More people in Japan dying from overwork

TOKYO -- Working less, dying more may be the latest trend in Japanese labor.

The ranks of weary Japanese businessmen, red-eyed shop owners and worn-out professionals being worked to death reached a record high last year, according to government figures released this week.

But in a land where hard work is a virtue and dedication to the company often means midnight overtime, people actually are working less than ever because of Japan's sagging economy, which is fighting through its third recession in a decade.

Yet rising unemployment only has increased the onus of making ends meet -- and more people are becoming aware of cases of overwork and reporting incidents.

"It's a vicious circle," said Masahiko Okudaira, a doctor who advises victims of overwork. "It's not only a medical problem, but a social problem partly related to the economy."

Since first being recognized by the Health Ministry in 1987, death from overwork, known here as "karoshi," has steadily increased from 21 cases then to 143 last year.

From brain aneurysms to strokes and heart attacks, karoshi strikes a wide range of people, but factory workers, doctors and taxi drivers are hit the hardest.