常に最新状態へブラッシュアップできるオーダーメイド型就業規則・社内諸規程、10年先を 見越したいつでもメンテナンス可能な人事制度を提供する人事総務のプロ集団。各種セミナーも全国で絶賛開催中!

English

Legal Station – Our philosophy

Some people may be aware that the Japanese government adopts a vertically-structured administrative system. For instance, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare now administers both “labor Insurance” and “social insurance”, while in the past the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare administered “labor insurance” and “social insurance” respectively. Both “labor insurance” and “social insurance” are within the realm of social insurance systems and therefore appear similar, but they are different in some ways including their instructions for operations. As both insurances were established under separate circumstances, the relationship between these insurances has become complicated. This is part of what we call a vertically-structured administrative system, which, we are afraid, may cause some difficulties for foreigners in understanding Japanese administrative systems.

In personnel management, Japan has traditionally developed unique employment and wage systems (lifetime employment and seniority-based wages), and there are ongoing movements of these systems in opposite directions: some companies are revising the systems, while some are re-evaluating them. In addition, Japanese labor laws have been frequently revised over these last few years. Under these circumstances, each company nowadays has to devise more appropriate personnel management systems than ever in order to meet the needs of the company.

Although Japan has recently been undergoing rapid “globalization,” it nevertheless has a culture and customs peculiar to Japan, which still remain the axis of Japanese economic activities. Foreign-affiliated companies and foreign business persons coming to Japan may feel a great deal of discomfort because the ways in which things are done are quite different. However, there is the proverb 「”When in Rome, do as the Romans do”(郷に入れば郷に従え、A Rome il faut faire comme les romains, 入郷随俗)」, which exists in many languages. This indicates the importance of respect and co-existence with the culture and customs peculiar to a country.

We will support foreign-affiliated companies in the areas of management and employment so that those companies can smoothly operate and develop their businesses by creating their own corporate identities in harmony with the culture and customs peculiar to Japan.

Please see the “SERVICES” section on our website for further details of our services.

FAQ’s by Foreign Companies and Foreign Business Persons

1.We want to do business in Japan, but there is no public agency working as a one-stop service center providing comprehensive information on the investment environment. In addition, the support available in languages other than Japanese is insufficient.
→ We will provide a one-stop service for detailed information for: establishment of Japanese or foreign companies, visa acquisition for foreign business persons, employment of workers, taxes, various kinds of governmental procedures, and specific administrative procedures with the authorities concerned.

2.I would like to establish a company in Japan and assume the post of its representative. Is it possible for a foreigner to become a director of a company? How can I get a visa?
→ Our administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi lawyer) will provide support to fulfill the requisites for “the establishment of a company”, “various administrative procedures required after the establishment of a company”, and “applications for visas.”

3.We want to employ workers, but we are unfamiliar with the detailed procedures required by multiple public agencies related to employment.
→ Our Labour Law & Social Insurance Consultant (shakaihoken roumushi) will provide support not only in conducting legal consultations and undertaking administrative procedures but also in providing information on employment in Japan, and help companies to establish their own employment system.

4.What kind of issues can we entrust to experts other than lawyers and certified public accountants (CPAs), such as administrative scriveners, certified social insurance and labor consultants, certified tax accountants (tax consultants)?
→ In France, Britain and the United States, only lawyers and CPAs are qualified to provide legal and accounting services, respectively. In Japan, however, the number of lawyers and CPAs are so small that government-certified experts such as administrative scriveners, social insurance and labor consultants and tax consultants are qualified by the government for providing services related to legal affairs, taxes and accounting affairs.
→ Administrative scriveners are qualified to handle applications to government offices for permissions and authorizations, and preparing various kinds of agreements and documents. Administrative scriveners also act as agents in applications to the Immigration Bureau, including visa applications for foreign nationals and so forth.
→ Certified social insurance and labor consultants are experts in labor laws and social insurances, and are engaged in undertaking due procedures related to various social security services (workman’s accident compensation insurance, employment insurance and social insurance) administered by the government.
→ Certified tax accountants are tax accounting experts. As we collaborate with some accounting firms, we provide our clients with one-stop services on legal and accounting affairs.
Please see the “SERVICES” section on our website for further details of our services.

Our staffs

nakanishi_profileEtsuko NAKANISHI

President of KK Legal Station
Representative of NAC Labour Law & Social Insurance Office

Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (Tokutei Shakai Hoken Roumushi)
Industrial Counselor
Member of the French Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Japan

After living in Europe for ten years, I worked for a foreign embassy, and thereafter in a French lawyer’s office in Tokyo. Having acquired qualification as a certified social insurance and labor consultant, I started up my own office NAC in January 2002.

My motto is to “create a workplace full of vitality and job satisfaction.” Taking advantage of my proficiency in English and French, I will directly explain and provide solutions to our clients, in particular foreign capital companies, about managerial issues pertaining to personnel and human resources, which demand a high degree of professional knowledge.

I will also support foreign capital companies by preparing working rules, employment contracts, etc. in Japanese, English and French.

Writing activity:
I am working on the “Manual on Employment of Foreigners” in collaboration with my partner Kimiya Iwasaki, which will be published by Nihon Horei Shuppan KK in 2009. An example of working rules and employment contracts both in Japanese and English will also be available on CD-ROM. Don’t miss it!

 


 
iwasaki_profileKimiya IWASAKI
Director of KK Legal Station
Representative of Iwasaki Institute of Management and Law

Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (Tokutei Shakai Hoken Roumushi)
Gyoseishoshi Lawyer (Certified by the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau)

Having graduated from Kansai University, Faculty of Sociology (majored in industrial psychology), I worked for a consumer cooperative where I was assigned to merchandise development and cultural activities. Then, I made a career change to a private firm in which I was engaged in general affairs, personnel and labor administration for a long time. In 2004, I started up the Iwasaki Institute of Management and Law.

Presently, I focus on disseminating up-to-date information in a comprehensible and coherent manner to practicing social insurance labor consultants and corporate executives through seminars and writing activities featuring labor laws.

Writing activity:
Nihon Horei Shuppan KK, one of the major publishers in Japan, has published my literary works in respect of working rules(「リスク回避型就業規則・諸規程作成マニュアル」) and working hour management(「労働時間管理完全実務ハンドブック」), which propose new management-labor relationships. These books gained enormous popularity and over ten thousand copies were sold. Also, I wrote a number of articles in “Business Guide” and “SR” (both published by Nihon Horei Shuppan KK) which are subscribed to by experts in personnel management.