GUIDE · HEALTH CHECKS
Employee health checkups in Japan
従業員の健康診断Kenko shindan — at hiring and every year
Japanese law requires employers to arrange medical checkups for their regular staff — when they join and at least once a year.
At hiring
Required
For regular employees
Regular
Yearly
At least once every 12 months
Night work
6 months
And when assigned
Cost
Employer
Pays for legal checkups
What employers must do
- A checkup when you hire a regular employee
- A regular checkup at least once every 12 months for regular employees
- For staff who regularly do night work or other specified jobs: when assigned and every 6 months
- The items are set by law; a doctor may judge some unnecessary
- The employer pays for legally required checkups
Records and reports
- Keep the results and give each employee their own results
- Larger workplaces report regular checkup results to the labor standards office
- Treat health information as sensitive personal data
FAQ
Do employers in Japan have to provide health checkups?
Yes. Employers must arrange a checkup when hiring regular employees and at least once a year after that, and for some night workers every six months.
Who pays for employee health checkups in Japan?
The employer, because the legally required checkups are the employer’s duty.
Do part-time workers need health checkups?
Part-timers who count as regular employees under the rules (based on their contract length and hours) must be included. Check your staff with a sharoshi.
Sources
- Regular health checkups (定期健康診断) — Workplace Safety Site, MHLW
- Types of health checkups and reporting — Okayama Labour Bureau
This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. The official Japanese guidelines always take priority.
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