In-house counsel in Japan have their work cut out for them dealing with issues of mental stress and suicide, according to domestic firm Anderson Mori & Tomotsune.

Statistics show that there have been over 30,000 suicides in Japan during the past eight years that have been the result of overwork or mental sickness due to overwork.

Speaking at ALB's In-house Legal Summit in Tokyo, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune partner Hideki Kano said the situation was "something like a war", and that the Japanese Government is taking the situation "very seriously". Kano said in-house counsel will have to be careful to ensure employees are not overworked, and that situations of mental stress are handled carefully.

Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with many forming suicide pacts over the internet. Suicide has become a widely discussed topic on many websites in Japan, and there is even a guidebook to the best places to kill yourself - with the Aokigahara woods near the base of Mount Fuji a popular location.