The president of advertising giant Dentsu Inc. on Friday admitted in court that it allowed employees to work illegal levels of overtime, leading the high-profile case sparked by the suicide of former employee Matsuri Takahashi closer to its rare public conclusion.
In the first and only hearing of the trial, prosecutors demanded that Dentsu pay a mere ¥500,000 fine. A ruling is expected on Oct. 6.
"The precious life of Matsuri Takahashi had been lost. I sincerely apologize to her and her bereaved family," Dentsu President Toshihiro Yamamoto told a news conference after the trial, referring to the overworked young employee who jumped to her death from the company dorm on Christmas Day in 2015. "We failed to fulfill the social responsibility of a company."