Paid Leave Book 2026: Your Yukyu Days

How many days, and when

After six months of work, if you were at work on at least 80 % of the working days, your employer must give you 10 days of paid leave. Then every year on the same day: 11 days at a year and a half, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 days from six and a half years on. Time off for an injury or illness from work, childcare leave, family care leave and maternity leave count as days at work.

If your employer gives the days earlier than the law's day, or on one day for everyone (for example 1 April), put your own first grant day in the book.

Part-time and fewer days

If you work 4 days a week or fewer and under 30 hours a week, the law gives fewer days: 4 days a week gives 7 to 15, 3 days 5 to 11, 2 days 3 to 7, 1 day 1 to 3. Part-timers on renewed contracts count their years from the first day hired.

Two years, then the days are gone

Days you do not use carry over to the next year and lapse two years after their grant day. The book uses your oldest days first; your employer's work rules and its leave register decide which days go first.

The five days your employer must give you

An employer must make sure that everyone granted 10 days or more takes at least 5 of them within a year of the grant day. Days you ask for count, and so do days the company sets for everyone; a half day counts as half. Leave taken by the hour does not count. An employer who does not do this can be fined up to ¥300,000.

Asking for a day off

You choose the day. Your employer cannot refuse paid leave; it can only ask you to move it when your day off would stop the normal work of the business. Taking paid leave must not cut your pay or an attendance allowance.

A day of paid leave is paid as a normal working day, or at your average wage, or by your health insurance's daily standard amount when the company has that agreement, as your work rules say.

Before you leave the job

You can use your days before your last day. Your employer can move a requested day, but not past the day you leave, so ask early enough to fit them all in. Days not used by your last day cannot be taken after it.

Technical intern trainees

Technical intern trainees are workers under the same labour laws as Japanese workers, and get the same paid leave. You can use it for a trip home: check the re-entry rules for your trip too.