Man in Japan fired for skipping work 633 times to go to the gym.

Kazushi Kono, a **55-year-old civil servant** from Matsuyama, got himself into some serious trouble. He was fired for repeatedly ditching work to go to the gym—**633 times** to be exact between April 2021 and November 2024. That’s right, he turned a regular 9 to 5 into a gym schedule, putting in **658 hours and 36 minutes** of unauthorized time at the fitness center, which was nearly an **80 percent chance** he’d be absent on any given workday.

Now, Kono claims he wasn't just pumping iron; he was there to stretch and use the hot spring-water bath for **numbness** relief in his arms. Still, the city wasn't impressed and said “enough is enough.” He admitted he messed up, saying, **“I overdid it, and I regret that,”** but that didn't save him. He’s not only out of a job but also facing a bill of **1.768 million yen** (about **$11,300**) to cover the pay he got while he was really just “working out.”

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