Recent news
Latest items of recent news relevant to Japan as reported in our fortnightly newswire ‘Dernières nouvelles’.
Japan: Mandatory background checks
All organisations hiring employees to work with children will soon be required to undertake a background check on applicants …
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Japan: Demographic stimulus Bill
A revised ‘Child Care and Family Care Leave Act’ has just been submitted to the Diet (Parliament) …
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Japan: Fixed tax reduction starting from June 2024
The reduction will be applied to salaries starting in June 2024 …
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Japan: Digital nomad visas
The Japanese government is about to introduce a new visa that will allow visitors from 49 visa-exempt countries, including the United States, to stay in the country for up to six months – doubling the length of stay permitted with the current 90-day tourist visa …
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Japan: Disability quota (2024-26)
Currently, the legal employment quota for people with disabilities in private companies is set at 2 …
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Japan: 2024 Starting salaries rise
The monthly starting salaries for University graduates have risen this Spring to an average of 218,324 yen (US$1,440) – up 6,825 (US$45) from last year …
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Japan: Disaster messaging service
In the event of an earthquake, or other sudden emergency, there is a special service that can be used in Japan – even if mobile and landline phones do not work …
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Japan: Prime Minister asks for increased wages in construction
The government has raised the allowed unit price of labour in public works contracts to reflect labour shortages …
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Japan: Automation of convenience stores
Local convenience stores have a greater significance in Japanese culture than in many other advanced economies because the Japanese are less inclined to undertake bulk supermarket shopping on a periodic basis …
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Japan: Emerging demographic crisis
The number of births last year in Japan was 726,000, the lowest ever recorded in modern times …
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Japan: Union ‘about turn’ on negotiations with Amazon
A group of just 20 independent delivery drivers has filed a complaint with the Tokyo Labour Commission because they had been refused the right to bargain by Amazon …
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Japan: Constraints felt by companies raising pay levels
A recent survey of SME’s conducted by Tokyo Shoko Research has found that 85% of such companies across Japan planned to increase pay levels this year …
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Japan: Compulsory pensions for part-timers
From 1st October 2024, employers with 51+ employees will be obliged to enrol all their part-time workers under the Employment Pension Insurance Scheme …
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Japan: Amendment to LSA Ordinance
From 1st April 2024 employers will be required not only to give notice to changes in workplaces and duties during the hiring process, but also whenever there are changes during an individual’s employment …
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Japan: Unionisation of non-regular workers
Over the last two decades the proportion of the workforce who are part-time and temporary workers has grown from 15-20% to almost 40% …
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