Karoshi

1
Karoshi

• By Naomi Latorraca

2
What Is Karoshi?

• Karoshi is a Japanese form of suicide.
• Karoshi was first formally practiced during the
  times of shoguns and samurai in Japan.
• Anybody was allowed to or could be asked to
  commit suicide.

3
Why Did Samurai Perform Karoshi?

• Samurai performed karoshi to
• please their masters.
• get rid of his or her shame in life.
• gain respect for his or her family.
• have an honorable death.

4
How To Perform Karoshi

• There are many ways to perform karoshi.
• The favored method of performing karoshi is
  called hara-kiri.
• This method is a way of committing suicide by
  slitting yourself across the stomach with your
  own sword.
• Other ways include slitting your wrist and
  chopping off your head.

5
The Two Samurai Swords

• A samurai was expected to carry two swords at all
  times a long sword and a short sword.
• In order to perform hara-kiri, a samurai would
  make the first cut into his stomach with the long
  sword and take out his organs with the short
  sword.
• The long sword was used to carry out other forms
  of suicide.

6
Kamikaze

• During World War II, Japanese soldiers practiced
  another form of suicide - kamikaze.
• Kamikaze was a suicide mission in which the pilot
  of the plane flew the plane into enemy property.
• Kamikaze pilots felt that it was honorable to die
  for their country and were exuberant if they were
  asked to train for their suicide mission.

7
Current Causes Of Karoshi

• Today people of all ages perform karoshi because
• they are depressed from work or school.
• they are ashamed of their actions.
• they despise life.
• they think no one loves them or cares for them.
• People today that perform karoshi do not use the
  traditional method.

8
Statistics Of Karoshi

• 67 of the people that perform karoshi are men.
• According to BBC News, in the year 2000, 33,000
  people committed karoshi in Japan.
• The suicide rate in Japan is higher than that of
  Great Britain, Germany, Italy or the United
  States, although lower than those for men in
  Austria, Finland and France.