Luis Corzo
KARŌSHI
Death caused by overwork or job-related exhaustion.
KA RŌ SHI
Excess Labor Death
Pink leather coat (Yeoyo Yun) / White shirt (Comme des Garçons)
Model:
Minjin
Lee
Photographer: Luis Corzo
Art- direction: Luis Corzo
Styling:
Luis
Corzo
&
Yeoyo
Yun
The term is said to have originated during the Bubble Economy, during the 1980’s when
several high-ranking business executives suddenly died
without any previous signs
of illness. The victims were
young men that were otherwise healthy, but worked more
than 60 hours a week on average and had died on the job
from heart attacks and strokes.
A growing body of evidence indicates that workers in high-demand situations who have little
control of their work and low
social support are at increased
risk of developing and dying
of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction
and stroke. Stressful work
conditions are a critical component of this phenomenon.
The major medical causes of
Karōshi deaths are heart attacks
and strokes due to stress and
starvation. The consequences
show up not only in claims for
death and disability from overwork but in suicides attributed
to “fatigue from work.” Among
2,207 work-related suicides in
2007, the most common reason (672 suicides) was overwork, according to government figures released in June.