Death by overwork: Occupational hazard for Japan's media

TOKYO: The news that a young reporter at Japan's public broadcaster had worked herself to death came as little surprise to those inside the country's media, where a culture of excessively long hours has become the norm.

"I thought it would happen eventually because we work like crazy... like a slave," said a journalist at one of Japan's major newspapers. "I really thought I would die," she told AFP on condition of anonymity, recalling her days chasing after the prime minister and lawmakers in Tokyo, when she would routinely come home from work at 1am and wake up four hours later. While journalists tend to work long hours in many countries, the situation in Japan is among the most extreme, with reporters expected to be on the job 24-7.