Around here all road construction takes place between 9am and 5pm. Not convenient at all.

I do not think that the active discouraging of striking in Japan is a good thing. Unions are co-opted by a company first chance they get and are rendered powerless (similar to how many dictatorships handled opposition groups).

Recently on the radio a woman did a opinion piece on the work ethic in Japan (overtime). She said that with the bad economy, people may feel like they need to go into to work and bust their butt for the company. She then brought up the point that other countries with similar standards of living take many more days of vacation (basically getting the same done in less time). Her point was not that they had a better system, but that their workers were better rested, possibly had better relationships with their families and friends, and thus probably had a better quality of life. I still maintain that loyalty must come from both directions. Getting a pay check is not an expression of loyalty. Any worker is due a pay check. The line comes when a employer cares enough about your life to strike a balance between work and vacation.