Minimum Working Age in Japan: 15, With Strict Protections Until 18

Japan's Labor Standards Act (労働基準法, Rōdō Kijunhō) sets the baseline:

Core Rules

• Minimum age: 15 (after completing compulsory junior high school—typically March 31 of the year they turn 15).
• Under 18 = "Young Workers" with enhanced protections.

Prohibited for Under-18s (Article 62–64)

• Hazardous work: underground, underwater, high places, heavy machinery, toxic substances, radiation.
• Night work: 10 PM–5 AM (extended to 11 PM–6 AM for 16–17 with conditions).
• Overtime: generally prohibited; max 8 hrs/day, 40 hrs/week (same as adults but stricter enforcement).
• Holiday work: prohibited without Labor Standards Office permission.

Additional Safeguards

• Medical exams: Required at hiring, then every 6 months.
• Work permits: Employer must notify Labor Standards Office.
• School priority: Work cannot interfere with compulsory education (until 15) or high school (voluntary but near-universal).
• Wage protection: Same minimum wage as adults (¥1,000–1,100/hr by prefecture, 2024).

Common Teen Jobs

Convenience stores (day shifts), supermarkets, restaurants (hall only, no kitchen), tutoring, light warehouse, event staff. Family businesses (farms, shops) have partial exemptions but still bar hazardous tasks.

Enforcement

Labor Standards Inspection Offices (労働基準監督署) conduct spot checks. Violations: fines up to ¥300,000, imprisonment up to 6 months, public naming.

Japan takes youth protection seriously. The system assumes work is secondary to development until adulthood.