, which can be translated into "overwork death", is a Japanese term relating to occupation-related sudden death. The most common medical causes of karoshi deaths are heart attacks and strokes due to stress and malnourishment or fasting. Mental stress from the workplace can also cause karoshi through workers taking their own lives. The phenomenon of someone committing suicide due to overwork is called karōjisatsu (). Karoshi is also widespread in other parts of Asia and can be considered a worldwide occurrence with for example over 770 working people dying due to wage labour in Sweden annually (Sweden is known for comparatively good labour laws), the death toll is however expected to increase in the future. History The first case of karoshi was reported in 1969 with the stroke-related death of a 29-year-old male worker in the shipping department of Japan's largest newspaper company. In 1988, the Labor Force Survey reported that almost one fourth of the male working employees worked over 60 hours per week (equivalent of over two-and-a-half days), which is 50% longer than a typical 40-hour (equivalent of a day and a half) weekly working schedule. Realizing the seriousness and widespread nature of this emerging problem, a group of lawyers and doctors set up "karoshi hotlines" that are nationally available, dedicating to help those who seek consultation on karoshi-related issues. Japan's rise from the devastation of World War II to economic prominence and the huge war reparations they have paid in the post-war decades have been regarded as the trigger for what has been called a new epidemic. It was recognized that employees cannot work for 12 or more hours a day, 6–7 days a week, year after year, without suffering physically as well as mentally. In an International Labour Organization article about karoshi, the following four typical cases of karoshi were mentioned: Mr. A worked at a major snack food processing company for as long as 110 hours a week (equivalent of four days and a half) and died from a heart attack at the age of 34. His death was recognized as work-related by the Labour Standards Office. Mr. B, a bus driver, whose death was also recognized as work-related, worked 3,000 hours a year (equivalent of four months). He did not have a day off in the 15 days before he had a stroke at the age of 37. Mr. C worked in a large