On Dec. 15, the operator of Japanese-style pubs Watami Co. reached a settlement with the parents of a former employee who killed herself due to overwork.
In the settlement, Watami admitted that the female employee's death was caused by excessive work, said Kazunari Tamaki, a lawyer for the woman's parents.
Mina Mori, 26, committed suicide in June 2008, two months after beginning to work for Watami. She was forced to work long shifts until the early hours and often hung around until the first train of the next morning.