FAQ

June 23, 2016

What is typically included in a Japanese employment contract?

Employment contracts in Japan generally define the relationship between the employee, the job and the company.  In Japan, an employment contract must clearly state the period of the labor contract, the workplace, job duties, the existence of overtime, the start and end time as well as days off, the wage and rules regarding dismissal.  It is the duty of the employee to check the contract before signing to ensure that he or she agrees with all the terms.  Therefore, it is important to have the contract translated if it is in a language that the employee cannot read.
June 1, 2016

What is a Company Seal and how is it registered?

Registering a company in Japan requires creating a company seal.  The company seal is a stamp that is usually a little larger than a normal personal seal.  It also usually has the company’s name or logo on it.  The company seal is used on documents and contracts as the company’s official seal of approval.  However, in order to act as the company’s official seal, a stamp must be registered with the Japanese government.  After registration, the Legal Affairs Bureau can provide a company with their seal registration certificate, which, as the name suggests, is a document that certifies that the company seal […]
May 13, 2016

Can contract workers become “lifetime” employees in Japan?

The Partial Amendment of the Employment Contract Act of Japan took effect on April 1st, 2013 and is designed to help employees who are on fixed term contracts that continuously get renewed.  The rule states that any fixed-term contract employee who has had his or her contract renewed 4 times can apply for a change to an employment contract without a fixed term.  This rule greatly benefits contract employees who have been stuck in a cycle of continuous contract renewal with no chance of becoming a permanent employee.
April 22, 2016

Do companies have to give paid leave in Japan?

Japanese companies are required to grant 10 days of paid leave to employees who have been working continuously for at least 6 months and have reported to work at least 80% of the time.  As the employee continues to work for the company, the number of paid leave days will increase by one additional day after the first year of employment to any increase of 10 additional days after working 6 years or more for the employer.