Working Hours in Japan

The legal working week and day in Japan, how overtime is paid, which days are the weekend, normal office hours and the paid leave you are owed.

Working week 40 hours Working day 8 hours Overtime pay 1.25× Weekend days Sat–Sun Business hours 9am–6pm Annual leave 10 days

Working week in Japan

40 hours

The Labour Standards Act sets 40 hours a week. Overtime is capped at 45 hours a month and 360 hours a year, or 720 hours a year in special cases.

Working day in Japan

8 hours

The legal day is 8 hours, with a 45-minute break when you work over 6 hours and an hour over 8 hours.

Overtime pay in Japan

1.25×

Overtime is paid at 25% extra, 50% for overtime beyond 60 hours a month, and 35% on legal days off. Late-night work between 10pm and 5am adds another 25%.

Weekend days in Japan

Sat–Sun

Saturday and Sunday are the weekend for offices, banks and government. Shops and restaurants open seven days.

Business hours in Japan

9am–6pm

Offices usually work 9am to 6pm with an hour for lunch, Monday to Friday. Banks open 9am to 3pm on weekdays.

Annual leave in Japan

10 days

You get 10 days of paid leave after 6 months, rising each year to 20 days after 6.5 years. Employers must make sure you take at least 5 days a year.

Checked 24 October 2026 against national labour laws and government sites. Laws change and this is a summary, not legal advice; check with the authority that applies to you.

Working days in Japan 2026

Business days and working hours by month, after weekends and holidays.

Minimum wage in Japan

The hourly and monthly minimum, in local money and US dollars.

Japanese public holidays 2026

Every holiday with its date and long weekends.