Daisuke Hori, representative of the Japan Short Sleeper Development Association—a general incorporated association—has been promoting sleep-reduction programs and seminars under the unconventional claim that he has “been sleeping just 30 minutes a day for 17 years.”A “24-hour × 7-day continuous live stream” on YouTube, undertaken to prove the veracity of
his superhuman claim, has sparked significant controversy online.
In this article, I’d like to explain what happened during the live stream over the past week and why it escalated into a controversy with people asking, “Isn’t this just a scam?”
The Contradictions of “30 Minutes of Sleep a Day” Exposed One After Another in a Live Stream
The live stream, which was supposed to present the facts and dispel skepticism, ended up revealing numerous flaws right from the start.
- In response to the claim that a “NEET-like lifestyle”
—which is far from productive—and the idea that “cutting back on sleep increases the amount of time available for daily activities and leads to higher performance,” the footage shown on screen depicted not people diligently working or training, but exhausted individuals constantly battling drowsiness.They were frequently shown receiving
massages and taking long breaks, highlighting the reality that they were not making effective use of their time.
Day 2 of the live stream featuring his unconscious snoring during a massage and his forced explanation: Footage clearly captured Mr. Hori completely closing his eyes and snoring soundly while receiving a body massage and head spa treatment.
In response to viewers’ criticism, he claimed, “This wasn’t sleep; it was merely microsleep (extremely brief, momentary lapses) that occurred about 10 times.”
However, the discrepancy between his claim and the objective footage led to widespread derision online.- Toward the end of the livestream, after being bombarded with
criticism that his theory had collapsed following his announcement of “adding a nap,” Mr. Hori suddenly announced a new rule change: “30 minutes of main sleep plus three 15-minute naps.”This effectively overturned his own
“30 minutes of sleep per day” mantra, prompting students and viewers to ask, “What happened to the premise that you’d been doing this for 17 years?”
The Basis for Criticism That High-Priced Information Products and Seminar Businesses Are “Scams”
Why has this controversy gone beyond being just a social media sensation, to the point where people are even saying, “Isn’t this serious enough to warrant action by the police or the Consumer Affairs Agency?”
The reason lies in the business model he has established.
| Item | Details and Actual Conditions |
|---|---|
| Message | “Using our unique method, anyone can safely become a short sleeper—sleeping anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours a day,” the company claims. |
| Price Range | High-cost courses (such as courses or online communities costing several hundred thousand yen) |
| The Reality | The proponent himself couldn’t stay awake during the live stream, took an extra nap, and revealed his exhaustion. |
As suspicions have grown that the organization was charging exorbitant course fees while touting “impossible results” using methods not based on scientific evidence, there has been a surge of posts from former students and internet users hinting at demands for refunds and plans to file complaints.
A major mishap that occurred toward the end of the stream
In the early hours of the morning, approximately 127 hours after the stream began, a technical glitch occurred during the broadcast of Ms. Hori’s bath scene that significantly violated the platform’s terms of service (exposure of private parts).
This video of the incident spread like wildfire on social media, leading to the live stream being temporarily suspended and then removed. Could this accident have been caused by a lack of attention resulting from
severe sleep deprivation?
Summary
Far from proving that I am a short sleeper, this week-long live stream ended up serving as a way for me to reveal that “my daily life on just 30 minutes of sleep was a complete mess, and I had been pushing myself too hard (or perhaps it was impossible from the start).”
To begin with, the amount of sleep a person needs varies from individual to individual and is believed to be genetically determined. You cannot become a short sleeper
through training. This incident served as a symbolic reminder of the risks associated with
simplistic self-help advice and expensive information products backed by little evidence.
When it comes to high-priced information products and seminars that tout get-rich-quick schemes or extreme lifestyles, it is essential not to be misled by exaggerated advertising and to maintain an objective approach to assessing the evidence and the reality of the situation.
