KUMAMOTO -- The family of a police officer who died by suicide has been awarded some 61.8 million yen (approx. $410,000) in compensation after a court acknowledged the link between his death and overwork.

On Dec. 4, the Kumamoto District Court ordered the Kumamoto Prefectural Government to pay damages to the family of 24-year-old Takatoshi Watanabe, who took his own life in September 2017 while serving as an officer in the criminal affairs division of Tamana Police Station. The family had sought about 78 million yen (approx. $520,000), arguing that the prefectural police had neglected their duty of care, contributing to Watanabe's death.

Presiding Judge Hideki Shinagawa stated, "The head of the criminal affairs division and other superiors failed to address his overwork, despite being aware of the situation, thereby breaching their duty of care."

Watanabe joined Kumamoto Prefectural Police in 2012 and was transferred to Tamana Police Station's criminal affairs division in March 2017. Just six months later, he died by suicide, leaving behind a note. In November 2020, his death was officially recognized as a work-related accident caused by excessive workload.

The lawsuit centered on the nature of Watanabe's working hours, particularly his on-duty shifts, which included overnight assignments. The prefectural police argued that such shifts should not count as overtime, describing them as "intermittent labor" with designated nap times.

However, the court rejected this argument, ruling that on-duty hours qualified as overtime since Watanabe remained under his superiors' supervision and was expected to respond immediately to incidents, even during breaks or naps. The court determined that his overtime ranged between 143 and 185 hours per month in the five months preceding his death -- far exceeding the 80-hour threshold commonly associated with death from overwork, or karoshi.

The court further concluded that by August 2017, Watanabe had developed depression and other mental health issues due to his excessive workload. It held that his superiors in the criminal affairs division had failed to act despite clear indications he was working too much, ultimately leading to his suicide.

Watanabe's mother Michiyo, 64, told a post-ruling press conference, "I have worked tirelessly to restore my son's honor. This ruling brought me to tears."

The family's attorney Takahiro Mitsunaga hailed the decision as "an epoch-making ruling as it fully recognizes on-duty hours as actual working time, reflecting the reality of labor conditions."

In response to the verdict, Kumamoto Prefectural Police issued a brief statement: "We will review the written ruling and determine our course of action."

(Japanese original by Kenji Noro, Kumamoto Bureau)