Labor Law Violations Found at 73.2% of Workplaces Employing Technical Intern Trainees, 76.5% for Specified Skilled Workers, Ministry Reports
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced on September 15, 2026 the results of supervision, guidance, and referrals for prosecution carried out during 2025 by labor standards inspection offices nationwide at workplaces employing foreign technical intern trainees or specified skilled workers.
For workplaces employing technical intern trainees, violations of labor standards legislation were found at 9,619 of the 13,148 workplaces inspected, or 73.2%. The most common violation category was safety standards for machinery in use, at 22.8%, followed by obtaining physician opinions on health examination results at 15.7%, and payment of premium wages for overtime at 15.6%. Twenty-six cases involving serious or malicious violations related to technical intern trainees were referred for prosecution.
For workplaces employing specified skilled workers, violations were found at 6,179 of the 8,082 workplaces inspected, or 76.5%. The leading violation categories were safety standards for machinery in use at 20.7%, obtaining physician opinions on health examination results at 16.7%, and payment of premium wages at 16.3%. Nine cases involving serious or malicious violations related to specified skilled workers were referred for prosecution.
Current status: With the employment for skill development system set to replace the technical intern training system in April 2027, labor management practices at host workplaces remain an ongoing issue. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
The Technical Intern Training Program is set to be replaced by the new Employment for Skill Development system in April 2027 (related article), and developments like this one can be seen as part of the institutional design process during that transition. Expanding acceptance also requires resolving practical issues such as broker problems in sending countries and building proper oversight systems among accepting employers. For the new system to work as intended rather than merely on paper, it will be important to continue examining how it actually operates once implemented.