Working Time Rules: Japan
Japan: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
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 set by Cabinet Order within a range of 25% to 50% over the normal hourly wage, with higher rates for late-night and holiday work. Hours beyond 60 in a single month carry a premium of at least 50%.
Rest periods
At least 45 minutes of breaks once the working day passes 6 hours, and at least an hour once it passes 8, which the worker is free to use as they choose. At least one day off a week, unless the employer instead gives four or more days off across a four-week period.
Record-keeping
Employers must preserve worker rosters, wage ledgers, and the important documents covering hiring, dismissal, wages, and injury or illness compensation for three years.
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.