Employ and run payroll with ease in

Japan

japan flag

Make employment in Japan easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in Japan, all in one easy-to-use platform.

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor ManagementPayroll
  • Capital City

    Tokyo

  • Currency

    Japanese yen (¥, JPY)

  • Languages

    Japanese

  • Population size

    125,620,000

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor ManagementPayroll
The pagoda is red.

Facts & Stats

Japan
  • Capital City

    Tokyo

  • Currency

    Japanese yen (¥, JPY)

  • Languages

    Japanese

  • Population size

    125,620,000

  • Ease of doing business

    Very easy

  • Cost of living index

    87.77 (2021)

  • Payroll frequency

    Monthly

  • VAT - standard rate

    10%

  • GDP - real growth rate

    0.7% (2019)

Japan has enjoyed a long, rich history spanning around 2,000 years, and has given rise to a wonderful cultural heritage featuring samurai, ninjas, calligraphy, origami, sushi, ramen, and of course, anime!

Armed with a $5.5 trillion GDP, Japan is the world’s third-largest economy, built on powerful technology, automotive, tourism, and telecoms industries. And with unusually low unemployment figures, a welcoming population, and growing cultural diversity, Japan has maintained a solid place on the top of the world’s most desirable places to do business.

Grow your team in Japan with Remote

Want to hire employees in Japan? Companies hiring in Japan are typically required to either own a local legal entity or work with a global employment platform like Remote that can legally provide employment services in the country.

Remote can employ team members in Japan and keep you compliant at all times. Remote can hire, onboard, and pay your Japan team so you don't have to set up local HR services in the region. Remote also makes it easy to pay contractors in Japan. now to get started or talk to an expert for more details.

Risks of misclassification

Japan, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Japan may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.

People walking down a street in tokyo.

Employing in Japan

Japanese labor laws are outlined across two regulations, namely:

  • The Japanese Civil Code, and

  • The Labor Standards Act of 1947

Both of these define provisions for employee protections and workers’ rights which apply to Japan’s workforce of 68.7 million.

Employees in Japan enjoy protections against discrimination based on age, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, and race.

Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include the minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Japan.

Minimum Wage

In Japan, minimum wage differs by Province. As of October 1st, 2024, the minimum wage in Tokyo is ¥1,163 per hour.

Payroll Cycle

For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.

Onboarding Time

We can help you get a new employee started in Japan fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 12 working days.

Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.

For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.

Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.

16 Public holidays

Jan
Wednesday, January 1, 20251New Year's Day (元旦)
Monday, January 13, 20252Coming of Age Day (成人の日)
Feb
Tuesday, February 11, 20253National Foundation Day (建国記念の日)
Sunday, February 23, 20254The Emperor's Birthday (天皇誕生日)
Mar
Thursday, March 20, 20255Vernal Equinox Day (春分の日)
Apr
Tuesday, April 29, 20256Shōwa Day (昭和の日)
May
Saturday, May 3, 20257Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日)
Sunday, May 4, 20258Greenery Day (みどりの日)
Monday, May 5, 20259Children's Day (こどもの日)
Jul
Monday, July 21, 202510Marine Day (海の日)
Aug
Monday, August 11, 202511Mountain Day (山の日)
Sep
Monday, September 15, 202512Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日)
Tuesday, September 23, 202513Autumnal Equinox Day (秋分の日)
Oct
Monday, October 13, 202514Health and Sports Day (体育の日)
Nov
Monday, November 3, 202515Culture Day (文化の日)
Sunday, November 23, 202516Labor Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日)

Effortless HR Japan: Take the Tour

Seamlessly manage your workforce, from first hire to final paycheck

Competitive benefits package in Japan

At Remote, we’re passionate about helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in developing globally competitive benefits programs. This means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive, and your company has the localized expertise needed to attract and keep the best global talent.

Our benefits packages in Japan are tailored to fulfill the local needs of employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance

  • Dental Insurance

  • Vision Insurance

  • Mental health support

  • Pension or 401(K)

  • Life and Disability Insurance

Transparent Pricing in Japan

Employer of Record

$599

per employee/month

Top features

  • Hire without opening a local entity

  • Guided onboarding

  • Local payroll paid on time, every time

  • Built-in security and compliance

  • Flexible, localized benefits

  • Offer equity incentives with tax assistance

  • Dedicated experts for local support

Contractor Management

$29

per contractor/month

Top features

  • Only pay for contractors you actively work with

  • Work with international contractors

  • Create, edit, and sign tailored, localized contracts

  • Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay

  • Transparent payments with complete visibility

Payroll

$29

per employee/month

Top features

  • Powerful, transparent international payroll

  • Simple self-service platform

  • Personalized support from dedicated specialists

  • Adhere to local payroll regulations in every country

  • Integrated payroll, expense management, and HRIS solution

HRIS

$18

per employee/month

Top features

  • Guided onboarding and offboarding

  • Employee profile and document management

  • Contract templates and e-signing

  • Time off and time tracking

  • Expense management

  • Employee and manager self-serve experience

  • Mobile app