KAROUSHI

JAPN 311 Final Presentation

April 29, 2013
Shelby Lydon

WHAT IS IT?
English translated definition: death caused by
overwork
As defined by Japanese health journalist:
[a] condition of being permanently unable to work or
dead due to acutely attacking ischemic heart disease
because inherent health problems such as hypertension
and arteriosclerosis are deteriorated by excessive work
overload - Hosokawa
Natural Defense Council for Karoushi victims:
a fatal condition in which the living rhythm of a human
being is collapsed due to excessive fatigue and the life
maintenance function is ruined

KAROUSHI VS. KAROJISATSU

WHY KAROUSHI?
Knew

about it previously
Wondered if it was a problem in America as
well
It

is, but not as extreme

Interesting

because it happens to specific

categories of people
White-collar,

businessmen
Young adults 25-40
Want

it

to know what working conditions foster

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Prior

to their death, businessmen showed no

previous signs of illness
Japanese business employees are working
more than 50 hours a week and 30 hours of
overtime a month (BML, 1999)
328 cases of karoushi in 2005
5x

as much as in 2000

Japanese

production management (lean

production/ assembly line) = high production
demands and low levels of control and social
support for employees
Most Japanese employees want to show loyalty
and dedication to their companies some see
family and social life as a secondary priority

MY INTERPRETATIONS
Bubble

economy burst job insecurity

Business structure works for productivity and
comfort ability, but is stressful
Job commitment is beneficial, but often
detrimental to mental capacities
Some Japanese people are taking on short
term or part time jobs only to avoid stresses
of business atmosphere (Freeters?)

THE HEALTH PROBLEMS

Workaholism:
Myocardial

infraction, or acute heart failure

caused by cerebral vascular diseases such as
cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage
and cerebral infraction
Temporary and permanent paralysis
Arteriosclerosis
High blood pressure
Depression
Stress and anxiety disorders
Insomnia

MY CONCLUSIONS
Karoshi affects white-collar workers, but mostly in
assembly line settings or big business corporations
Not all Japanese corporations put these pressures on
their workers and their environments condone and
support healthy work habits and a proper division
between work and home-life
Possible solutions:
Evaluation systems to assess an employees abilities
before putting them in an environment they are not
ready for
white-collar exemption - exemption from overtime
pay for white-collar workers
Providing proper medical and psychological support
to workers and their families

RESOURCES

Hiyama, T & M Yoshihara. New occupational threats to Japanese

physicians: karoshi (death due to overwork) and karojisatsu (suicide due to
overwork)Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Vol.65 No.6 (June
2008): 428-429. Print.
Kanai, A. and M. Wakabayashi: 2004, Effects of Economic Environmental
Changes on Job Demands and Workaholism in Japan, Journal of
Organizational Change Management 17(5), 537548.
Karoushi hotline. http://karoshi.jp/english/ . Online.
National Defense Council for KAROSHI Victims: 1989, KAROSHI (Futabasha,
Tokyo) (in Japanese).Online.
Rowley, Ian & Hiroko Tashiro. Recession Puts More Pressure on Japans
Workers. Bloomberg Businessweek, 5 January 2009:
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2009/
gb2009015_807968_page_2.htm . Online.