This article was written by the NIPPON VISA & LIFE editorial team based on information from public organizations such as the national government and local governments. Rules and fees may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live.
In Japan, people who have worked continuously for 6 months and have come to work on at least 80% of their scheduled working days can take annual paid leave (days off for which you still receive your wages). This applies not only to regular full-time employees, but equally to part-time workers and foreign workers. This article explains how many days you get, how to take them, and where to get help when you have a problem.
The Short Answer: The Basics of Paid Leave
- Annual paid leave (also called “yukyu” or “nenkyu” in Japanese) is time off for which you still receive your wages. You can use it for any purpose
- You get it after working continuously for 6 months from when you started and coming to work on at least 80% of your scheduled working days
- Full-time workers first get 10 days. The number of days increases the longer you work for the company, up to a maximum of 20 days
- Part-time workers can also get paid leave if they meet the conditions. People who work fewer days get fewer days of leave
- In principle, you decide the days you will take off yourself and tell your company
- Paid leave you do not use disappears 2 years after the day it was given
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 3, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
A list of articles about work will be gathered in The Basics of Finding a Job in Japan (Hello Work and Where to Get Help).
Who Can Get Paid Leave
All workers who meet the following 2 conditions get paid leave, regardless of the type of work or the industry of the company (Article 39 of the Labor Standards Act).
| Condition | Details |
|---|---|
| You have worked continuously for 6 months | 6 months from the day you started work (the day you were hired) |
| You have come to work on at least 80% of working days | At least 80% of your scheduled working days (all working days) |
Not only regular full-time employees but also part-time workers, “arubaito” (casual part-time) workers, dispatched workers and others get paid leave if they meet the conditions.
When counting the percentage of days you came to work, the following rules apply.
- Periods when you were absent because of a work-related injury or illness, and periods of childcare leave or family care leave set by law, are counted as days you came to work
- Periods when you did not work because of the company’s circumstances are, in principle, removed from the working days (all working days) when counting
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”, Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 3)
How Many Days You Get
Full-Time Workers
People who work 5 days or more a week, and others, get the following number of days depending on how long they have worked.
| Period of continuous work | Days you get |
|---|---|
| 6 months | 10 days |
| 1 year 6 months | 11 days |
| 2 years 6 months | 12 days |
| 3 years 6 months | 14 days |
| 4 years 6 months | 16 days |
| 5 years 6 months | 18 days |
| 6 years 6 months or more | 20 days |
The condition is that you come to work on at least 80% of working days each year.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
Part-Time and Other Workers Who Work Fewer Days
People who are not regular full-time employees, such as part-time workers, get the same number of days as in the table above if either of the following applies to them.
- They work 5 days or more a week, or 217 days or more a year
- Their weekly working hours (scheduled working hours) are 30 hours or more
People who work 4 days or fewer a week (216 days or fewer a year) and also less than 30 hours a week get the following number of days depending on how many days they work.
| Days worked per week | Days worked per year | 6 months | 1 year 6 months | 2 years 6 months | 3 years 6 months | 4 years 6 months | 5 years 6 months | 6 years 6 months or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 days | 169 days to 216 days | 7 days | 8 days | 9 days | 10 days | 12 days | 13 days | 15 days |
| 3 days | 121 days to 168 days | 5 days | 6 days | 6 days | 8 days | 9 days | 10 days | 11 days |
| 2 days | 73 days to 120 days | 3 days | 4 days | 4 days | 5 days | 6 days | 6 days | 7 days |
| 1 day | 48 days to 72 days | 1 day | 2 days | 2 days | 2 days | 3 days | 3 days | 3 days |
The “Days worked per year” column is used for people whose working days are set by a period such as a year rather than by the week.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”, Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 3)
How to Take Paid Leave
Decide the Day Yourself and Tell Your Company
The worker decides the day to take paid leave and tells the company. In principle, the company must let you take that day off. You are free to use the leave for any purpose (whatever the reason for taking the day off).
How to tell the company (by when, on which form, and so on) differs from company to company. Check the work rules (shugyo kisoku: the company’s rules on how you work) or ask your supervisor or the person in charge.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”, Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 3)
When the Company Can Ask You to Change the Day
Only when your taking the day you requested off would prevent the company’s business from running normally can the company ask you to change the day (the employer’s right to change the timing of leave). For example, this may happen when many people ask to take the same day off. “Because work is busy” alone is not an acceptable reason.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
The System That Requires Companies to Make You Take 5 Days a Year
For people who get 10 days or more of paid leave a year, the company must make sure they take 5 of those days every year, for example by setting the days off. When the company sets the days off, it is to listen to the worker’s wishes and try to respect them. The company does not need to set days for people who have already taken 5 days or more off on their own.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”, Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 3)
Other Ways of Taking Leave at Some Companies
- Planned granting of leave: When the company and a representative of the workers sign an agreement (a labor-management agreement), the company may assign the days off in advance for the portion of paid leave exceeding 5 days
- Paid leave by the hour: In principle, paid leave is taken in units of 1 day. At companies that have signed a labor-management agreement, you can take it in units of 1 hour (up to 5 days’ worth a year)
Check the work rules to see how this works at your company.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
When You Have a Problem and Common Questions
What If You Are Told “Our Company Has No Paid Leave”?
Paid leave is a right that arises by law when you meet the conditions. Even if the company says so, workers who meet the conditions have the right to take it. Please contact one of the services in “Consultation Services Available in Foreign Languages” below.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
Can My Wages Be Cut If I Take Paid Leave?
The company must not treat you unfavorably, such as by cutting your wages, because you took paid leave (Article 136 of the Supplementary Provisions of the Labor Standards Act).
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
Can I Use Unused Paid Leave the Next Year?
Paid leave disappears due to the statute of limitations 2 years after the day it was given (Article 115 of the Labor Standards Act). This means that leave you did not use in the year you got it can still be used for 2 years from the day it was given. After 2 years you can no longer use it, so check how many days you have left with the person in charge at your company.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
How Much Am I Paid on a Day of Paid Leave?
Wages for a day of paid leave are paid using one of 3 calculation methods set by law (average wages, the wages you would normally receive for working, or 1/30 of the standard monthly remuneration for health insurance). The company is to write which one it uses in its work rules or similar documents.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
What If I Keep Working by Renewing My Contract?
When a person working on a fixed-term contract renews the contract, and in reality it is no different from being employed continuously, the period worked before the renewal is also included in the “period of continuous work”.
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 3, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law”)
Consultation Services Available in Foreign Languages
You can consult the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s telephone services in foreign languages about paid leave and other working conditions.
| Service | Hours | Call charges |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation Dial for Foreign Workers | Weekdays 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (except 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.) | Charged (landline: 9.35 yen per 180 seconds; mobile phone: 22 yen per 30 seconds; tax included) |
| Working Conditions Consultation Hotline | Weekdays 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. | Free |
| Language | Consultation Dial for Foreign Workers | Working Conditions Consultation Hotline |
|---|---|---|
| English | 0570-001-701 | 0120-531-401 |
| Chinese | 0570-001-702 | 0120-531-402 |
| Portuguese | 0570-001-703 | 0120-531-403 |
| Tagalog | 0570-001-705 | 0120-531-405 |
| Vietnamese | 0570-001-706 | 0120-531-406 |
| Burmese | 0570-001-707 | 0120-531-407 |
| Nepali | 0570-001-708 | 0120-531-408 |
| Korean | 0570-001-709 | 0120-613-801 |
| Thai | 0570-001-712 | 0120-613-802 |
| Indonesian | 0570-001-715 | 0120-613-803 |
- The days of the week on which you can consult differ by language. Before calling, check the days on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Consultation Services for Foreign Workers” page
- Both services are closed over the New Year holidays (December 29 to January 3). You can also call from a mobile phone
- Prefectural Labour Bureaus and Labour Standards Inspection Offices also have services where you can consult in foreign languages (Consultation Corners for Foreign Workers). You can look up their locations and languages on the same page
For information on looking for a job, please read How to Use Hello Work: Finding a Job in Japan as a Foreign Resident (What to Bring, Job Seeker Registration, Interpreters and Referral Letters).
Primary Sources Used for This Article
- Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” (8th edition) (Chapter 3: Employment and Labor)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Prefectural Labour Bureaus and Labour Standards Inspection Offices “The Number of Days of Annual Paid Leave Is Set by Law” (Leaflet Series: Article 39 of the Labor Standards Act)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “Consultation Services for Foreign Workers” (Check Working Conditions)
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
