When something goes wrong at work — unpaid wages, illegal overtime, unfair treatment, or sudden dismissal — the first challenge for many foreign workers in Japan is simply knowing where to turn. Japan has a network of free, government-backed consultation resources specifically designed to help workers in these situations, but most foreign workers have never heard of them.
Language barriers make the problem worse. Even workers who know they have rights often hesitate to act because they are unsure whether services exist in their language, fear their employer will find out they asked for help, or don't know whether their situation is serious enough to report. These are understandable concerns — and this article addresses all of them.
Many of the resources described below are free or low-cost, and several are official government-backed consultation services available to workers in Japan regardless of nationality. You do not need to be a Japanese citizen to use most labor consultation services. However, eligibility, fees, language support, and anonymity differ by organization (for example, Houterasu civil legal aid has financial and residence-status requirements, and community unions charge membership fees), so always check the current official information before using each service.
Labor Standards Inspection Office
The Labor Standards Inspection Office is the front-line government body responsible for enforcing Japan's Labor Standards Act. It is one of the most powerful resources available to workers experiencing labor law violations.
What it handles
- Unpaid wages and unlawful wage deductions
- Violations of overtime rules
- Breaches of working conditions stated in the employment contract
- Illegal dismissal and dismissal without proper notice or notice pay
- Failure to provide a written statement of working conditions
- Working hour record falsification
- Industrial accident concealment or failure to apply for workers' compensation
How to contact
- In person: Visit the office directly during business hours (usually weekdays 8:30–17:15). No appointment required for consultations.
- Online form: Submit a report via the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) website. Search for "Labor Standards Inspection Office complaint" on the MHLW site.
- Phone: Call the office directly. Find the number for your local office by searching the MHLW website.
Anonymous information and consultations are accepted by phone or email — useful for getting initial guidance or alerting the office to potential violations. However, formal written complaints typically require your name and address. Labor inspectors are bound by a duty of confidentiality (Labor Standards Act Article 105) and generally do not disclose the complainant's identity to the employer. Note: in small workplaces, the employer may still infer who raised the issue based on the facts. If you want the office to actually investigate and issue a correction order, an in-person visit with a named complaint and supporting evidence is generally most effective.
What happens after you file
After receiving a complaint, labor inspectors will typically conduct a workplace inspection. If violations are confirmed, the office can:
- Issue a correction order requiring the employer to fix the violation within a set deadline
- Conduct follow-up inspections to confirm compliance
- Refer serious cases to prosecutors for criminal charges (this is relatively rare but does happen in serious cases of wage theft or industrial accident concealment)
To find your local Labor Standards Inspection Office, search: "Labor Standards Inspection Office + [your city name]" on any Japanese search engine. The MHLW maintains a full directory on its website.
Labour Standards Advice Hotline
The Labour Standards Advice Hotline (Labor Conditions Consultation Hotline) is a free telephone consultation service operated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. It is specifically designed to be accessible outside regular business hours — when workers can call without their employer nearby.
Japanese-language phone number: 0120-811-610 (free from landlines and mobile phones within Japan). Mon–Fri 17:00–22:00, Sat/Sun/Holidays 9:00–21:00.
Foreign-language phone numbers (separate dedicated lines, limited operating days): English 0120-531-401, Chinese 0120-531-402, Portuguese 0120-531-403, Tagalog 0120-531-405, Vietnamese 0120-531-406, Myanmar 0120-531-407, Nepali 0120-531-408, Korean 0120-613-801, Thai 0120-613-802, Indonesian 0120-613-803, Khmer 0120-613-804, Mongolian 0120-613-805. Note: Sinhala is not currently supported by this hotline. Each language operates only on specific days of the week (typically 2–3 days). Check the official MHLW schedule before calling: https://www.check-roudou.mhlw.go.jp/lp/hotline/
Weekday evenings: 17:00–22:00
Weekends and public holidays: 9:00–21:00
Multilingual support
This hotline provides Japanese support plus dedicated lines for 13 foreign languages. Each language operates only on specific days. Available foreign languages:
- Vietnamese
- Chinese
- Filipino / Tagalog
- Indonesian
- Nepali
- Burmese / Myanmar
- And several additional languages including English, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Thai, and Khmer
Best uses for this hotline
- Initial questions when you are unsure whether what is happening to you is illegal
- Deciding whether to file a formal complaint with the Labor Standards Inspection Office
- Getting general guidance on your rights outside of business hours
- Speaking to someone confidentially before taking further action
Calls to this hotline are confidential. You do not need to give your real name. Your employer will not be notified that you called.
Comprehensive Labor Consultation Corner
Each prefecture in Japan has a Comprehensive Labor Consultation Corner located within the prefectural Labor Bureau. These offices handle a wide range of individual labor disputes and offer free one-stop consultation.
Key services
- General labor consultation for any work-related issue
- Referral to the appropriate specialist or authority
- Free mediation service — a neutral facilitator helps the worker and employer reach a voluntary agreement
Who can use it
Anyone who works in Japan can use this service, regardless of employment status or union membership. You do not need to be a union member. Walk-in consultations are accepted during business hours.
Mediation can be useful when: the dispute involves relatively modest amounts (under approximately ¥1 million), both parties are willing to negotiate, and you want a faster resolution than a formal legal process. The process is informal, free, and typically concluded within a few weeks. However, participation by the employer is voluntary — the employer may decline to participate in mediation.
For Foreign Workers Looking to Build Their Career in Japan
TreeGlobalPartners' service is completely free for foreign workers — no fees of any kind, no hidden charges. We support your appropriate job change or new employment in Japan with verified employers. Visa applications, status changes, and registered support procedures are handled through our group's affiliated Tree Administrative Scrivener Corporation, giving you a true one-stop service across the group.
Consult TreeGlobalPartners →MHLW Foreign Worker Consultation
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare maintains a dedicated page listing multilingual consultation services specifically for foreign workers in Japan. This is the best starting point if you want to find help in your own language.
URL: https://www.check-roudou.mhlw.go.jp/soudan/foreigner.html
The page organizes available multilingual services by language, making it easy to find the right resource for your situation.
FRESC — Foreign Residents Support Center
FRESC is a comprehensive support center operated with government support that provides multilingual advisors for foreign workers and residents in Japan. Services cover employment, immigration, and daily life.
FRESC Phone: 0120-76-2029 (free within Japan)
Multilingual advisors are available. Check the FRESC website for current hours and language availability.
Community Labor Unions
Community labor unions are independent unions that any worker can join individually, regardless of where they work or whether their company has an internal union. They are one of the most practical and powerful resources available to workers facing violations.
Key facts about community unions
- Anyone can join individually — you do not need a co-worker to join with you, and your employer does not need to have a company union
- Once you are a union member, you have the legal right to collective bargaining
- Your employer is legally required to respond to a union's request for negotiation — refusing without reasonable grounds is an unfair labor practice
- Unions can negotiate on your behalf for unpaid wages, illegal dismissal, harassment, and many other issues
- Some community unions have multilingual support staff or volunteers who can assist foreign workers
How to find a community union
- Search: "community union + [your prefecture name]"
- Search: "union foreigner" for unions with specific foreign worker support
- Ask at the Comprehensive Labor Consultation Corner for a referral
Note on fees: Community unions typically charge modest membership fees (often ¥1,000–¥2,000 per month). Be cautious of any organization claiming to be a union that charges very high upfront fees or makes promises that sound too good to be true.
Japan Legal Support Center
Houterasu (Houterasu), officially the Japan Legal Support Center, is a government-established organization that provides free or low-cost legal consultations to people who meet income and asset criteria. It covers a wide range of legal issues including labor disputes.
What it can help with
- Illegal dismissal claims and advice on challenging dismissal
- Unpaid wage claims, including assessment of what you may be owed
- Referrals to qualified lawyers who handle labor cases
- For those who qualify financially: financial assistance for legal representation
Website: https://www.houterasu.or.jp/
Japanese-language Support Dial: 0570-078374 (Navi Dial — call charges apply: approximately ¥9.35 per 3 minutes from landlines, approximately ¥11 per 20 seconds from mobile phones). Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00–21:00, Sat 9:00–17:00. From IP phones, prepaid mobiles, or overseas: 03-6745-5600.
Multilingual Information Service: 0570-078377 — supports English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Nepali, Thai, and Indonesian (10 languages). Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00. From IP phones / overseas: 050-3754-5430.
Free consultations are available for those who meet income-based eligibility criteria. Staff at the call center can explain eligibility and how to access services.
For serious labor disputes — such as a significant amount of unpaid wages, an illegal dismissal you want to challenge in the Labor Tribunal, or a case involving harassment — consulting a qualified lawyer through Houterasu is a strong option. If you do not qualify for free assistance, many labor lawyers also handle labor cases on a contingency basis, meaning you pay only if you win.
What to Prepare Before Contacting Any Resource
You can contact any of the resources listed above at any time, even if you have no documents. However, having the following materials ready will help the advisor understand your situation quickly and give you the most useful guidance.
Employment contract / Working Conditions Notice
The written employment contract or labor conditions notification document that was given to you when you started work. This shows what your employer agreed to provide and is the baseline for identifying violations.
Payslips for the relevant period
Payslips showing your official wages, deductions, and any overtime pay recorded. If you believe you worked more overtime than shown, this document will be central to any claim.
Your own working hour records
A personal log of your actual working hours, including start times, end times, breaks, and any days you worked that are not reflected in official records. This can be a notebook, a notes app, or any contemporaneous record. Even rough estimates with dates are useful.
Written communications from your employer
Text messages, Line messages, emails, or paper notices from your employer or manager that relate to your working conditions, overtime instructions, dismissal, or any issue you want to report. Screenshots are fine. Save everything before you resign or before your employer can delete records.
Important: Even if you do not have all of these documents — or any documents at all — you can still consult any of the resources listed in this guide. Bring what you have. Advisors are trained to help even when documentation is incomplete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
- Labor Standards Inspection Office — enforces the Labor Standards Act; handles unpaid wages, overtime violations, illegal dismissal; anonymous complaints accepted; find yours by searching "Labor Standards Inspection Office + [city name]"
- Labour Standards Advice Hotline: 0120-811-610 (Japanese) + 13 foreign-language lines — free, evenings and weekends; foreign languages include Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, Indonesian, Nepali, Burmese, Korean, Thai, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Khmer, Mongolian. Sinhala is NOT supported. Each language operates on specific days only; consultations can be informal/anonymous
- Comprehensive Labor Consultation Corner — in each prefecture Labor Bureau; free mediation available; no union membership required; walk-in welcome
- MHLW Foreign Worker Consultation page — lists multilingual services by language at check-roudou.mhlw.go.jp; includes FRESC at 0120-76-2029
- Community Labor Unions — anyone can join individually; employers legally required to negotiate; search "community union + [prefecture]" or "union foreigner"
- Japan Legal Support Center — free in-person legal consultations for those who meet income/asset eligibility (the in-person consultation is free; the support dial itself charges for calls). Japanese: 0570-078374 (Navi Dial). Multilingual (10 languages): 0570-078377
- Documents to prepare: employment contract, payslips, your own working hour records, employer communications — but you can consult even without these
- All services are free and available regardless of nationality or visa status
- TreeGlobalPartners provides free job placement — if you want a better employer, we can help you find one
You do not have to face labor problems alone. Japan's public consultation system exists precisely to support workers who face violations, and it is available to you regardless of your nationality or Japanese language ability. Use these resources early — before a situation escalates — and share this information with other foreign workers in your community.
For Foreign Workers Looking to Build Their Career in Japan
TreeGlobalPartners' service is completely free for foreign workers — no fees of any kind, no hidden charges. We support your appropriate job change or new employment in Japan with verified employers. Visa applications, status changes, and registered support procedures are handled through our group's affiliated Tree Administrative Scrivener Corporation, giving you a true one-stop service across the group.
Consult TreeGlobalPartners →Disclaimer: Information in this article is accurate as of May 2026 and is based on Japan's Labor Standards Act and related regulations as currently in force. Phone numbers and service hours are subject to change; verify current details on the official MHLW website before calling. This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For individual situations, consult a qualified labor specialist or the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.