# 労働契約法 / Labor Contracts Act — 第四章 (Chapter 4)

This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/ch-4. 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: 第四章 (Chapter 4) — address `ch-4`
- Text in force since: 2020-04-01
- URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/ch-4
- Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/ch-4
- 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.

---

## 第四章　期間の定めのある労働契約 — Chapter IV Fixed-Term Labor Contract
<sup>heading: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>ch-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/ch-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/ch-4</sup>

### 第十七条（契約期間中の解雇等） — (Dismissal During the Contract Term)
<sup>caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>art-17 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-17 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-17</sup>

**第一項**  使用者は、期間の定めのある労働契約（以下この章において「有期労働契約」という。）について、やむを得ない事由がある場合でなければ、その契約期間が満了するまでの間において、労働者を解雇することができない。
<sup>art-17/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-17/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-17/par-1</sup>
With regard to a labor contract that has a fixed term (hereinafter referred to in this Chapter as a "fixed-term labor contract") , an Employer may not dismiss a Worker until the expiration of the term of such labor contract, unless there are unavoidable circumstances.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第二項**  使用者は、有期労働契約について、その有期労働契約により労働者を使用する目的に照らして、必要以上に短い期間を定めることにより、その有期労働契約を反復して更新することのないよう配慮しなければならない。
<sup>art-17/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-17/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-17/par-2</sup>
With regard to a fixed-term labor contract, an Employer must give consideration to not renewing such labor contract repeatedly as a result of prescribing a term that is shorter than necessary in light of the purpose of employing the Worker based on such labor contract.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

### 第十八条（有期労働契約の期間の定めのない労働契約への転換） — (Conversion of a Fixed-term Labor Contract to a Labor Contract Without a Fixed Term)
<sup>caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>art-18 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-18 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-18</sup>

**第一項**  同一の使用者との間で締結された二以上の有期労働契約（契約期間の始期の到来前のものを除く。以下この条において同じ。）の契約期間を通算した期間（次項において「通算契約期間」という。）が五年を超える労働者が、当該使用者に対し、現に締結している有期労働契約の契約期間が満了する日までの間に、当該満了する日の翌日から労務が提供される期間の定めのない労働契約の締結の申込みをしたときは、使用者は当該申込みを承諾したものとみなす。この場合において、当該申込みに係る期間の定めのない労働契約の内容である労働条件は、現に締結している有期労働契約の内容である労働条件（契約期間を除く。）と同一の労働条件（当該労働条件（契約期間を除く。）について別段の定めがある部分を除く。）とする。
<sup>art-18/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-18/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-18/par-1</sup>
If a Worker whose total contract term of two or more fixed-term labor contracts (excluding any contract term which has not started yet; the same applies hereinafter in this Article) concluded with the same Employer (referred to as the "total contract term" in the next paragraph) exceeds five years applies for the conclusion of a labor contract without a fixed term before the date of expiration of the currently effective fixed-term labor contract, to begin on the day after the said date of expiration, it is deemed that the said Employer accepts the said application. In this case, the labor conditions that are the contents of said labor contract without a fixed term are to be the same as the labor conditions (excluding the contract term) of the currently effective fixed-term labor contract (excluding parts separately provided for with regard to the said labor conditions (excluding the contract term)).
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第二項**  当該使用者との間で締結された一の有期労働契約の契約期間が満了した日と当該使用者との間で締結されたその次の有期労働契約の契約期間の初日との間にこれらの契約期間のいずれにも含まれない期間（これらの契約期間が連続すると認められるものとして厚生労働省令で定める基準に該当する場合の当該いずれにも含まれない期間を除く。以下この項において「空白期間」という。）があり、当該空白期間が六月（当該空白期間の直前に満了した一の有期労働契約の契約期間（当該一の有期労働契約を含む二以上の有期労働契約の契約期間の間に空白期間がないときは、当該二以上の有期労働契約の契約期間を通算した期間。以下この項において同じ。）が一年に満たない場合にあっては、当該一の有期労働契約の契約期間に二分の一を乗じて得た期間を基礎として厚生労働省令で定める期間）以上であるときは、当該空白期間前に満了した有期労働契約の契約期間は、通算契約期間に算入しない。
<sup>art-18/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-18/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-18/par-2</sup>
In between the expiration date of the preceding fixed-term labor contract and the start date of the following one with the same Employer, if there is a period of time outside of these two contract terms (excluding a period outside of either of the said contract terms which falls under the standards provided by Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, provided that these contract terms be regarded as continuous; hereinafter referred to as a "vacant term" in this paragraph) and the said vacant term is six months or longer (if the contract term of one fixed-term labor contract which expired just before the said vacant term (if there is no vacant term between the contract terms of two or more fixed-term labor contracts including the said first one, the aggregate term of the said two or more contracts; the same applies hereinafter in this paragraph) is less than one year, the length of a term given by Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, based on the length of a term determined as being one half of the said first contract term), the contract term of the fixed-term that expired before the said vacant term is not included in the total contract term.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

### 第十九条（有期労働契約の更新等） — (Renewal of a Fixed-term Labor Contract)
<sup>caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>art-19 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-19 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-19</sup>

**第一項**  有期労働契約であって次の各号のいずれかに該当するものの契約期間が満了する日までの間に労働者が当該有期労働契約の更新の申込みをした場合又は当該契約期間の満了後遅滞なく有期労働契約の締結の申込みをした場合であって、使用者が当該申込みを拒絶することが、客観的に合理的な理由を欠き、社会通念上相当であると認められないときは、使用者は、従前の有期労働契約の内容である労働条件と同一の労働条件で当該申込みを承諾したものとみなす。
<sup>art-19/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-19/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-19/par-1</sup>
If, by the expiration date of the contract term of a fixed-term labor contract which falls under any of the following items, a Worker applies for a renewal of the said fixed-term labor contract, or if a Worker applies for the conclusion of another fixed-term labor contract without delay after the said contract term expires, and the Employer's refusal to accept the said application lacks objectively reasonable grounds and is not found to be appropriate in general societal terms, it is deemed that the Employer accepts the said application with the same labor conditions as the contents of the prior fixed-term labor contract:
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

  **一**  当該有期労働契約が過去に反復して更新されたことがあるものであって、その契約期間の満了時に当該有期労働契約を更新しないことにより当該有期労働契約を終了させることが、期間の定めのない労働契約を締結している労働者に解雇の意思表示をすることにより当該期間の定めのない労働契約を終了させることと社会通念上同視できると認められること。
  <sup>art-19/par-1/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-19/par-1/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-19/par-1/item-1</sup>
  the said fixed-term labor contract has been repeatedly renewed in the past, and it is found that terminating the said fixed-term labor contract by not renewing it when the contract term expires is, in general social terms, equivalent to terminating a labor contract without a fixed term by expressing the intention to fire a Worker who has concluded the said labor contract without a fixed term;
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

  **二**  当該労働者において当該有期労働契約の契約期間の満了時に当該有期労働契約が更新されるものと期待することについて合理的な理由があるものであると認められること。
  <sup>art-19/par-1/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-19/par-1/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-19/par-1/item-2</sup>
  it is found that there are reasonable grounds upon which the said Worker expects the said fixed-term labor contract to be renewed when the said fixed-term labor contract expires.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

---

## Cites
- art-18/par-1: この条 → 労働契約法 第十八条 (Article 18), art-18 — https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-18 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-18
- art-18/par-1: 次項 → 労働契約法 第十八条第二項 (Article 18, paragraph (2)), art-18/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-18/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-18/par-2
- art-18/par-2: この項 → 労働契約法 第十八条第二項 (Article 18, paragraph (2)), art-18/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-contracts-act/art-18/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/419AC0000000128/art-18/par-2

---

## 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