July 24, 2026

The number of workers’ compensation claims resulting from death or suicide due to overwork continues to increase. Despite this, the Takaichi government is seeking to further weaken working hour regulations.

According to a report released on July 15 by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), claims for workers’ compensation insurance for “karoshi” (death from overwork) and “karo-jisatsu” (suicide by overwork) increased from 344 cases in FY2021 to 518 in FY2025.

The MHLW report summarizes the number of claims for workers’ compensation insurance and the number of workers’ compensation benefits paid for deaths from brain and heart diseases caused by excessive workloads, as well as deaths linked to mental disorders caused by severe work-related stress. In fiscal 2025, 303 claims for karoshi and 215 for karo-jisatsu were filed.

However, only 145 cases, including claims filed before 2024, were recognized as karoshi or karo-jisatsu in 2025. The certification rate was 28.4% for karoshi and 35.8% for karo-jisatsu. These figures reflect the difficulty of receiving workers’ compensation benefits because the bereaved families must prove that the death or suicide was work-related.

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae aims to relax labor laws to align with the interests of the business community. Examples include expanding the scope of jobs covered by the discretionary work system, which allows employers to pay wages based on predetermined hours regardless of actual working hours, and easing the requirements for the variable working hours system, which allows employers to adjust daily and weekly working hours based on business fluctuations.

The findings of the MHLW report indicate that strengthening regulations on working hours and tightening worker protection provisions are essential to safeguarding workers’ lives and health.