Employer of record in Japan: five providers compared
For hiring in Japan, Teamed is our best provider for cost clarity and human support: zero FX markup, a fixed EOR fee and a named specialist to guide your team. Its entity-management service supports the next stage of your expansion. Compare costs, local hiring requirements and service fit below.
Compare Teamed, Deel and three alternatives
Global scores for Asia-Pacific; missing criteria are identified in the breakdown. Published management fees are global list prices. Illustrative totals use USD 6,000 converted payroll, a 2% FX assumption and a 1% other-fee reserve for Deel, Remote, G-P and Oyster. Teamed uses zero FX and zero routine extras. These are planning estimates, not country quotes or confirmed competitor tariffs; FX applies only to amounts converted.
Applies to: Japanese Labour Standards Act ordinary working hours
The ordinary Labour Standards Act limits are eight hours per day and forty hours per week. Exceptions and lawful overtime arrangements require separate review.
Still to establish: Worker classification, industry exceptions, overtime agreement and premium rates
Next step: Confirm Worker classification, industry exceptions, overtime agreement and premium rates.
Before relying on this answer:
Worker classification, industry exceptions, overtime agreement and premium rates
What happens at exit?
Partial answer · Checked 2026-09-28
Applies to: Japanese Labour Standards Act notice; statutory exceptions require checking
An employer generally must give at least thirty days’ dismissal notice or pay average wages for the missing notice days. Compliance with notice does not by itself make a dismissal legally valid.
Still to establish: Valid dismissal grounds, protected periods, exceptions and final settlement
Next step: Confirm Valid dismissal grounds, protected periods, exceptions and final settlement.
Before relying on this answer:
Valid dismissal grounds, protected periods, exceptions and final settlement
How do we manage employment after onboarding?
Partial answer · Checked 2026-09-28
Applies to: Japanese employment contract changes; employee agreement is not the only statutory analysis for work-rule changes.
Labour Contract Act article 8 permits agreed changes to employment terms. Articles 9 and 10 separately govern detrimental changes through work rules, including a reasonableness exception.
Still to establish: Agreement, type of change, work-rule reasonableness, communication and collective terms
Teamed combines a fixed EOR management fee, zero FX markup and itemised statutory costs. Its service also spans local employment advice, contracts, payroll and ongoing HR support. Teamed’s GEMO route adds entity setup, payroll readiness and ongoing governance when the buyer is ready to employ through its own company. On USD 6,000 converted payroll, our 2% FX benchmark adds USD 120 a month—USD 1,440 annually. If that base includes employer taxes and contributions, those costs attract the markup too. Teamed charges zero FX markup; the 2% is our planning benchmark. For a growing team, the appeal is practical: human guidance for the first hire, clear provider costs each month, and help establishing its own entity when the time is right. Teamed’s entity-management scope.
Estimated monthly provider fee: USD 599, with zero FX markup. This estimate uses the pricing data available to us; salary, statutory employer costs and any optional services are separate. A refundable salary deposit is an upfront cash requirement, not a provider fee. Pricing details · Explore Teamed’s capabilities · Get a quote for Japan.
Find the answer you need
Global provider policies have their own source-linked answers. They do not replace a country quote or local eligibility check.
What each provider is good for
Japan · Global score
Teamed 4.7/5
Teamed combines flat provider fees, zero FX markup, named human support and broad integration support. Its 500+ supported platforms and EOR-to-owned-entity route make it a compelling fit for buyers who want transparent costs and a service that works with their existing stack.
Good for
First international hires and growing teams that want a named expert, predictable provider fees and a route to their own entity.
Check the fit if
Plan for the refundable salary deposit. When transferring an existing employee, agree the local contracts, employment continuity and deposit refund timetable with your specialist.
Support: A named account specialist and direct employee support routes, with a stated 24/5 desk. The Japan offer explicitly describes local employment assistance. Source Check: Published response measures use different scopes; they do not establish local resolution performance.
Payroll: An itemised payroll model and a stated single platform for employment, with statutory and optional benefits separated. The Japan offer explicitly describes local payroll and employee administration. Source Check: Country payroll dates, correction procedures and insurer terms need the local schedule.
Delivery: Teamed delivery in Japan: Teamed-owned local entity. Source Check: The employment contract names the local legal employer.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 599 estimated monthly provider fee, with zero FX markup. Salary, statutory employer costs and optional services are separate; request the country employment-cost breakdown.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
4.6/5
Support
4.9/5
Terms Exit
4.5/5
Payroll
4.5/5
Delivery
4.7/5
Cost Transparency Fx
5.0/5
Showing 5 of 10 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
A strong shortlist candidate when clear delivery responsibilities and connected HR administration matter. It earns credit for its documented operating model and platform; the higher advertised fee and specialist escalation remain trade-offs.
Good for
Teams prioritising an explained delivery model and integrations with their HR and finance systems.
Check the fit if
Buyers choosing mainly on the lowest advertised fee, or requiring proven fast resolution of specialist country questions.
Support: Human messaging 24/5, tickets and a support monitor with escalation to specialists. The Japan offer explicitly describes local employment assistance. Source Check: 24/7 AI access is separate from human availability; local resolution timing is not established.
Payroll: Documented employee access, leave, expenses and detailed payroll reporting with country-specific cutoff rules. The Japan offer explicitly describes local payroll and employee administration. Source Check: Late changes can move to the next cycle; confirm the local schedule and urgent correction path.
Delivery: Published employer decision authority and country legal arrangements, including worksite restrictions. The Japan offer explicitly describes local employment delivery. Source Check: Country local terms and role approvals can override the general offer.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 879 estimated monthly provider fee using our 2% FX and 1% other-fee benchmark on USD 6,000 converted payroll. These are planning allowances, not confirmed supplier tariffs; request an itemised country quote.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
4.7/5
Support
4.7/5
Terms Exit
4.7/5
Payroll
4.7/5
Delivery
4.7/5
Cost Transparency Fx
4.7/5
Showing 5 of 23 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
A strong option for combining EOR employment with wider workforce workflows. Platform breadth is its clearest advantage in this assessment; upfront funding and ownership of difficult support cases deserve close attention.
Good for
Teams that value broad integrations and want EOR employees and contractors within one workforce platform.
Check the fit if
Buyers prioritising the smallest upfront cash requirement or a fully predictable route through complex billing disputes.
Support: Dedicated onboarding and advertised multilingual support with access to HR and legal specialists. The Japan offer explicitly describes local employment assistance. Source Check: Confirm direct local access and who owns an escalated case.
Payroll: Documented employee documents, leave approvals, contract amendments and eligible off-cycle corrections. The Japan offer explicitly describes local payroll and employee administration. Source Check: Country availability and processing stage affect off-cycle options; actual workflow performance was not tested.
Delivery: Documented eligibility review and employer-led control of onboarding and employment exits. The Japan offer explicitly describes local employment delivery. Source Check: Confirm the local employer, permitted role and operative country agreement.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 779 estimated monthly provider fee using our 2% FX and 1% other-fee benchmark on USD 6,000 converted payroll. These are planning allowances, not confirmed supplier tariffs; request an itemised country quote.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
5/5
Support
4.6/5
Terms Exit
5/5
Payroll
5/5
Delivery
5/5
Cost Transparency Fx
3.7/5
Showing 5 of 11 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
A useful multi-country shortlist option with clear workflows and published commercial terms. Deposit handling, fixed annual seats and access to specialist support deserve close attention.
Good for
Employers who want documented hiring, payroll and employee self-service workflows across several markets.
Check the fit if
Annual seats are non-refundable, fees continue through employment termination, and employment indemnities have defined triggers and caps.
Country offer: A dedicated country offer was not in this source set. Read the published service offer; confirm local eligibility.
Support: Country specialists are described for onboarding, with specialist-led offboarding and human support. Source Check: Confirm the local escalation contact, availability and the boundary with paid HR advisory work.
Payroll: Employee payslips, payroll reports, leave, expenses and specialist onboarding/exit workflows are documented. Source Check: Onboarding depends on agreement and funding; country benefits and cutoffs require confirmation.
Delivery: Published terms allocate employment decisions and retain Oyster service responsibility when partners are used. Source Check: Country addenda may override general terms; employment liability depends on the stated indemnity triggers.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 879 estimated monthly provider fee using our 2% FX and 1% other-fee benchmark on USD 6,000 converted payroll. These are planning allowances, not confirmed supplier tariffs; request an itemised country quote.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
4.3/5
Support
4.3/5
Terms Exit
4.3/5
Payroll
4.3/5
Delivery
4.3/5
Cost Transparency Fx
4.3/5
Showing 5 of 7 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
A broad EOR option with useful integrations and detailed security disclosures. The headline fee and no-minimum-term statement need an offer-specific check of funding, extras and exit obligations.
Good for
Employers considering a broad EOR service with established employment administration, benefits and HR-system connections.
Check the fit if
Website terms are not the buyer MSA; current cancellation charges, liability allocation and deposit-release conditions require the actual offer.
Country offer: A dedicated country offer was not in this source set. Read the published service offer; confirm local eligibility.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 779 estimated monthly provider fee using our 2% FX and 1% other-fee benchmark on USD 6,000 converted payroll. These are planning allowances, not confirmed supplier tariffs; request an itemised country quote.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
3.9/5
Support
4.5/5
Terms Exit
3.9/5
Payroll
4.5/5
Delivery
4.5/5
Cost Transparency Fx
Not scored
Showing 1 of 1 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
Management fee + FX on the converted payroll amount + recurring provider extras + the monthly equivalent of relevant one-off provider fees. Employer costs are pass-through amounts; refundable deposits are a separate cash requirement.
Country research records describe sourced published offers, not measured local delivery. The scores above come only from the final six-criterion global workbook. Customer feedback may describe other products or countries; see the source-labelled examples.