10 Years After Dentsu's 'Karoshi' Suicide: Has Japan's Corporate Culture Really Changed?

Has a decade been long enough to heal the wounds of a young employee's tragedy? It's now 10 years since a new recruit at Japanese advertising giant Dentsu died by suicide from overwork on Christmas Day, 2015. On the anniversary, the mother of the late Matsuri Takahashi stated that her "suffering only increases with time," revealing a wound that's far from healed. The case was a watershed moment that forced Japan to confront the deadly reality of 'karoshi'—death from overwork.

Public Outcry and 'Work Style Reform'

Ms. Takahashi, then 24, was reportedly logging over 100 hours of overtime a month before her death. The incident sparked widespread public anger against Dentsu, culminating in a guilty verdict for violating labor laws. In response, the Japanese government launched its 'Work Style Reform' (Hatarakikata Kaikaku) initiative, which included introducing a legal cap on overtime hours.

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A Decade Later, The Lingering Challenge

A decade on, while many companies have attempted to improve working conditions, experts point out that Japan's deep-rooted culture of long working hours is far from gone. The fact that Ms. Takahashi's mother is speaking out on the 10-year anniversary suggests that cultural and structural problems persist beyond the reach of legal regulation. Her tragic death continues to pose a heavy question to Japanese society and corporations about the meaning of work and the value of life.