The family of a Japanese Mazda employee who committed suicide after being overworked and repeatedly belittled by his supervisors was recently awarded damages in the amount of 63 million yen ($770,000 dollars), according to the family's lawyer, Yutaka Kikui.
This amount, combined with a condolence payment from Mazda and a 2009 government labor office decision which ruled that the death was work-related, gave the parents a total of 110 million yen ($1.3 million dollars).
Mazda released a statement saying that the death of their employee, who was not identified due to the stigma associated with suicide in Japan, was "extremely regrettable" and they offered condolences to the family. They did not take responsibility for the death, however, stating that they were disappointed by the court's ruling and did not feel that they were to blame for the worker's death.
According to an article on Manufacturing.net, work-related suicides are quite common in Japan due to a cultural pride in suffering in silence, which often leads to high stress levels on the job, suicide and even death from exhaustion. In fact, this phenomenon has even lead to the coining of a term for it, "karoshi", which means "exhaustion death." These deaths are usually caused by heart attack or stroke and companies can be held liable for them.
In the fiscal year ending in March 2010, the government found that there were about 100 karoshi deaths, as well as 63 suicides related to overwork.
I would also like to suggest that as many Japanese people have very high reading skills in English that any articles dealing with mental health issues in Japan could usefully provide contact details for hotlines and support services for people who are depressed and feeling suicidal.
Some useful telephone numbers and links for residents of Tokyo and Japan who speak Japanese and/or English and are feeling depressed or suicidal and need to get in touch with a mental health professional qualified in Japan:
Inochi no Denwa (Lifeline Telephone Service):
Japan: 0120-738-556
Tokyo: 3264 4343
If you believe that someone may be about to attempt suicide you should call the Japanese police:
Emergency contact numbers:
Both the police and fire/medical assistance are available 24 hours a day.
110 is the number to the Police Headquarter Command Post, and 119 is to the Fire Department Command and Control Center. They will take your call, and arrange a police car, fire engine, or ambulance in case of emergency.
You can dial 110 and 119 for free. Even from a public phone, you do not need a phone card or money. Hope this may be of some help to you.
AMDA International Medical Information Center:
http://amda-imic.com/
Tokyo Counseling Services:
http://tokyocounseling.com
http://tokyocounseling.com/jp/
Counseling and Psychotherapy in Japan
http://www.counselingjapan.com
Great info! Thanks for sharing!