Labor standards inspectors and other necessary staff members prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare may be appointed in the Labor Standards Management Bureau (meaning the department established within the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare with administrative responsibility for functions that involve labor conditions and the protection of workers; the same applies hereinafter), prefectural labor offices, and labor standards inspection offices.

The Director-General of the Labor Standards Management Bureau (hereinafter referred to as the "Director-General of the Labor Standards Management Bureau"), the directors of prefectural labor offices, and the directors of labor standards inspection offices are appointed from among labor standards inspectors.

Cabinet Order prescribes particulars relating to the qualifications and appointment and dismissal of labor standards inspectors.

A Labor Standards Inspector Dismissal Council may be established in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, pursuant to Cabinet Order.

The consent of the Labor Standards Inspector Council is required for the dismissal of a labor standards inspector.

Beyond what is provided in the preceding two paragraphs, Cabinet Order prescribes the necessary particulars relating to the structure and operation of the Labor Standards Inspector Dismissal Council.

The Director-General of the Labor Standards Management Bureau, under the direction and supervision of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, directs and supervises the directors of the prefectural labor offices; administers particulars connected with the establishment, amendment, or repeal of laws and regulations concerning labor standards, particulars connected with the appointment, dismissal, and training of labor standards inspectors, particulars connected with the establishment and adjustment of regulations concerning inspection methods, particulars of the preparation of an annual report on inspections, particulars connected with the Labor Policy Council and Labor Standards Inspector Dismissal Investigative Council (limited to the particulars connected with the Labor Policy Council that are related to working conditions and the protection of workers), and other particulars connected with to the enforcement of this Act; and directs and supervises staff members who belong to the Bureau.

The directors of the prefectural labor offices, under the direction and supervision of the Director-General of the Labor Standards Management Bureau, direct and supervise the directors of the labor standards inspection offices within their jurisdiction; administer the particulars of the adjustment of inspection methods and other particulars connected with the enforcement of this Act; and direct and supervise staff members who belong to their offices.

The directors of the labor standards inspection offices, under the direction and supervision of the director of the Prefectural Labor Office, administer inspections, examinations, approvals, acknowledgments, investigations, arbitration, and other particulars connected with the implementation of this Act, and direct and supervise staff members who belong to their offices.

The Director-General of the Labor Standards Management Bureau and the directors of prefectural labor offices may themselves exercise the powers of subordinate government agencies or may have labor standards inspectors belonging to their offices exercise those powers.

The Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Women's Management Bureau (meaning the director of an internal bureau established within the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare that is responsible for functions connected with labor issues associated with the unique characteristics of female workers; the same applies hereinafter), under the direction and supervision of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, administers particulars relating to the establishment, amendment, repeal and interpretation of special provisions in this Act relating to women, and advises the Director-General of the Labor Standards Management Bureau and the directors of the government agencies subordinate to that Bureau and assists in the direction and supervision of those subordinate government agencies by the Director-General of the Labor Standards Management Bureau in connection with particulars concerning the enforcement of those provisions.

The Director-General of the Women's Management Bureau may view documents related to inspections and other things that the Labor Standards Management Bureau, the government agencies subordinate to that Bureau, or officials of those agencies have undertaken in matters relating to women, personally; or may have the Women's Management Bureau's officials designated by the Director-General view those documents.

The provisions of Articles 101 and 105 apply mutatis mutandis to investigations that the Director-General of the Women's Management Bureau or the designated officials belonging to that Bureau carry out in connection with the enforcement of special provisions of this Act relating to women.

Labor standards inspectors are authorized to inspect workplaces, communal housing, and other associated buildings; to demand the production of books and records; and to question employers and workers.

In a case as referred to in the preceding paragraph, a labor standards inspector must carry identification.

Labor standards inspectors carry out the duties of judicial police officers under the Code of Criminal Procedure regarding criminal violations of this Act.

If communal housing associated with a business that employs workers violates the standards that have been established for safety and health and there is imminent danger to workers, a labor standards inspector may immediately exercise the powers of the relevant government agency under the provisions of Article 96-3.

If there are factual circumstances that violate this Act or an Order issued pursuant to this Act at a workplace, a worker may report those factual circumstances to the relevant government agency or to a labor standards inspector.

An employer must not dismiss a worker or subject a worker to other disadvantageous treatment due to the worker having made a report as referred to in the preceding paragraph.

If an relevant government agency finds it to be necessary to do so in order to enforce this Act, it may have an employer or a worker submit a report on the necessary matters or may order an employer or a worker to appear pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

If a labor standards inspector finds it to be necessary to do so in order to enforce this Act, the inspector may have an employer or a worker report the necessary particulars or order an employer or a worker to appear before the inspector.

A labor standards inspector must not reveal confidential information learned in the course of duty. The same applies even after a labor standards inspector has left that position.