The issue of “karojisatsu,” meaning “suicide from overwork,” is a serious and profound issue in Japan. Japan’s suicide tally has increased drastically, topping 30,000 since 1998, when the unemployment rate hit a record postwar high. According to the latest data of the World Health Organization, the number of suicides per 100,000 people is about twice the American rate. Japan’s National Police Agency’s latest study shows that 32,155 people killed themselves nationwide in 2006. Mr. Kawahito estimates that roughly more than 5,000 suicides per year are the result of depression caused by overwork. The ILO’s book released in 2004 shows that Japan has the highest proportion (28.1 %) of employees working … Continue reading Misako Hida