1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Overworked to suicide in Japan

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Ashlem, Mar 14, 2015.

  1. Ashlem

    Ashlem Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2013
    754
    502
    0
    Location:
    WI
    Vehicle:
    2017 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    Japan's Disposable Workers: Overworked to Suicide for Pulitzer Center | MediaStorm

    While many people may already have suspected this, apparently mental health issues are a huge thing in Japan, due to their culture of working hard, keeping your problems to yourself, and being socially stigmatized if you admit to having depression.

    So it's probably little wonder that they have a high suicide rate. This may also shed some light on their falling birth rates, as people are so overworked that they simply don't have time to go on dates, or spend time with their girlfriends/wives.

    I'm starting to see why so many characters in anime shows have parents that aren't home at all, usually because they're working, and often overseas.

    I also wonder if Japanese employees working for Toyota are also having to deal with stress like this, and why they're so persistent on pushing fuel cell vehicles, insisting that everyone will want them. I'm sure a few heads will roll if the Mirai isn't a smashing success and they lose billions as a result. Maybe I'll stop bashing them so much now about it after watching this.

    This film is only 10 minutes if you're pressed for time. The other two films, which I also recommend watching are short as well, 10 and 5 minutes each.
     
  2. SwhitePC

    SwhitePC Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2013
    495
    214
    0
    Location:
    ca
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    well...

    you could choose being

    overworked in a 1st world job environment

    or

    overworked in a 3rd world sweatshop environment (or no work at all)

    I mean, if those that barely have anything in a day to day basis get by with being overworked themselves without the support of 1st world mental doctors or a nice salary in general...then I'm pretty sure it's just a 1st world problem kind of thing
     
  3. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2010
    3,524
    981
    8
    Location:
    US
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
  4. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    763
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    The popular term in Japan in the 1980's and 1990' was kiroshi, meaning "worked to death."
     
  5. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2006
    7,028
    1,116
    0
    Location:
    South Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    It happens to some degree everywhere and each society deals with it in their own way.
     
  6. SPEEDEAMON

    SPEEDEAMON Professional Car Nut

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2008
    1,556
    606
    5
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    It's karoushi, but what is not reported here is the alarming increase of the rate of mentally disturbed maniacs roaming around in Japan. There are kidnappings and rape of children every week and lots of random attacks by knife (guns and samurai swords are illegal) that lead to senseless murder. I believe this is attributed to social separation due to spending too much time on the internet and playing games. The ability to communicate with other people are diminishing creating mental disturbance.
     
  7. amm0bob

    amm0bob Permanently Junior...

    Joined:
    May 29, 2008
    7,730
    2,546
    0
    Location:
    The last place on earth to get cable, Sacramento
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    It is their culture... nothing really new here, just more of em now then there were in the past, so there are more opting out of breathing air.
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    very sad, no matter where it happens. too much emphasis on success. we do a pretty good job ourselves of working too hard and too much. i have never believed that it is worth it.
     
  9. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2007
    4,319
    1,527
    0
    Location:
    Tampa Bay
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    I
    One of the sad things that makes modern work suck a lot to is having to sit in front of a computer screen all day, every day in so many jobs. The bosses don't do that, but they expect the worker bees to only do that.
     
  10. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    763
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    On the bright side, the current crop of LED screen are much better than the old CRT vga ones of he 1990's.

    The old ones even gave off cancer causing radiation.
     
  11. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2010
    279
    1,855
    0
    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    In China, this is a problem at school more than at work.

    I have a lot of friends who are moving to Australia very specifically so that their children can get a worse education. They don't want to put their kids through the appalling levels of stress that they'd face in school in China.
     
  12. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2010
    279
    1,855
    0
    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    The worked-to-suicide thing? Not really: it is much more common in Japan and South Korea than elsewhere.
     
  13. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2010
    3,524
    981
    8
    Location:
    US
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    we have that in US too, the only difference is they use guns.
     
  14. mojo

    mojo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2006
    4,519
    390
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    In the US we take out classmates coworkers and relatives in murder suicide.
    Check out the thread in the political forum on the German copilot.