Director of a prefectural labor bureau

The head of a prefectural labor bureau (都道府県労働局), a local branch (地方支分部局) of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, so part of the national government rather than of the prefecture (Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Article 17; National Government Organization Act, Article 9). The post is filled by a labor standards inspector (労働基準監督官) (Labor Standards Act, Article 97, paragraph (2)). Under the Labor Standards Act, the director, directed and supervised by the head of the Ministry's Labor Standards Management Bureau (労働基準主管局長), directs and supervises the directors of the labor standards inspection offices (労働基準監督署長) in the bureau's area, handles the carrying out of that Act, such as coordinating how inspection is done, and directs and supervises the bureau's staff; the director may also exercise the powers of the authorities below (下級官庁) directly, or have the bureau's labor standards inspectors exercise them (Labor Standards Act, Article 97, paragraph (1), and Article 99, paragraphs (2) and (4)). The heads of public employment security offices (公共職業安定所長) run their offices under the director's direction and supervision (Employment Security Act, Article 8, paragraph (2)).