Is working in Japan impacting your mental health?

Most of us have probably had that one job we dreaded waking up for, or a boss who made every day feel like walking on eggshells (at least, I definitely have) but in Japan this kind of workplace stress has reached a new peak. The labor ministry recently reported 1055 officially recognized cases of work-related mental health issues in the last fiscal year, which was the highest ever recorded.

The biggest culprit, and no real surprise was power harassment (basically, bullying by superiors), which accounted for 224 cases. Significant changes in job duties and workloads came next at 119 cases, followed by harassment from customers at 108. I'm sure the latter is perpetrated by people who have never worked in customer service, but I digress.

Power harassment at work made up the majority of mental health issues reported. Image created via Canva.

The report also noted 241 cases of work-related brain and heart diseases, with about 30% of those involving professional drivers. It's a reminder that work stress doesn’t just affect your mental health, but it can take a real physical toll.

If you're working in Japan, I think these recent results serve as a good refresher to check in with yourself regularly. Are you feeling burned out or anxious? I find that chatting with my husband or trusted friends helps me de-stress, but some of my other coping mechanisms include things like making sure I try and move my body every day (walking outside is a favorite!) and having some completely un-work related hobbies.