At what point in life are you allowed to have personal interests in Japan?
Based on conversations I've had with Japanese friends both young and old, it seems that having hobbies and personal interests stops sometime during the last term of junior high. Since I teach at a junior high, I have the privilege of seeing Japanese kids during their last chance to pursue interests outside the academic and professional worlds. As the result of tireless practice (see video), their skill levels in art, music, and sports (both traditional and modern) are pretty impressive, but what happens after junior high? As the pressure to perform academically and get on a career path increases, most students put down their paintbrushes, violins, rackets to lock their sights on more 'adult' goals, whether they're in the form of selfless devotion to family or selling their souls to corporations...or both.
In Japanese class, I recently learned how to ask people what their hobbies are, so I was excited to give the phrase a little field testing and learn more about new Japanese friends in the process. However, to my surprise, most of the answers I've received are something like this: 'I don't have time for that stuff.'
To pursue hobbies while either raising a family or developing a career is almost taboo...seemingly selfish. The overall feeling I get is that, if you're Japanese, you should be focusing on your duties to Japan, namely either making / raising cute babies or slaving away at the office to keep the country's corporate gears turning. If you have leisure time, it's a clear indication that you're not working hard enough. I find so many of my Japanese friends have hidden talents that have been locked away in a dusty closet since before junior high graduation, and it's a bit sad.
What's driving the long hours most professionals spend at their jobs? I work with teachers who, among professionals, seem to have more free time than most, but the amount of time they spend at work is still pretty incredible. The young teachers at my schools often work 12-hour days (and up) and also go in on weekends. The life of a salaryman (Japanese corporate worker) is even more extreme. Often working well more than 60 hours a week and not really getting paid for it, the salaryman is the perfect example of Japanese work ethic. It's definitely admirable how much the majority of Japanese care about their work and respect their superiors (especially coming from a country like the US, where the 'F*ck the Boss' attitude is still somehow popular). But of course, the negative sides of the nearly insane dedication obvious...health problems, family problems, and it gets worse from there. See more sararlymen here: Publicly Sleeping Salarymen.
Is it possible to be a professional in modern Japan and still maintain personal interests?
Definitely. I have a few friends here that buck the trend and manage a healthy level of 'me' time, but it seems those individuals are all too few.
What's driving the long hours most professionals spend at their jobs? I work with teachers who, among professionals, seem to have more free time than most, but the amount of time they spend at work is still pretty incredible. The young teachers at my schools often work 12-hour days (and up) and also go in on weekends. The life of a 
