scourge

It is not a new or unknown phenomenon, but he karoshi (illnesses or even deaths due to overwork) is gaining ground in Japan. This is suggested by at least the latest data from the Ministry of Health, which reflects that last year the Government recognized a record number of those affected with the right to compensation: 1,310. If we take into account all the requests, the figure is 6,212, another record. State records are only one indicator of a much broader problembut they suggest that Japan is a long way from solving it. And that sets off alarm bells. What has happened? That data from the Ministry of Health reveal that Japan is far (very far) from solving one of its thorniest social challenges: illnesses or deaths from karoshithat is, due to work overload. The latest official balance reveals that the number of employees who received government compensation for this reason rose to a level never seen before during fiscal year 2025. That is alarming in itself, but beyond the numbers what is truly worrying is the trend. As remember The Japan Timesit is the fourth consecutive year that the record has been broken and the flow of applications (whether approved or not) is also at historic levels. What do the figures say? The report of the Ministry of Health reveals that in Japan there are hundreds and hundreds of people for whom the Government recognizes the necessary conditions to receive compensation for excess workload. Specifically, during fiscal year 2025 the record of 1,310 was reached. There are only five more than in 2024, but what is relevant is that the number has not stopped growing in recent years. In fact, it is not the first time that alarms have gone off. At the end of 2024 Nippon I already warned of the escalation in the number of documented cases. As if that were not enough, the ministerial report throws out another figure: perhaps there is 1,310 compensatedbut the number of requests is much higher. During the same period it rose to 6,212, another record figure that exceeds that of 2024 by 1,402. Probably not all meet the requirements demanded by Health, but the Japanese press does not clarify whether the difference between both figures (indemnified and applicants) is due to this disparity or a simple administrative issue. Do we know anything else? Yes. The vast majority of compensated people (1,086) had work-related mental disorders, including depression. The remaining 224 suffered strokes and heart attacks. All attributable to his professional work. In 145 cases the outcome was the most traffic: it ended in deaths or suicides, although this is 14 less than in 2024. Among the applications received at the Ministry of Health, the majority (4,958 out of a total of 6,212) are also related to psychological problems. Not only are they the most common, but their incidence is clearly growing: the Government registered 1,178 more than during fiscal year 2024. Their report also reveals that after many cases of karoshi There are problems with bosses, workplace harassment and sudden changes that affect the workload and quality of the work entrusted to the affected person. Does the sector matter? Yes. Those who are most at risk are professionals in sectors in which overtime regulation is less developed. The Japan Times specific quote to bus and truck drivers, doctors and construction workers, trades that have seen their legal framework gradually improve, but in some cases still have certain exceptions. For example, a driver can work up to 960 overtime hours a year, a workload that is also exceeded 15% of doctors that are used in hospitals in Japan. In 2016 they were 39.2%but even so the data is worrying and there are certain specialized profiles in which overtime hours skyrocket. Why is this something worrying? Because illnesses and deaths related to karoshi They are nothing new. The discipline of strenuous work is very rooted in Japanese culture, although it hardened especially after the Second World War. For a time it helped the country advance, but in the 60s it began to pay its price: heart attacks, strokes and even cases of suicide due to stress, the karojisatu. In recent years there have also been very high-profile cases, such as that of a young girl who took his own life in 2015 after sleeping only 10 hours a week due to his work overload and accumulating around 100 overtime hours a month. How do they face it? Against that backdrop, Japan has begun to regulate issues such as overtime and the maximum number of consecutive days that can be linked. However, the results just released by the Ministry of Health reveal that the problem is far from being solved. In the country there are also those who fear the impact that the conservative government may have. Sanae Takaichiwho does not hesitate call meetings team at three in the morning and brag about not sleeping more than four hours. Images | Beth Macdonald (Unsplash), Vien Dinh (Unsplash) and Joris Beugels (Unsplash) In Xataka | Faced with labor shortages, Japan has taken an unprecedented measure in the last two decades: paying women the same