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:
- Minimum Wage: Discussion on Correcting Application Delays – Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Advisory Council
- “Policy Speech by Prime Minister Takaichi at the 221st Session of the National Diet” – February 20, 2026, Prime Minister’s Office
- MHLW to Relax Dependent Status Requirements Regarding the “1.3 Million Yen Wall” from April Onward
- 190 Organizations Submit Written Opinion to Mie Prefecture Over Planned Exclusion of Foreign Nationals from Hiring
- Argentina’s Largest Labor Union to Hold General Strike in Protest of Labor Reform Bill
- Transfer after Parental Leave Return Ruled “Invalid” – Male Employee Wins Lawsuit against Employer, Tokyo District Court
- Death of Private Elementary School Teacher Recognized as Industrial Accident – Reversal of Initial Decision, Near-Zero Break Time Acknowledged
- Pay Disparity for Re-employed Workers Ruled Unreasonable – “Same Nature as Regular Employees’ Basic Salary” – Remanded Appeal, Nagoya High Court, Driving School Case
- Japan Arm of Microsoft Subjected to Surprise Inspection by Fair Trade Commission on Suspicion of Antitrust Violations
- Gender Pay Gap Improvement Stalls – Female Managers Not Increasing
- Ibaraki Prefecture to Create Reward System for Reporting Illegal Employment of Foreigners – Concerns About Fueling Discrimination
- Aeon Retail and Skylark Both Grant Full Demands on Part-Time Wage Increases
- January Consumer Prices Rise 2.0% – Second Consecutive Month of Narrowing Growth, Driven by Gasoline Tax Cuts
- U.S. Supreme Court Rules Trump Tariffs “Illegal” – Some to Lapse, Refund Demands May Cause Confusion
- Global Debt Hits Record 5 Quadrillion Yen – Defense Spending and AI Investment to Drive Further Increases
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Requests All Local Governments to Record Nationality of New Foreign Residents in Public Housing