A complete vindication, in the land of Karoshi

By Misako Hida *

“I’m so touched by this overall victory. This is what I’ve waited such a long time for. My son’s face in death has always haunted me. I have spent barely a day without recalling that face since he took his own life a decade ago. Even a single day…”

ILO Conference: Dying from overwork in “the Land of Karoshi”

Can overwork kill you by driving you to suicide? It can in the land of Karoshi. By the word “Karoshi”, the Japanese mean “death from overwork,” a serious and profound issue in a country where more than 5,000 suicides per year are the result of depression caused by overwork.