Sharoushi (licensed labour and social security attorneys) write work rules, file social and labour insurance and advise on day-to-day compliance. Employment lawyers (bengoshi) handle dismissals, disputes, investigations and litigation; only a bengoshi can represent an employer in court.
Related: Labour Standards Act overhaul: limits on consecutive working days, rest intervals and discretionary work under discussion · Labour tribunal · Labour Standards Act · Labour Standards Inspection Office
Free public services first
- Tokyo Employment Consultation Center (TECC)
Free consultations with lawyers and sharoushi on employment rules, plus free seminars, to prevent disputes. Run by Pasona Inc. under contract from MHLW. For: Employers, HR staff, founders and employees, especially start-ups and companies entering Japan. - Tokyo Labor Consultation Center (Tokyo Metropolitan Government)
Free, confidential labour consultations for workers and employers, with English and Chinese interpreters at set times and offices; in-person visits need an appointment. For: Workers and employers in Tokyo, including firms employing foreign staff. - Tokyo Labour Bureau Consultation and Support Office for Foreigners
Free consultations on labour management, safety and health, and working conditions for employers of foreign workers and for foreign workers, at FRESC in Yotsuya. For: Employers of foreign workers and foreign residents.
Providers (12, alphabetical)
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Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Law firm advising employers on dismissals and disputes, union negotiations, harassment investigations, work rules and restructuring.
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Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)
Law firm advising on dismissals, discipline, disputes, restructuring, incentive plans and cross-border HR issues.
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DLA Piper Tokyo Partnership
Law firm handling reductions in force, terminations, harassment investigations, contentious labour matters and employment issues in M&A.
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EY Social Insurance and Labor Advisors Corporation
Sharoushi corporation handling social insurance filings, work rules and labour consultations, including for expatriate employees.
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Fisher Phillips (Tokyo office)
Law firm advising employers on hiring, contracts, terminations, overtime compliance, labour relations, non-competes and employee data privacy.
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Global HR Office
Sole-practitioner sharoushi office handling social insurance filings, work rules, employment contracts, dismissal advice and harassment issues.
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KPMG Social Insurance and Labor Advisors Corporation
Sharoushi corporation providing social insurance filings, payroll, work rules and social security agreement and global mobility compliance.
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KURIKI Labor and Social Security Attorney Office
Sharoushi office helping companies entering Japan with labour set-up, social insurance, work rules and hiring overseas-based remote staff.
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Minato International Labor Management (Sharoushi Corporation)
Sharoushi corporation providing bilingual work rules, payroll with expat gross-up, social insurance filings and support hiring foreign nationals.
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PwC Labor and Social Security Attorney Corporation
Sharoushi corporation handling social insurance filings, payroll compliance checks, labour consulting, labour due diligence and expat gross-up payroll.
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Ushijima & Partners
Law firm handling employment litigation, workplace and harassment investigations, and freelance and subcontracting rules.
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Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo
Employment law firm handling dismissals and redundancies, overtime disputes, harassment investigations, labour tribunal litigation and union disputes.
Details come from each firm's own published information and public registers, checked 2026-10-14.
How firms are listed
Listing is free and every firm meets the same criteria: it serves employers in Japan, it can work with clients in English (except where a category says otherwise), and we can confirm it from a public register (sharoushi, bar or gyoseishoshi registration, a labour-ministry licence or notification) or at least its corporate number. We do not list recruitment agencies, executive search, staffing or RPO firms, because the publisher, Makana Partners, works in that field. Firms appear in alphabetical order. A listing is not an endorsement, and no one can pay to be listed or to change how they appear.
To correct or remove a listing, or to suggest a firm, write to editor@hardestmarket.com.