Karoshi: Japan's Toxic Work Culture – Employees Dying from Overwork

The term ‘karoshi’ or death due to excessive work has long been synonymous with Japan. However, experts now warn that this toxic work culture phenomenon is no longer confined to the Land of the Rising Sun but is becoming a global crisis, including in Southeast Asia.

‘Karoshi’ was first recognised in Japan in the 1970s to describe deaths triggered by extreme working hours, severe fatigue, chronic stress, and prolonged work pressure. Causes can include heart attacks, strokes, suicides due to work stress, and other serious health disorders.

After the Second World War, Japan built its economy on a culture of high workplace loyalty. In return for full commitment, workers were promised job stability and welfare.

This gave rise to the archetype of the office worker or salaryman who arrives earliest in the morning, leaves late at night, often skips lunch, and then continues drinking with superiors for career advancement. Minimal sleep and non-stop work became commonplace.

However, this culture has brought serious consequences. Since 1969, cases of heart attacks and strokes linked to overwork began to emerge, and by the early 1980s, the phenomenon was officially termed ‘karoshi’.

Still a Serious Problem in Japan

To this day, the ‘karoshi’ issue remains unresolved. Data from Japan’s Ministry of Health records at least 1,304 documented ‘karoshi’ cases throughout 2024.

In 2023, around 10.1 per cent of men and 4.2 per cent of women in Japan were reported to work more than 60 hours per week. Among self-employed workers, the figures were even higher, at 15.4 per cent for men and 7.8 per cent for women.

Quoted from IFL Science, this phenomenon is increasingly affecting young women.

One of the most attention-grabbing cases is that of Matsuri Takahashi, a 24-year-old woman who died by suicide in 2015. Before her death, she was known to have worked more than 100 overtime hours per month and sometimes only slept 10 hours a week.

The case sparked public outrage and prompted reforms to Japan’s work culture, though the results are considered slow.

Now a Global Crisis, Including in Southeast Asia

The problem of overwork is not limited to Japan. A 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) study estimated that around 745,000 people worldwide died in 2016 due to strokes and heart disease caused by long working hours.

The WHO also states that working 55 hours or more per week is associated with a 35 per cent increased risk of stroke and a 17 per cent increased risk of death from ischaemic heart disease, compared to those working 35-40 hours per week.

Of the total deaths, cases among men accounted for about 72 per cent. According to the WHO report, the Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions are the areas most affected by this phenomenon.

This means that the excessive work culture once considered typical of Japan now threatens other countries as well, including those in Southeast Asia. Places with long working hours, economic pressures, and high productivity demands are still prevalent.

Remote Work Also Worsens the Situation

Even in Western countries with stronger labour protections, modern work patterns are said to be worsening the situation.

Always-on digital communication, remote working, and the hustle culture of working extremely hard to achieve quick success are blurring the boundaries between home and office. Many workers feel they must be ready to work at any time.

The face of ‘karoshi’ is no longer just exhausted workers on Tokyo’s late-night trains. The phenomenon can now appear anywhere, including at desks in one’s own home.