A monk working at the World Heritage site of Mount Koya in Wakayama Prefecture has filed a lawsuit against the organization that operates the temple for damages and unpaid wages, claiming he developed depression and was forced to take a leave of absence because of his heavy workload, a lawyer representing him said Wednesday.

The plaintiff filed the suit April 27 with the Wakayama District Court, seeking some ¥8.6 million ($78,000).

The monk, in his 40s, who started working for one of the temples at Mount Koya in 2008, developed depression around December 2015 and has been absent from work since March 2016, the complaint says.