What is the Standard Leave policy in Japan?

Modified on: Wed, 29 Oct, 2025 at 9:15 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Annual Paid Leave
2. Sick Leave
3. Maternity Leave
4. Childcare Leave

This article provides an overview of the statutory leave entitlements under Japanese labor law. Actual leave may vary depending on individual employment contracts or internal policies.

Summary

Japanese statutory leave entitlements provide a structured framework for supporting employee well-being:

Annual leave: 10–20 days based on service; carryover allowed for up to 2 years.
Sick leave: No statutory entitlement; employees may use annual leave or claim sickness allowance for extended illness.
Maternity leave: 14 weeks minimum.
Childcare leave: Up to 1–2 years, with partial compensation and expanded flexible leave rights.

Employers must embed these rights in company policies and internal regulations and may offer more generous entitlements per contract. Compliance is crucial to avoid legal penalties and ensure a supportive workplace culture.

1. Annual Paid Leave

Under Japan's Labor Standards Act, employees are entitled to 10 days of paid annual leave after 6 months of continuous employment, provided they have worked at least 80% of scheduled days.

Beyond the initial 10 days, leave increments based on tenure:

Years of Continuous Service	Leave Days
1.5	11
2.5	12
3.5	14
4.5	16
5.5	18
6.5+	20

Key points:

Unused leave can be carried over for up to 2 years, after which it expires per Article 115 of the Act.
Employees may choose when to take leave, with some discretion reserved for employers to manage operational needs.
Employers may also designate company-wide leave days, provided they are specified in internal work regulations.

2. Sick Leave

There is no statutory entitlement to paid sick leave for non-work-related illness in Japan. However:

Employees can use annual leave for sick days.
For extended illness, covered by social insurance, employees may be eligible for sickness allowance (傷病手当, shōbyōteate), which covers approximately 60% of salary after a waiting period of 3 days.

3. Maternity Leave

Maternity leave (産前産後休業, sanzen sango kyūgyō) is mandated and includes:

6 weeks before the expected due date (extended to 14 weeks in the case of multiple births).
8 weeks after childbirth, during which mothers cannot work.

This results in a combined minimum leave period of 14 weeks for single births.

4. Childcare Leave

The Child Care and Family Care Leave Act grants parental leave:

Up to 1 year after childbirth, extendable to 2 years under special circumstances (e.g., limited daycare availability).
Both parents may take leave; partial compensation is provided via employment insurance (approximately 67% salary for first six months, then 50% after).

Recent amendments (April 2025) include expanded eligibility, flexible work options, and employer consultation obligations.

In this article...

Japan