10 Years After 'Karoshi' Tragedy, a Mother's Warning as Japan Considers Easing Overtime Rules
A decade after her daughter's death from overwork ('karoshi'), a mother's plea highlights ongoing risks in Japan's corporate culture, as the government signals a potential rollback of labor protections.
Ten Christmases have passed without her daughter. For Yukimi Takahashi, the fight against Japan's deadly work culture is far from over. On the 10th anniversary of her 24-year-old daughter Matsuri's suicide due to overwork, she appealed to the public not to let the issue of 'karoshi'—death from overwork—be forgotten.
A Tragedy Born from 105 Hours of Overtime
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, Yukimi Takahashi spoke of the enduring pain. "The more time passes, the more I imagine her life, when she should have been here, and the more painful it becomes,” NTV reported her as saying. Her daughter, Matsuri, was a new employee at advertising giant Dentsu. She took her own life by jumping from a company dormitory on Christmas Day 2015. Despite it being her first year, her overtime hours reached approximately 105 hours per month, and her death was later recognized as an industrial accident.
The case revealed that Dentsu had violated the Labor Standards Act by forcing employees into grueling, often unpaid, long hours. The public outcry led to the passage of the Work Style Reform Act in 2018, which aimed to create a healthier work environment by setting overtime limits and ensuring paid leave.
Reform at a Crossroads
Yet, concerns are mounting that this progress could be undone. Yukimi Takahashi highlighted the ongoing rise in deaths from overwork, with over 150 cases reported in fiscal 2024. "Work should not take someone's life," she said. "The death of Matsuri should have made all of Japan realize this simple truth."
These fears have been amplified by comments from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has expressed a desire to ease restrictions on overtime work. Tomoko Yoshino, the head of Rengo, Japan's largest group of labor unions, called the idea unacceptable. She maintains that the current upper limit is already near the threshold that heightens the risk of 'karoshi'. Takahashi stated firmly, "If anything were to happen that would not advance work style reform, or even set it back, bereaved families such as ours would never accept that."
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