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Karoshi, or death from overwork, has been common in Japan for decades. It is often seen as part of ‘salary man’ culture where men commit themselves above all else to their employer. However little is ever said about women who die from Karoshi. Now the plight of women is coming more into focus following high profile deaths and signs more women are suffering.

Yoshie Matsumoto examines how an overwork culture is affecting women in Japan. She hears from the parents of journalist Miwa Sado who died at the age of 31 after putting in more than 150 hours in overtime a month. She also hears from the mother of 24-year-old Matsuri Takahashi who had been working 20 hours a day.

Pressure on women to achieve in life is multi-faceted in Japan. It’s not just about climbing the corporate ladder but also about upholding traditions still expected of women including managing the home, prioritising male domestic needs and rearing children responsibly.

Yoshie hears how people contacting the national Karoshi hotline has jumped dramatically during Covid-19 with the number of women calling almost doubling. The pandemic has seen some women take on multiple jobs just to make ends meet and cover their basic costs.

The Government is attempting to change the overwork culture by introducing a shorter working week but is the commitment to work ethic too engrained in Japanese culture? Meanwhile Yoshie finds out how some companies are developing their own ways of combatting overwork by introducing napping rooms.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this programme and you'd like to talk someone, there is information available by going to help.befrienders.org

(Photo: Yukimi Takahashi beside her daughter Matsuri’s shrine at her home in Mishima. Credit: Makiko Segawa)