# 労働契約法 / Labor Contracts Act — 第一章 (Chapter 1) This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/ch-1. Every law, and how to address a provision: https://japanlaw.org/llms.txt. The same laws as MCP tools (no sign-in): https://japanlaw.org/mcp. - Law: 労働契約法 (Labor Contracts Act), 平成十九年法律第百二十八号 - English title "Labor Contracts Act": Ministry of Justice translation - Kind: Act — the distinction between 法律 (Act), 政令 (Cabinet Order), 省令 (Ministerial Order) and 条例 (local ordinance) decides who may issue it and what it may say. - Provision: 第一章 (Chapter 1) — address `ch-1` - Text in force since: 2020-04-01 - URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/ch-1 - Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/ch-1 - Every provision below carries its address and both URLs on the line under it. - Japanese text: e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁). English: as marked on each line below. Only the Japanese as published by the government has legal effect; the text below is a copy of it. Every English rendering below is a translation and says which kind: the Ministry of Justice's translation, or this site's machine translation, whose model and date the Sources list names. They are never merged and never substituted for one another. --- ## 第一章　総則 — Chapter I General Provisions heading: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System ch-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/ch-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/ch-1 ### 第一条（目的） — (Purpose) caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System art-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-1 **第一項** この法律は、労働者及び使用者の自主的な交渉の下で、労働契約が合意により成立し、又は変更されるという合意の原則その他労働契約に関する基本的事項を定めることにより、合理的な労働条件の決定又は変更が円滑に行われるようにすることを通じて、労働者の保護を図りつつ、個別の労働関係の安定に資することを目的とする。 art-1/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-1/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-1/par-1 The purpose of this Act is to contribute to achieving stability in individual labor relationships while protecting workers by ensuring that reasonable working conditions are decided on and reasonable changes to working conditions are made smoothly, by providing for the principle of agreement, under which a labor contract is to be established or changed by agreement through voluntary negotiation between a worker and an employer, and other basic matters concerning labor contracts. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System ### 第二条（定義） — (Definitions) caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System art-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-2 **第一項** この法律において「労働者」とは、使用者に使用されて労働し、賃金を支払われる者をいう。 art-2/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-2/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-2/par-1 The term "Worker" as used in this Act means a person who works by being employed by an employer and to whom wages are paid. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第二項** この法律において「使用者」とは、その使用する労働者に対して賃金を支払う者をいう。 art-2/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-2/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-2/par-2 The term "Employer" as used in this Act means a person who pays wages to the Workers the Employer employs. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System ### 第三条（労働契約の原則） — (Principles of a Labor Contract) caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System art-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-3 **第一項** 労働契約は、労働者及び使用者が対等の立場における合意に基づいて締結し、又は変更すべきものとする。 art-3/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-3/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-3/par-1 A labor contract is to be concluded or changed between a Worker and an Employer by agreement on an equal basis. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第二項** 労働契約は、労働者及び使用者が、就業の実態に応じて、均衡を考慮しつつ締結し、又は変更すべきものとする。 art-3/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-3/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-3/par-2 A labor contract is to be concluded or changed between a Worker and an Employer while giving consideration to the balance of treatment according to the actual conditions of work. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第三項** 労働契約は、労働者及び使用者が仕事と生活の調和にも配慮しつつ締結し、又は変更すべきものとする。 art-3/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-3/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-3/par-3 A labor contract is to be concluded or changed between a Worker and an Employer while giving consideration to work-life balance. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第四項** 労働者及び使用者は、労働契約を遵守するとともに、信義に従い誠実に、権利を行使し、及び義務を履行しなければならない。 art-3/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-3/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-3/par-4 A Worker and an Employer must comply with the labor contract, and must exercise their rights and perform their obligations in good faith. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第五項** 労働者及び使用者は、労働契約に基づく権利の行使に当たっては、それを濫用することがあってはならない。 art-3/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-3/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-3/par-5 When exercising their rights under a labor contract, a Worker and an Employer must not abuse such right. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System ### 第四条（労働契約の内容の理解の促進） — (Promotion of Understanding of the Contents of a Labor Contract) caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System art-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-4 **第一項** 使用者は、労働者に提示する労働条件及び労働契約の内容について、労働者の理解を深めるようにするものとする。 art-4/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-4/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-4/par-1 An Employer is to ensure that a Worker gains an in-depth understanding of the working conditions and the contents of the labor contract presented to the Worker. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第二項** 労働者及び使用者は、労働契約の内容（期間の定めのある労働契約に関する事項を含む。）について、できる限り書面により確認するものとする。 art-4/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-4/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-4/par-2 A Worker and an Employer are to confirm the contents of the labor contract (including matters concerning a fixed-term labor contract), whenever possible in writing. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System ### 第五条（労働者の安全への配慮） — (Consideration to the Safety of a Worker) caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System art-5 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-5 **第一項** 使用者は、労働契約に伴い、労働者がその生命、身体等の安全を確保しつつ労働することができるよう、必要な配慮をするものとする。 art-5/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-5/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-5/par-1 In association with a labor contract, an Employer is to give the necessary consideration to enable a Worker to work while ensuring their physical safety. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System --- ## Sources - e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 労働契約法 — the text in force from 2020-04-01 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/419AC0000000128/20200401_430AC0000000071), retrieved 2026-09-10 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Labor Contracts Act — Ministry of Justice translation (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3744/tb), retrieved 2026-09-10 - This site's parser, version 211 — 労働契約法 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-09-10