"過酷「郵便局」労働　在職死がまたも…48歳男性、狭心症発作の数時間後、猛暑の中で配達に追われ残業まで," 28 April 2025

[Unofficial description by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

According to families of victims of karoshi (death from overwork), five irregular night-shift workers at post offices — known for harsh sales quotas and demanding work conditions — died in 2024. The bereaved families believe overwork was the cause and plan to seek damages from Japan Post.

One of the victims, Jun Iijima, reportedly worked under extreme heat exceeding 35°C, and had confided before his death that he “didn’t even have time to eat a rice ball.” Work records disclosed by the company show he was allowed only 15 minutes of break time, and on multiple days, he had no breaks at all.

The family claims that the working conditions, including not being able to eat properly and being assigned multiple new delivery areas in a short period, were the cause of his death.

Japan Post has seen a string of in-service deaths, with 27 cases of sudden death or suicide reported since 2001.

Japan Post's spokesperson commented, “If the bereaved families request a meeting, we would like to respond sincerely.”