If an employer establishes a mandatory retirement age for workers they employ (hereinafter referred to as the "mandatory retirement age"), the mandatory retirement age must not be set below 60 years of age; provided, however, that this does not apply to workers employed by the employer who engage in work that has been deemed difficult for elderly persons to perform by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

①If an employer fixes the mandatory retirement age (limited to under 65 years of age; hereinafter, the same applies in this Article), the employer must take a measure that is one of those listed in the following items in order to secure stable employment for elderly persons employed by the employer until 65 years of age (hereinafter referred to as the "measures for securing employment for elderly persons"):

②Continuous employment systems are to include a mechanism whereby an employer concludes a contract with a specially related employer (referring to an employer in a relationship with a given employer that allows it to have substantial control of the business of the given employer and any other employer specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as being in a special relationship with the given employer; hereinafter, the same applies in this paragraph and Article 10-2, paragraph (1)) promising that the specially related employer will continue to employ elderly persons currently employed by the employer who wish to be employed after the mandatory retirement age, etc., and the employment of elderly persons is secured based on the contract.

③The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare is to specify the guidelines concerning the implementation and operation of the measures for securing employment for elderly persons (referred to as the "guidelines" in the following paragraph) that the employer in paragraph (1) should take (including treatment of persons that have difficulty fulfilling their duties in the continuous employment system due to a mental or physical disorder).

④The provisions of Article 6, paragraphs (3) and (4) apply mutatis mutandis to formulations of and amendments to the guidelines.

①The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare may give necessary guidance and advice to an employer who violates the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article.

②When the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare finds that an employer still violates the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, even after having received guidance and advice as provided for in the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare may recommend the employer implement the measures for securing employment for elderly persons.

③When an employer has received recommendations provided for in the provisions of the preceding paragraph but fails to follow the recommendations, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare may make it public.

①An employer that has established a mandatory retirement age (for which the application is limited to those aged 65 or older but younger than 70; hereinafter the same applies in this Article), or an employer who has introduced a continuous employment system (excluding a system under which elderly persons are employed continuously until 70 years of age or older; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph) must endeavor to secure stable employment for persons aged 65 to 70. This involves taking the following measures with respect to elderly persons employed by the employer (including individuals currently employed by a specially related employer that has entered into a contract with the employer based on the provisions of Article 9, paragraph (2), and excluding individuals specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; hereinafter the same applies in this Article); provided, however, that this does not apply if the employer secures the employment of elderly persons employed by the employer after the mandatory retirement age, etc. (referring to the period after reaching the mandatory retirement age or after reaching the upper limit of the age established by the continuous employment system; hereinafter the same applies in this Article) or if the employer secures the employment of elderly persons employed by the employer, for a period lasting until the age of 70, after those individuals have reached the upper age limit established by the continuous employment system for persons over 65 years of age set forth in item (ii), by taking measures for start-up support, etc. for which, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the employer has obtained consent from a labor union organized by a majority of the workers (if there is one) or from a person representing a majority of the workers (if there is no labor union organized by a majority of the workers):

②The measures for start-up support, etc. set forth in the preceding paragraph refer to the following measures:

③Continuous employment systems for persons 65 years of age or older are to include a mechanism by which an employer concludes a contract with another employer promising that the other employer will continue to employ elderly persons employed by the employer and who wish to be employed after the mandatory retirement age, etc., and the employment of elderly persons is secured based on the contract.

④The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare is to establish guidelines for the implementation and operation of the measures set forth in the items of paragraph (1) and the measures for start-up support, etc. (referred to as the "measures for securing job opportunities for elderly persons" in paragraphs (1) and (2) of the following Article) (such guidelines are referred to as the "guidelines" in the following paragraph) (including treatment under continuous employment systems for persons 65 years of age or older, encompassing those who are unable to perform their duties due to a mental or physical disorder, or measures for start-up support, etc.).

⑤The provisions of Article 6, paragraphs (3) and (4) apply mutatis mutandis to formulations of and amendments to the guidelines.

①When the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare finds it necessary for securing stable employment for elderly persons from 65 to 70 years of age and other employment opportunities for elderly persons in light of the Basic Policy for Measures for Employment Security for Elderly Persons and Others. , the Minister may provide an employer with necessary guidance and advice with regard to the implementation of measures for securing job opportunities for elderly persons.

②In cases where the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare has provided guidance or advice pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, when the Minister finds that the situation concerning the implementation of measures for securing job opportunities for elderly persons has not improved, the Minister may recommend that the employer prepare a plan concerning the implementation of measures for securing job opportunities for elderly persons, pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

③After preparing the plan set forth in the preceding paragraph, the employer is to submit it to the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The same applies when the employer revises the plan.

④When the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare finds that the plan set forth in paragraph (2) is particularly unsuitable, the Minister may recommend that the employer who prepared the plan make revisions.

Pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, an employer must strive to appoint a person who is to be responsible for improving working facilities and various other conditions in order to promote measures for securing employment for elderly persons.