Directors of labor standards offices and labor standards inspectors take charge of affairs related to the enforcement of this Act as provided for by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Labor standards inspectors perform the duties of judicial police personnel under the Code of Criminal Procedure (Act No. 131 of 1948) with regard to offenses of violating the provisions of this Act.

Except as otherwise provided for by this Act, when finding it necessary for the enforcement of this Act, the directors of prefectural labor bureaus, directors of labor standards offices, or labor standards inspectors may order the relevant persons, such as employers and workers, to report the necessary matters or make an appearance as provided for by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

①Directors of prefectural labor bureaus, directors of labor standards offices, or labor standards inspectors may request the relevant administrative organs or public or private organizations to submit materials and give any other necessary cooperation in connection with the enforcement of this Act.

②The relevant administrative organs or public or private organizations requested to cooperate pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph must meet requests to the fullest extent possible.

①Labor standards inspectors may enter workplaces to question the relevant persons or inspect items, such as books and documents, when it is found necessary for the enforcement of this Act.

②The directors of labor standards offices may have their officials enter the workplaces of the employers set forth in Article 7 to question the relevant persons or inspect items, such as account books and documents, when it is found necessary for the confirmation set forth in the same Article.

③In the cases referred to in the preceding two paragraphs, the labor standards inspectors and officials set forth in the preceding paragraph must carry and present to the relevant persons their identification.

④The authority to conduct on-site inspections pursuant to the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) must not be construed as being granted for criminal investigation purposes.

①A worker may report any violation by the employer of the provisions of this Act or orders given based on it to the Director of a Prefectural Labor Bureau, the director of a labor standards office, or a labor standards inspector and request that appropriate measures are taken for rectification.

②An employer must not dismiss or otherwise treat disadvantageously workers on the basis of a report referred to in the preceding paragraph.

In addition to what is provided for in this Act, the procedures for the request set forth in Article 7 and other matters necessary for the enforcement of this Act are prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

With regard to mariners subject to the Mariners Act (Act No. 100 of 1947), all matters under the authority of directors of prefectural labor bureaus or directors of labor standards offices, or labor standards inspectors prescribed in this Act are to be performed by directors of district transport bureaus (including the director of the transport supervision department) or officers in charge of the labor affairs of mariners, and the term "Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare" in this Act (excluding the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (4) of Article 8, and the preceding Article) is deemed to be replaced with "Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism;" the terms "those specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare" and "as provided for by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare" in Article 7 are deemed to be replaced with "those specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism" and "as provided for by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism", respectively; and the term "Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare" in the preceding Article is deemed to be replaced with "Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (or Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the matters prescribed in the preceding Chapter)."