KAROSHI

TOKYO,JAPAN 2018 ©MASSIMORUMI

Japan has a reputation for being a nation of workaholics. Karoshi in japanese means “death by overwork”. Every year the number of suicide-caused train delays by stressed-out workers increases significantely. I don’t think anywhere else in the world people work as much as in Japan, where work is considered the only thing worth doing. This year, thanks to the coronation of Emperor Naruhito , the normally short holiday was upgraded to a full-on 10 days of idleness. Many japanese were not excited at the prospect of such a long time off work. For a workforce  that traditionally doesn’t take much time off, the prospect of so much free time was a bit bewildering and many didn’t know how to spend the time. Work in Japan is the most unquestionable virtue, but it’s accomplished through struggle and sacrifice, to the point that for many represents an unbearable pain.