Labor Law & Employment
Latest news and updates on labor law & employment for expats in Japan
MHLW Opens Public Comment on Draft Changes to Employment Insurance Enforcement Rules
Japan's health ministry is seeking public comments through December 1 on a draft ordinance amending Employment Insurance Act enforcement rules, overse...
Japan Designates November as 'Shiwayose' Prevention Campaign Month for Small Business Workers
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, with the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency and Fair Trade Commission, is running a month-long campaign to...
Hokkaido Opens Special Website and Seminars to Help Businesses Prevent Customer Harassment
Hokkaido's prefectural government has launched a dedicated website offering seminars, lawyer consultations and multilingual posters to help businesses...
Health Ministry Revokes Licenses of Staffing Firm INC Over Immigration Law Conviction
Japan's health ministry revoked the labor dispatch and job placement licenses of Mie-based company INC after its conviction under the Immigration Cont...
MHLW Revises Workplace Health Promotion Guidelines, Adding Cancer and Other Screenings
The Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry issued revised guidelines for employers on promoting workers' health, effective October 19, 2026, adding cance...
MHLW Announces Special Employment Subsidy Measures for Businesses Affected by 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has introduced special provisions under its Industrial Employment Stability Subsidy for employers affected ...
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Seeks Public Comments on Draft Basic Policy for Equal Employment Opportunity Between Men and Women
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is accepting public comments through November 7, 2026, on a draft basic policy addressing equal employment ...
Japan Pension Service Updates Employer Social Insurance Forms Starting October 2026
The Japan Pension Service says several employer-submitted health insurance and employee pension insurance forms changed layout from October 1, 2026, c...
Tokyo Court Orders Ramen Chain to Pay ¥1 Million for Illegal Wage Deductions
Tokyo court ordered ramen chain to pay ¥1 million to Myanmar worker whose first salary was zero yen due to illegal deductions, reinforcing labor prote...
NHK Dismisses Reporter for Sexual Misconduct in Landmark Case
NHK dismissed a reporter for non-consensual sexual contact, reflecting stricter enforcement of workplace harassment policies in Japan. The case highli...
Real Wages in Japan Rise 2.4% in July: Seventh Consecutive Month of Growth
Real wages in Japan rose 2.4% in July 2026, the seventh straight monthly increase, with total cash earnings up 4.7%. This benefits expats through impr...
Japan's Minimum Wage Rises to ¥1,177 Average in Second-Largest Increase
Japan's minimum wage increases to ¥1,177 average nationwide from October 2026, a ¥56 hike marking the second-largest increase on record. The raise aff...
Japan Recommends 3.51% Civil Service Salary Increase for 2024
Japan's National Personnel Authority recommends a 3.51% salary increase for national civil servants in 2024, the second consecutive year exceeding 3%....
Major Japanese Companies' Summer Bonuses Top 1 Million Yen for First Time
Summer bonuses at major Japanese companies averaged 1.04 million yen per employee, the first time exceeding 1 million yen since records began in 1981,...
Tokyo Minimum Wage to Jump to ¥1,280 per Hour from October 2025
Tokyo's minimum wage increases to ¥1,280 per hour from October 2025, up ¥54. The raise applies to all workers including foreign residents and represen...
Railway Worker Shortage Drives Better Night Shift Conditions Across Japan
Japan's railway companies are improving night shift conditions and increasing allowances to address severe worker shortages. JR West will cancel servi...
Working Mothers Hit Record High as Most Japanese Households Report Hardship
Working mothers now comprise 81.2% of households with children under 18 in Japan, a record high. Despite average household incomes rising 7.3%, over h...
Japanese Summer Bonuses Break 1 Million Yen Barrier for First Time
Major Japanese companies paid record summer bonuses averaging 1,008,000 yen per employee in 2026, up 1.88% from last year. This milestone primarily af...
Japan's National Civil Servants See 4.5% Bonus Increase to ¥738,500
Japan's national civil servants received summer bonuses averaging ¥738,500, up 4.5% from last year. This marks the fourth consecutive annual increase,...
Japan Postpones ¥1,500 Minimum Wage Target to Early 2030s
Japan postponed its ¥1,500 minimum wage target to the early 2030s from the original 2030 goal. This affects foreign workers in minimum wage positions ...