.
Matsuki Y, Haruki T, Mizuno K, Watanabe Y, Katano H, Matsuki H. (2026). Nationwide Online Stress Survey of 100,000 People in Japan.. The Tokai journal of experimental and clinical medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41859804/