Legal Alert | Japan is Primed for Increased Foreign Direct Investment
Patent Grace Period Considerations in Australia, Japan, South East Asia and the U.S.
Greater Speed and Efficiency: Steps IP Offices Around the World Are Taking to Streamline the Patent Process
Nota Bene Episode 109: Asia Q1 Check In: China’s Emergence as the Number One World Economy and New Hegemonic Role in Asia with Paul Kim
Nota Bene Episode 69: Asia Check In: The Coronavirus’s Impact on Business, the Trilateral Summit, and Japan’s Criminal Justice System with Paul Kim
Dr. Frederick Ch’en discusses generic drugs and the changing pharmaceutical landscape in Asia
Spencer Klein Talks M&A with Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine
In June 2023, the ‘Act on the Promotion of Citizens’ Understanding of Diversity of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity’ was enacted by the Japanese legislature (the Diet)....more
Over the last decade, a patchwork of national and supranational “business and human rights laws” has emerged requiring employers to conduct due diligence of their global operations to address human rights risks such as forced...more
This summer many Japanese companies took their first legally required steps toward joining the growing global movement to address gender inequality and promote equal opportunities in the workforce. The Act on Promotion of...more
To deter employees from leaving their jobs due to childbirth or childcare needs and to enable both men and women to balance work and childcare responsibilities as they deem suitable, Japan’s government passed an amendment to...more
Expanded Japanese whistleblowing rules are among the latest to come into effect as part of a broad trend of increasing regulatory requirements for incident reporting across the globe. Previously in effect for large...more
National and supranational legislatures continue to develop laws requiring employers to conduct due diligence of their operations and those of their business partners in order to address human rights risks such as forced...more
New Paternity Leave Law - New Legislation Enacted - The Child and Family Member Care Leave Act has been revised mainly to create more accessible leave for fathers. The revisions include: (i) a leave of four weeks that can...more
We asked our member firms around the globe to provide some insight on employer and employee rights when it comes to requiring the COVID-19 vaccine to return to work. Responses from Japan. Can an employer require compulsory...more
The Japanese government announced on January 13 that it has added seven prefectures—Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Aichi, Gifu, Tochigi, and Fukuoka—as areas subject to the Second Declaration of a State of Emergency (SDSE) from January...more
As the coronavirus situation continues to evolve, so do companies’ and governments’ approaches to monitoring and helping avoid the spread of the virus. The intensity and anxiety over this issue is extremely high in Asia,...more
Employment Security Up to the Age 70 - Proposed Bill or Initiative - On December 25, 2019, Labor Policy Council has proposed to the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare to take legislative actions to provide measures...more
To tackle the karoshi (“death by overwork”) problem, Japan enacted the Workstyle Reform Act in June 2018. The Act requires employers to implement specific measures to limit employees’ working hours and create a healthier and...more
Australia - Wage Theft Investigations. The Australia Fair Work Ombudsman’s (FWO) 2018-2019 Annual Report, published by the government agency on October 20, 2019, found significant wage theft in the country over the past...more
Japan sets both regional minimum wage and industrial minimum wage. The regional minimum wage is reviewed and revised, as needed on an annual basis. Each prefectures in Japan (i.e., total 47 prefectures) sets its own minimum...more
New Anti-Power Harassment Law (Anti-Bullying Law) in Japan - New Legislation Enacted - On May 29, 2019, a new anti-bullying law, known as “Anti-Power Harassment Law,” was enacted and will take effect within one year...more
On March 8, 2019, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) submitted a draft proposal to Congress, to amend the Act to Promote Women in Workplace....more
Global Disputes - JCAA Establishes New "Interactive Arbitration Rules" Effective January 1, 2019, the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association ("JCAA") modified the choices of rules available to the parties to an...more
Japan is known as a country that prizes and exemplifies hard work. While there are significant benefits to this worth ethic, excessive work habits create problems for the country as well. ...more
Labor - Amendment to Immigration Control Act Introduces New Visa Categories - As of April 1, 2019, most provisions of the "Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act," which was amended in part on December 8,...more
Supreme Court Decides Whether a Fixed Overtime Allowance is Considered Statutory Overtime Wages - On July 19, 2018, in a case in which the parties litigated whether payment of a so-called fixed overtime allowance is...more
In Japan, reforms over the years of its labor laws, which have been largely premised on a system of lifetime employment and time based wages, have remained minor and labor related issues such as low productivity, depressed...more
Work Style Reform Legislation Has Been Passed - New Legislation Enacted - On July 6, 2018, various amendments to the employment laws were enacted to reform work style and will become effective gradually (some provisions...more
Japan's Supreme Court Issues First Decisions Interpreting Article 20 of the Labor Contract Act - On June 1, 2018, in the Hamakyorex and Nagasawa-Unyu decisions, the Supreme Court (Second Petty Bench) interpreted Article...more
Last month, Japan’s restrictions on fixed-term employment contracts took effect, and employees with at least five years of service with an employer can now be considered indefinite-term employees upon the expiration of their...more
Yikes. Sounds like Japan is past due for a Pregnancy Discrimination Act. According to the Daily Mail, workers in Japan who want to get pregnant are expected to do it in order of seniority (meaning, "time on the job" rather...more