Matsuri Takahashi, an employee of Dentsu Inc. in Japan, died by suicide due to overwork, according to a labour inspection investigation. The findings were released shortly after the company paid over EUR 1.8 million (USD 2.1 million) in compensation to the family of the e-marketing department employee.

Karōshi – death from overwork

Karōshi, or death from overwork, is one of the more serious social issues in Japan. It has long been known that Japanese workers are among the most overworked in the world. In extreme cases, employees returning from leave may even apologize to colleagues for forcing them to take over their duties.

105 overtime hours in a month

Matsuri, who passed away in December last year, had worked over 105 overtime hours in a single month. She was employed in the department responsible for digital campaigns and had joined the team just one year before her death.

Warning signs on social media

According to lawyers hired by the victim’s family, the woman repeatedly expressed her distress on social media, mentioning how she felt miserable at work and stating that she simply wanted to die. It was also confirmed that her workload had drastically increased immediately before her death, causing her to break down both mentally and physically.

Dentsu with a history of suicides

The previous suicide at the company occurred in 1991, when a young man took his own life. In 2002, a court ruled that Dentsu was directly responsible for an employee’s death, citing the agency’s demand for 24-hour presence in the office and overwhelming workload. Only after that ruling did the company commit to monitoring working hours – a measure that, as this case shows, has proven ineffective.

 

 

Summary

The case of Matsuri Takahashi is a shocking example of Japan's work culture, where overtime and pressure are deeply embedded in professional ethics. The labour inspection concluded that the 24-year-old’s death resulted from overwork – she had logged over 105 overtime hours in one month. Her family received over EUR 1.8 million (USD 2.1 million) in compensation from Dentsu.

This is not the first such case at the firm – in 1991, a young employee committed suicide; in 2002, a court found Dentsu guilty and mandated monitoring of working hours. As history demonstrates, systemic changes have not resolved the problem, and Japan continues to face a deep mental health crisis among its workforce.