Many Japanese are literally working themselves into early graves as the country's problem with "Karoshi", or death by overwork, worsens.  And the problem is no longer the exclusive domain of the long-suffering Japanese "salary man" who spends most of his waking hours away from home on the job - it's afflicting younger and female workers.

The labor ministry recognizes two types of Karoshi: death from cardiovascular illness linked to overwork, and suicide following work-related mental stress.  The ministry's own statistics also show that work-related suicides are up 45 percent in the past four years among those 29 and younger, and up 39 percent among women. 

Women also make up more than two-thirds of Japan's temporary "gig" economy, which accounts for almost 40 percent of the overall workforce.  Investigators are learning that many of these temporary jobs were initially advertised to applicants as regular employment, but changed at the last minute in an unscrupulous bait-and-switch. 

Claims for compensation for karoshi rose to a record high of 1,456 last year, mostly in the healthcare, social services, shipping, and construction sectors.  All are suffering from chronic labor shortages due in part to Japan's aging population.  One would think that with 1.28 jobs per applicant in Japan, workers would be able to leverage better and more humane deals.  Instead, companies are getting away with it because of the inexperience of the younger workers coming in to replace the retirees.  They're less willing to stand up for themselves.

The conservative government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been talking about reforming labor laws to lower the amount of overtime workers can be expected to put in.  A formal plan is due next month.  But labor activists say the government hasn't been enforcing any of the laws that are already on the books.

"The government hosts a lot of symposiums and makes posters about the problem, but this is propaganda," said Hiroshi Kawahito, secretary general of the National Defense Counsel for Victims of Karoshi, who believes that the actual number of karoshi deaths is ten times higher than the government lets on.  "The real problem is reducing working hours, and the government is not doing enough," he added.