Business / Corporate May 23, 2019
Few Japanese firms plan to hire foreign workers under new immigration law, poll suggests
The survey suggests the government may struggle to get the workers it needs to ease the country’s labor woes.
National / Politics May 19, 2019
LDP to set up caucus on making use of paternity leave mandatory throughout Japan
Like-minded members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party plan to form a caucus to make the taking of paternity leave mandatory in Japan, informed sources said Saturday. The caucus, to be chaired by former education minister Hirokazu Matsuno, is set to hold its first meeting ...
Business / Corporate May 7, 2019
Nearly 40% of companies see low retention rate for midcareer hires: survey
Close to 40 percent of employers feel they have low retention rates for regular employees hired in the middle of their careers, according to a survey. The survey was conducted online by recruitment agency En-Japan Inc. between late January and late February on companies that ...
Business / Economy Mar 18, 2019
Hundreds of firms may be demoted in Tokyo Stock Exchange shake-up
by Keiko Ujikane and Toshiro Hasegawa
As part of an effort to streamline markets and attract more investors, the Tokyo Stock Exchange may demote about a third of its largest listed companies and cut down the bourses it operates to three from four, according to media reports. A TSE advisory panel ...
Business Sep 27, 2018
Japanese firms prepare for large-scale volunteering during 2020 Games
Major companies are encouraging employees to volunteer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, after the Tokyo Organising Committee started their search for 80,000 on Wednesday. A number of firms plan to send volunteers from among their own workforce, although some industries are concerned about ...
Business / Economy Sep 3, 2018
Japan saw capital spending rise at fastest pace in over a decade in April-June quarter
Investment by all nonfinancial sectors for purposes such as building factories and adding equipment increased by 12.8 percent from a year earlier, with spending reaching ¥10.66 trillion.
National Aug 7, 2018
Companies across Japan take action to protect employees from unruly customers
A campaign is underway among Japanese companies to clarify rules that protect employees from unruly customers as labor shortages drive public-facing industries to improve their work conditions. In one example, taxi companies keen to stem an exodus of drivers are setting strict guidelines that allow ...
National Mar 29, 2018
Japan modernizing workplace conditions to lure new mothers back
by Noriko Inoue
With Japan's demographic challenges causing a workforce crunch that is proving difficult for companies to overcome, many are now offering flexible conditions to allow new mothers to return to full-time careers while maintaining their work-family balance. More women, afraid their careers will stagnate while they ...
Business / Corporate Mar 13, 2018
Acute shortages of manpower in Japan are prompting changes in the country's labor market, and a new rule to facilitate the conversion of fixed-term contract workers into indefinite-term employees will come into full force in April. The status conversion rule was included in the revised ...
National / Politics Oct 19, 2017
Japan Inc. wants ruling bloc to prevail in election win but with smaller majority: poll
Japanese companies overwhelmingly want Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition to stay in power in this Sunday's national election but about two-thirds want it to lose seats, a Reuters poll found. The survey suggests corporations want political stability but don't want to hand Abe a ...
National Jun 28, 2017
New employees ready to challenge Japan's 'work-first' culture, study shows
Japanese workers devoting themselves to working massively long hours for their employers might be becoming a thing of the past. Nearly half of newly employed people said they would leave the office when their work was done even if their superiors or colleagues were working ...
Business Apr 3, 2017
An estimated 890,000 new recruits at companies, public offices and other organizations marked their first day at work on Monday, the first business day of the new fiscal year. Job availability for graduates has continued to improve over the past several years, with 90.6 percent ...