Legal Environment

Japan’s Legal Environment

Filing for bancruptcy in Japan - Lawyers

Filing for Bankruptcy in Japan

Critics disagree if the Japanese government’s Abenomics initiative has been successful so far, or will be in the future. Yet the number of bankruptcy cases filed with court has decreased steadily since 2010, showing a remarkable decline since the initiative’s launch three years ago. In fact, the number of cases filed in May this year was the lowest figure since […]

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Subcontractor Bullying in Japan

Subcontractor Bullying in Japan

If your products are not selling as planned, do you ask longstanding suppliers to accept returns? Or, if you are offering discounts, do you have them bear some portion? These are just two examples of considerations you may have if your bargaining position against your suppliers is very strong. And you wouldn’t be alone. In fact, not a few companies […]

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Dismissing People in Japan - Fire

What Is the Cost of Dismissing Employees in Japan?

Many foreign companies don’t properly understand how hard it actually is to unilaterally terminate employment in Japan. In fact, they often try to dismiss employees based on norms of their home countries and without careful consideration of the local situation. As introduced in a previous article, dismissals in Japan are strictly regulated under the Labour Contract Act. Employers have to […]

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Employ People in Japan - Business Meeting

How to Employ People in Japan — a Legal Perspective

Many people in Japan call life-time employment, seniority-based employment and company unions the Three Sacred Treasures of Japanese-style management. But in reality, these treasures have increasingly become things of the past. Companies now adopt various patterns to employ people in Japan. Statistics of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) show that while the share of limited-term employees was […]

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Japanese Visa

Market Entry and Incorporating in Japan

Japan’s declining population is expected to lead to slower market growth. One measure by the Japanese government to counter this development is trying to attract more investment from overseas. In fact, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) aims to double foreign direct investment (FDI) stocks to up to 35 billion yen by 2020. Reasons to enter Japan One […]

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Dismiss Employees in Japan - Ruling

Understanding the Role of Contracts in Japan

It is no secret that many small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) in Japan often have excellent technologies at their command. Yet many are focusing more or less on their domestic market. But as promotion by the government or private initiatives is stepping up, they attract higher attention from overseas. And as they become increasingly open themselves, foreign companies have more […]

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