Paid Leave Days Calculator (Japan)
Enter your hire date and the number of scheduled working days per week (and weekly hours if needed) to see when annual paid leave is granted under Article 39 of Japan's Labor Standards Act: six months after hire, then every year. The schedule shows the days granted each time, the date unused days expire, and which grants trigger the 5-day usage requirement. Part-timers working 4 days or fewer and under 30 hours a week use the proportional table. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to a server. To count days between dates, try the Date Calculator or the Business Day Calculator.
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These results are a general guide based on the statutory minimums in Japan's Labor Standards Act and are not legal advice. Your employer may grant more than the minimum. Check your company rules, employment contract, or a labor consultant for the actual number of days.
Even if you work 4 days a week or fewer, 30 or more scheduled hours per week counts as the standard grant. Leave blank if you do not know.
How to use
- Enter your "Hire date".
- Choose "Scheduled days per week". If you work 30 hours a week or more, also fill in "Scheduled hours per week (optional)".
- Change the "Reference date" (today by default) to see the grant and next grant date as of that day.
- Read the grant schedule table for the days granted, the expiry date, and whether the 5-day requirement applies.
Notes
- This uses the statutory minimums. Your company may grant more under its work rules, and those rules take priority. This is not legal advice.
- A grant requires attendance on at least 80% of all working days in the preceding period (the first 6 months, then each year). This tool assumes you meet that and does not model years with many absences.
- Employers must have workers who are granted 10 or more days take 5 of them within one year of the grant date. This also applies to proportional grants of 10 days or more.
- Paid leave expires 2 years after the grant date. Unused days carry over, and the maximum held is the sum of grants that have not expired, assuming none were used.
- If your work pattern changed over time, each grant is based on the schedule at that grant date. This tool assumes the same pattern throughout. For irregular schedules, the statute uses annual scheduled days (169-216 for 4 days a week, 121-168 for 3, and so on).
- Grant dates are the same day of the month six months (then each year) after hire. If that month has no such day (for example six months after August 31), the period ends on the last day of the month, so the grant date is the 1st of the next month. Continuous service counts from the hire date, including time on leave while still employed.
Glossary
Proportional grant
For workers scheduled 4 days or fewer per week and under 30 hours per week, the days granted are reduced by schedule (also applies if annual scheduled days are 216 or fewer). At six months, a 4-day worker gets 7 days and a 1-day worker gets 1.
5-day usage requirement
For workers granted 10 or more days a year, the employer must set the timing and have them take 5 days within one year of the grant date. Days taken on your own or under a planned-leave scheme count toward the 5.
80% attendance rule
A condition for the grant: attendance on at least 80% of all working days in the preceding year (6 months for the first grant). Work-related injury leave, maternity leave, and childcare or family-care leave are treated as attended.
FAQ
When is paid leave granted in Japan, and how many days?
After 6 months of continuous employment and attendance on at least 80% of working days, you get your first grant. A standard worker (5+ days or 30+ hours a week) receives 10 days, then 11, 12, 14, 16, and 18 in later years, and 20 days every year from 6.5 years of service.
Do part-time workers get fewer paid leave days?
If you are scheduled 4 days or fewer and under 30 hours per week, the proportional table applies: at six months, 7 days for 4 days a week, 5 for 3 days, 3 for 2 days, and 1 for 1 day. With 30 or more weekly hours, the standard table applies even at 4 days.
Who is covered by the 5-day usage requirement?
Anyone granted 10 or more days in a year. Proportional workers become covered when a grant reaches 10 (for 4 days a week, from 3.5 years of service). The employer must have you take 5 days within one year of the grant date.
Do unused paid leave days carry over?
Yes, but they expire 2 years after the grant date. Days granted on 1 April 2024 expire on 1 April 2026. This tool shows the maximum held as the total of grants that have not expired.
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