Labor condition notices for foreign hires: what Japan requires in writing since April 2024

When a company in Japan hires anyone, Japanese or not, it has to state the main working conditions in writing at the start. Since April 2024 that notice must also say where the person could later be moved and what other work they could be given, and fixed term contracts must say whether there is a cap on renewals. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) publishes a model notice for foreign workers in eight languages, and the English version already has fields for these items.

What the law requires

Article 15 of the Labor Standards Act (in Japanese) obliges the employer to state wages, working hours and other conditions when the contract is concluded. Article 5 of the act's enforcement rules (in Japanese) lists what has to be covered and which items must be given as a document: the contract period, the criteria for renewing a fixed term contract, the place of work and the duties, working hours, breaks, days off and leave, how wages are calculated and paid, and the rules on leaving the company, including the grounds for dismissal.

The default form is a paper document. If the worker asks for it, the employer can send it by fax or by email or a similar message instead, as long as the worker can print it out. The same article forbids stating conditions that differ from the facts.

The four items added in April 2024

The MHLW leaflet on the change (PDF, in Japanese) sets out what was added from April 1, 2024.

• For every contract, at hiring and at each renewal of a fixed term contract: the scope of change of the place of work and duties. This means where the person could be transferred and what other work they could be assigned in the future, not only where and what they start with.
• For fixed term contracts, at conclusion and at each renewal: whether there is an upper limit on renewals, as a total contract period or a number of renewals, and what it is. If the company adds a cap or shortens one after the first contract, it has to explain the reason to the worker beforehand.
• At any renewal where the worker gains the right to convert to an indefinite contract: that they can apply for conversion. Under the conversion rule, once fixed term contracts with the same employer add up to more than five years, the worker can ask to switch to a contract with no fixed term.
• At the same renewals: the working conditions after conversion. The employer must also try to explain how it weighed the balance with regular employees, such as duties, level of responsibility and transfers, when setting them.

The ministry's page on the change (in Japanese) links the leaflet, a Q&A and the updated model notice.

Why this matters more with foreign workers

The scope of duties is where work visas and contracts meet. A person on a work visa may only do the work their status allows, so a notice that says the company can assign "any work" leaves both sides exposed if a later transfer falls outside the status. Writing the realistic range of duties, and checking that every item in it fits the visa, protects both. Our article on which jobs qualify for the Engineer/Humanities visa covers that check.

The renewal items matter too. A worker who knows their contract period, the renewal criteria and any cap can plan visa renewals around them.

The act also gives the worker a remedy. Under Article 15, if the stated conditions turn out to differ from the facts, the worker can end the contract immediately, and if they moved home for the job and go back within 14 days, the employer pays the travel costs.

The model notice in eight languages

The MHLW publishes a model labor conditions notice for foreign workers in English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Indonesian and Vietnamese. The Aichi Labour Bureau lists all eight (in Japanese) with links to the ministry's pages. The English version (PDF), dated March 2024, puts the Japanese under each English heading, so the HR team and the worker read the same document, and it already has fields for the scope of change and the renewal limit.

The government's guideline on employing foreign workers also asks companies to explain conditions in a way the person understands, such as their native language or plain Japanese. What changed in that guideline in 2026 is in our guideline article.

A short checklist for the next hire

• Use the current model notice, dated 2024 or later, not an older template from a shared drive.
• Fill in the scope of change for place and duties, and check it against the person's status of residence.
• For fixed term contracts, write the renewal criteria and any cap, and put the renewal where conversion rights arise on the calendar.
• Give the Japanese and the translated version together, and keep a signed or acknowledged copy.
• If the worker wants it by email, keep a record of that request.

Workers in Kanagawa with questions about their conditions can use the Kanagawa Labour Bureau's consultation corner for foreign workers, which has advisers for English, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Chinese on set days of the week.