Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Japan has a long history and tradition for work and loyalty. And while loyalty and hard work are considered a positive trait, Japan goes a way too far. There is a fine line between productivity and overwork. In case when workers tend to do the latter, they are prone to health issues and negative side effects, sometimes even fatal.
In Japan, there is a word meaning “death due to overwork”. Karoshi is a term used to describe workers “killing themselves off”.
What is Karoshi?
The term first appeared in the early 1970s. The origin of the term can be found in the word “kacho-byo”, which translates to “bosses-disease”.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Back in the 1970s, the term was used to define the psychological and moral ailment of middle managers resulting from stress, worry about promotion, or making it or not. Combine it with the little rest Japanese workers got, and you have a deadly combination.
Popular on Amazon
The first case of karoshi in Japan was reported in 1969. A 29-year old male died in a shipping department of major newspaper company.
The country hasn’t addressed the issue until the late 1980s. At that time, several business executives died in their prime years without any previous signs of illness. The country was forced to look into the issue, even though Japan was reluctant to address it before.
Also popular on Amazon
Media attention was huge, and the government began publishing data on karoshi in 1987. The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, defined karoshi as “a sudden death of any employee who works an average of 65 hours per week for more than 8 weeks”.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Why do Japanese work such long hours?
Non-Japanese people can hardly understand the issue. But the issue of long Japanese working hours is a complex one. There are many facets to it.
Also popular on Amazon
Some of it is the expectations of Japanese families about working hours. Some of it is the expectation of Japanese companies. In these companies, putting in long hours is viewed as a sign of devotion and hard work.
In North America, there is also an expectation that Japanese workers will stay late in the office to contact the headquarters in Japan by phone during their office hours. The time lag is a factor. Early evening in North America is the start of the business day in Japan. Japanese workers who are not available for such conversations are viewed negatively by their counterparts in Japan.
Also popular on Amazon
- IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH: Use this journal to improve mindfulness, uncover triggers, track physical and emotional sensations, document your worries, evaluate evidence for and against your automatic thoughts and ultimately walk away, in control, with more constructive ways of thinking.
- PERFECTLY DISCREET: Finally a wellness journal that doesn’t spell out “worry” or “anxiety” on the cover. This sleek journal looks beautiful on your bedside table, in the office, or wherever you may take it.
- BACKED BY RESEARCH: The exercise in this journal is backed by Cognitive Behavioral Therapists who use these prompts in their own work to help clients learn how to own their thoughts to overcome anxiety and reduce stress.
- HABIT BUILDING: This therapy journal features repetitive worksheets featuring the same journal prompts designed to enhance your mental resilience against anxious thoughts (anti anxiety). With consistent use, this exercise will naturally integrate into your daily routine.
- TAKE ON THE GO: It’s best to use this journal whenever anxiety strikes which is why we created it in a size that's perfect to travel with (5-7/8" x 8-1/4”). With the professional cover and convenient diary size, you’ll be mastering your thoughts in no time.
And last, but not least, it is the work habit. For Japanese workers, the home is a work-free zone .They never bring work back home. They will rather stay late in the office than bring work back home. Ads like “work from anywhere” for laptops do not exist in Japan. You work from the office, and nowhere else.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHow common is karoshi?
For Japanese workers, it is quite common to work long hours. There is no data on how many people die by karoshi through the year. However, it is quite normal to arrive at the office in the morning, and leave at midnight.
Also popular on Amazon
To understand how common is karoshi, we can look at another data. And that is working hours. Report from 2016 showed that more than 20% of people in Japan work more than 80 hours of overtime a month. That was a survey of 10,000 Japanese workers. In the US, for comparison, 16.4% of people work an average of 49 hours or longer each week.
How can karoshi be prevented?
Many companies in Japan are trying to address this issue. Toyota, for example, limited overtime to 360 hours per year, which is an average of 30 hours per month. Nissan offers telecommuting for office workers to make it easier for them to care for children. Some offices issue public announcements every hour after 7pm.
In February 2017, the government launched the campaign “Premium Friday”. They asked companies to allow workers to leave at 3pm on the last Friday of the month.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
The last initiative was by Microsoft Japan. The company tested a 4 working days week. And it was with huge success, showing increased productivity.
But the problem with unpaid overtime in companies is that overtime is simply not recorded in many cases. And tradition takes a long time to change. In Japan, hard work and overtime as seen as loyalty and devotion to the company.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Say something about this film