Workplace harassment is illegal in Japan, and foreign workers have the same legal protections as Japanese workers. Yet many SSW workers and other foreign employees endure abuse silently because they don't know their rights, fear retaliation, or worry about visa consequences. This guide gives you a complete picture of what counts as harassment, your legal rights, what evidence to gather, where to report, and how to protect your visa status during a dispute.

If you are currently experiencing workplace harassment, the most important first steps are: start documenting everything in writing immediately, and contact a free multilingual consultation hotline for advice (Yorisoi Hotline 0120-279-338, free; press 2 for foreign-language support (about 10 languages, limited schedule)). You do not have to handle this alone.

For foreign workers wanting to work in Japan — TreeGlobalPartners' service is completely free, no fees of any kind. We support your job change or new employment with verified employers →

Until relatively recently, Japan had limited specific laws against workplace harassment beyond general civil law remedies. Major reforms in the past decade have established explicit prohibitions:

Since April 2022, all employers in Japan, regardless of size (including SMEs), must: have a clear anti-harassment policy, designate a contact point for complaints, properly investigate complaints, take corrective action against harassers, and protect complainants from retaliation. (Large employers were already covered from June 2020.)

Foreign workers have the same legal protection as Japanese workers under all of these laws. Your nationality, visa status, or Japanese language ability does not reduce your rights.

Types of Workplace Harassment

Japanese law and corporate practice recognize several distinct types of workplace harassment:

Power Harassment — the 6 Patterns

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare officially recognizes 6 patterns of power harassment. Conduct may constitute power harassment under the law when all three elements are met: (1) it uses a superior position in the workplace, (2) it goes beyond what is necessary or appropriate for work, and (3) it harms the worker's working environment. The 6 patterns below are typical examples — not every instance automatically qualifies, but if you experience these, take them seriously and document them.

Pattern 1: Physical attacks — Hitting, kicking, throwing objects, or any physical violence. Always illegal.

Pattern 2: Mental attacks — Humiliation, insults, threatening language, public criticism intended to demean, repeated harsh scolding far beyond what the situation warrants.

Pattern 3: Isolation — Ignoring you, excluding you from team activities or meetings, ordering co-workers not to speak with you, isolating you physically (assigning you to work alone away from others).

Pattern 4: Excessive demands — Assigning impossible workloads, requiring tasks far beyond your role, demanding you work beyond legal hours regularly, requiring duties unrelated to your job description.

Pattern 5: Deprivation of work / inadequate demands — Removing meaningful work, assigning only menial tasks far below your role, refusing to give work, intentionally underutilizing you to push you to quit.

Pattern 6: Invasion of privacy — Asking inappropriate personal questions, demanding access to private information (medical records, family situation, religion), spreading personal information without consent.

Sexual Harassment

Japanese law recognizes two main types of sexual harassment:

Conditional sexual harassment

When sexual conduct or relationships are tied to employment outcomes — for example, "if you go on a date with me, I'll give you a promotion", or "if you reject my advances, I'll fire you". This is the most clearly illegal form under labor law. Criminal charges are possible in serious cases (for example, if there is physical assault, forcible indecent acts, threats, or coercion), but not every case automatically becomes a criminal matter; civil and administrative remedies are the usual route.

Environmental sexual harassment

When sexual conduct creates a hostile work environment — including unwanted touching, sexual jokes or comments, displaying sexual images, repeated invitations after refusal. This does not require explicit job consequences to be illegal.

Sexual harassment law applies regardless of the gender of the harasser or victim. Same-gender harassment, harassment based on sexual orientation, and harassment by colleagues (not just superiors) are all covered.

Maternity, Care, and Other Harassment

Maternity harassment: Includes refusing pregnancy-related accommodations, pressuring an employee to resign due to pregnancy or childbirth, denying childcare leave, treating returning mothers unfavorably, demoting workers who request maternity protections.

Care harassment: Includes refusing family care leave, demoting workers who request reduced hours for caregiving, pressuring caregivers to resign, denying flexibility for caregiving needs.

Both are illegal under Japanese law and apply to foreign workers equally.

How to Document Evidence

Strong evidence is the foundation of a successful complaint. Start documenting from the first incident, even if you're not yet sure you'll formally complain. You can always choose later not to file — but if you don't have evidence, you can't choose to file.

1

Keep a dated incident journal

Write down every incident as soon as possible after it happens. Include: exact date and time, location, who was present (witnesses), what was said (quote exactly if possible), what was done, your reaction, any visible impact (you cried, you couldn't sleep, you needed medical attention). Store on your personal device, not company device.

2

Save written communications

Screenshot or save: harassing LINE/text messages, emails, internal chat messages (Slack, Teams). Save them with timestamps visible. If documents may disappear, capture both the content and surrounding context (sender, channel, date).

3

Audio recordings (legal in Japan)

In Japan, recording a conversation you are participating in is generally treated as legal and admissible as evidence (you do not need the other party's consent for a conversation you are part of). However, secretly recording can be ruled inadmissible if the method is considered to seriously violate public order — e.g., recordings obtained by deception or in places where you have no right to be. Recording for the purpose of self-defense in a harassment situation is normally accepted. Many smartphones have voice memo apps. Keep recordings in cloud storage as backup.

4

Photographs of physical evidence

If you have visible injuries, photograph them with the date showing. If personal items are damaged or stolen at work, photograph the damage. If you receive medical treatment as a result of harassment, save medical records.

5

Identify and approach witnesses

Co-workers who witnessed incidents may be willing to support your complaint. Note their names. If they are also being harassed, they may be willing to file a joint complaint. Be cautious about approaching potential witnesses too early — do it after you have gathered initial evidence.

Where to Report — Free Channels

You have multiple options for reporting workplace harassment, ranging from free internal channels to government enforcement to civil litigation.

1. Internal company complaint channel (recommended first step)

By law, all Japanese companies must have a designated harassment complaint contact point. Ask HR or check your employee handbook. Trying the internal channel first is generally recommended, but it is not legally required before contacting outside agencies — if the internal channel is unsafe, retaliatory, or the harasser is the employer themselves, you can go straight to the Yorisoi Hotline, the Comprehensive Labor Consultation Corner, or a labor lawyer.

2. Yorisoi Hotline — Free Multilingual Phone Consultation

Phone: 0120-279-338 (free). Japanese-language consultation is available 24/7. Foreign-language consultation (English, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Thai, Nepali, Indonesian — about 10 languages) is offered on limited schedules; after the automated guidance, press 2 for foreign-language support. Schedules vary by language, so check the official site in advance. Even so, this is often the best first call for foreign workers unsure where to start.

3. Foreign Workers Multilingual Consultation Center

Operated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Provides free consultation on labor law issues including harassment. Multilingual support varies by location. See our Labor Consultation Hotlines guide for full contact details.

4. Labor Standards Inspection Office

Government enforcement body for Labor Standards Act violations. Mainly handles unpaid wages, illegal overtime, and workplace safety violations. Harassment cases are primarily handled by the Prefectural Labor Bureau and the Comprehensive Labor Consultation Corner, not the Inspection Office, although the Inspection Office may get involved if the harassment overlaps with wage or safety violations. Find your local office on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website.

5. Comprehensive Labor Consultation Corner

Located at each Prefectural Labor Bureau. Provides free mediation between you and the employer. Faster than litigation; outcomes are not legally binding but often successful.

6. Police (in cases of physical violence or criminal acts)

Sexual assault, physical violence, threats, and theft are crimes that should be reported to police, regardless of the workplace context.

7. Labor Tribunal / Civil Litigation

For damages claims, the Labor Tribunal is the structured court process for individual labor disputes (typically resolved in 3 hearings over 3–6 months). Civil litigation is available as a last resort. Legal representation is not strictly required for the Labor Tribunal, but is strongly recommended in both procedures; Houterasu can connect financially-eligible workers with affordable legal help. For foreign workers, use the multilingual line 0570-078377 (available in about 10 languages on a limited schedule); 0570-078374 is the Japanese-language line.

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 →

Visa Protection During Disputes

Many foreign workers stay silent about harassment because they fear visa consequences. The reality:

If you are concerned about visa implications, contact your registered support organization first, or call the Yorisoi Hotline (0120-279-338) for free consultation in your language. TGP can also provide guidance on your specific situation.

What NOT to Do

Don't sign documents under pressure. Especially do not sign a resignation letter under threat or coercion. If pressured, ask to take the document home for review. A resignation under pressure can be challenged but it's much harder than refusing to sign in the first place.

Don't physically retaliate. Even if you are physically attacked, fighting back can result in criminal charges against you. Document and report instead.

Don't suffer in silence. The longer harassment continues without action, the harder it becomes to address. Mental and physical health damage can be severe and long-lasting.

Don't quit before you have a plan. If your situation is unsafe, leaving immediately may be necessary. But if you can wait, securing your next job (or an exit plan with the support organization) before resigning is much better for your visa and finances.

Don't give up evidence to the harasser. Don't share your documentation with the person harassing you. Don't store evidence on company devices that the company can access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Power harassment was made illegal under amendments to Japan's Labor Measures Promotion Act, effective since 2020 for large companies and 2022 for SMEs. Sexual harassment is illegal under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. Maternity harassment is also illegal. Employers have a legal obligation to prevent harassment and to act on complaints. Foreign workers have the same legal protection as Japanese workers.
Power harassment: abuse of power by a superior or senior — physical violence, verbal abuse, isolation, excessive demands, deprivation of work, or invasion of privacy. Sexual harassment: unwanted sexual conduct or comments, including conditional harassment (quid pro quo) and environmental harassment (hostile work environment). Maternity harassment: harassment related to pregnancy, childbirth, or childcare leave. Care harassment: harassment related to family caregiving leave. All are illegal under Japanese law.
No, reporting workplace harassment does not directly affect your visa status. The visa is tied to your employment, not to whether you have made a complaint. However, if reporting leads to your dismissal (which is itself often illegal as retaliation), you would need to navigate the visa transition. The 3-month grace period for SSW workers to find a new employer applies in most cases. Contact your registered support organization immediately if you are concerned about visa implications. The Yorisoi Hotline (0120-279-338) also provides free multilingual consultation.
Strong evidence makes a complaint more likely to succeed. Gather: dated written notes of incidents (what happened, who said what, who was present), screenshots of LINE/email/text messages, audio recordings (legal in Japan if you're a participant in the conversation), photos of physical evidence (injuries, damaged personal items), witness names and contact information if applicable, your work schedule or shift records showing relevant context, and copies of any formal documents related to the incidents. Store evidence on your personal device, NOT a company device.

Summary

  • Workplace harassment is illegal in Japan and foreign workers have the same legal protection as Japanese workers
  • Power harassment law requires all employers to prevent and address harassment, in effect since 2020 (large) / 2022 (SMEs)
  • 6 patterns of power harassment: physical attacks, mental attacks, isolation, excessive demands, deprivation of work, invasion of privacy
  • Sexual harassment includes conditional (job tied to sexual conduct) and environmental (hostile work environment) forms
  • Other types: maternity, paternity, care, moral, SOGI harassment
  • Document everything: dated journal, screenshots, audio recordings (legal if you're a participant), photos, witnesses, medical records
  • Reporting channels: internal complaint → Yorisoi Hotline 0120-279-338 (free; press 2 for foreign-language support, ~10 languages on limited schedule) → Labor Standards Inspection Office → Comprehensive Labor Consultation Corner → Police (for crimes) → Labor Tribunal
  • Visa protection: reporting does not affect your status; retaliation is illegal; under Article 22-4, status may be revoked if activity stops for 3 months without justifiable reason, but in practice job-search time is allowed; support organization must help
  • Don't: sign under pressure, physically retaliate, suffer in silence, quit without a plan, give evidence to harasser
  • TreeGlobalPartners can help you find a new SSW employer who respects Japanese labor law — free placement for foreign workers

Workplace harassment is one of the most damaging things that can happen to a foreign worker's life in Japan — and it is also entirely illegal. Knowing your rights, documenting evidence, and using the free reporting channels available to you is the path to a safer workplace, whether at your current employer or your next one. You are not alone, and the law is on your side.

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 Measures Promotion Act, Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Childcare and Family Care Leave Act, Labor Standards Act, and related regulations as currently in force. Specific legal interpretations may vary by case. For individual situations, consult a qualified labor lawyer, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, or call the Yorisoi Hotline (0120-279-338). This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.