Japanese monk sues temple saying work gave him depression
Buddhist looking for £57,400 in damages after he said he had to work sometimes for two months without a break

A Japanese monk is suing his temple, claiming he was forced to work incredibly long hours catering to tourists and that the heavy workload gave him depression.
The monk, in his 40s, is seeking 8.6m yen (£57,400) from his temple on Mount Koya, a world heritage site also known as Koyasan, “which is regarded as one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Japan”, says The Guardian.
The plaintiff began working at the temple in 2008 and became depressed around December 2015, according to his lawyer Noritake Shirakura.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“If you work as a monk, too often you work without work-hour management,” Shirakura told AFP. “You provide labour, but you are told it's part of religious training. And if it's training, you must endure even it causes you significant hardship.”
“Through this case, we will argue that such a notion is outdated,” he said.
A local labour standards supervision office “has already recognised his overwork, confirming he once worked for at least a month without a day off”, says The Japan Times.
According to the complaint, his schedule included starting preparing for guests and tourists at 5am each day, before taking part in morning prayers at the temple’s shukubo, a lodging built for monks and worshippers. The paper adds that the complainant “sometimes worked late into the night attending to guests and fulfilling other duties at the temple”.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The case argues “that the monk was forced to perform paid labour far beyond his spiritual duties, and at times worked for more than two months straight”, says the Daily Telegraph.
Overwork is a major problem in Japan, and death by overwork is a recognised phenomenon that even has its own word - “karoshi”.
Last year, the Japanese government released a report that found 191 cases of “karoshi” in the 12 months leading up to March 2017, and that more than 7% of Japanese employees logged over 20 hours of overtime a week.
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Crossword: October 5, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
US and Japan strike trade deal
Speed Read Trump signed what he's calling the 'largest deal ever made'
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
A manga predicting a natural disaster is affecting tourism to Japan
Under the Radar The 1999 book originally warned of a disaster that would befall Japan in 2011 — a prophecy that came true
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come