This bulletin contains information on law changes that have either passed or are being discussed in parliament, court decisions, and other labour issues in Japan that are of interest to activists.
In this bulletin:
- LDP Wins Postwar Record 316 Seats; Centrist 49, Nippon Ishin 36, DPP 28 – All Seats Finalized in House of Representatives Election
- Dismissal for Developmental Disability Ruled “Illegal” – Yokohama District Court Orders Care Facility to Pay 800,000 Yen in Damages
- Kanagawa Summary Court Orders Restaurant to Pay Spot Worker After Last-Minute Cancellation
- Fair Trade Commission Investigates Japan Post for Freelance Act Violations – Potentially the Largest Case
- Non-Regular Workers’ Shunto Executive Committee Launches Campaign Demanding Wage Increases of 10% or More
- Foreign Workers Increase for 13th Consecutive Year, Reaching Record 2.57 Million in 2025 as Companies Actively Recruit Amid Labor Shortages
- Labor Force Population Exceeds 70 Million for the First Time – 2025 Average; Unemployment Rate Remains Flat
- Real Consumption Expenditure Down 2.6% in December – 2025 Engel’s Coefficient at Highest Level in 44 Years
- Real Wages Negative for Fourth Consecutive Year – Down 1.3% Year-on-Year in 2025; Wage Gains Offset by Rising Prices
- Lawyers Issue Emergency Statement Opposing Stricter Public Assistance Rules for Foreign Nationals Ahead of Election