New law to ensure workaholics take their days off without feeling guilty

College-educated 36-year-old Eriko Sekiguchi should be a sought-after friend or date, planning nights on the town and faraway resort vacations. But she works in Japan, a nation where workaholic habits die hard.

Often toiling 14 hours a day for a major trading company, including early morning meetings and after-hours settai, or networking with clients, she used just eight of her 20 paid vacation days last year. Six of those days were for being sick.

"Nobody else uses their vacation days," said Sekiguchi.