🇯🇵 Working time rules
Working Time Rules: Japan
Japan: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Standard work week40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave10-20 days10 days after 6 months of work. Increases by 1-2 days yearly up to 20 days after 6.5 years.
Statutory working time
Under the Labour Standards Act (労働基準法, Art. 32), employers may not have employees work more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. Art. 36 agreements (三六協定) between employers and employee representatives permit overtime within statutory caps.
Overtime
Statutory hours are 8 a day and 40 a week. Overtime requires a labor-management agreement (the Article 36 agreement) and is paid at a premium of at least 25%, with higher rates for late-night and holiday work.
Rest periods
A break during long days and at least one day off a week, with statutory limits on overtime.
Record-keeping
Employers must keep records of working hours and wages.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.