When you hire your first employee in Japan, you need to comply with multiple employment laws simultaneously. You have two main approaches: engage a social insurance and labor consultant (社会保険労務士, or "sharoushi"), or use a compliance tool to understand your obligations first.
Both serve the goal of compliance. They differ in cost, depth, and timing.
A sharoushi is a nationally licensed professional specializing in employment law, social insurance, and labor regulations. They handle filings, draft employment contracts, and advise on compliance.
Pros: Comprehensive professional service. Handles filings on your behalf. Provides ongoing advisory support. Deep knowledge of nuanced situations.
Cons: Monthly retainer fees typically range from ¥30,000-¥100,000+ depending on company size and scope. Initial setup fees additional. Requires finding and vetting a suitable professional. Scheduling consultations takes time.
Best for: Companies with multiple employees, complex employment structures, or ongoing HR needs.
The checker helps you understand what obligations apply to your specific hiring situation. It maps requirements across all relevant agencies and provides deadlines.
Pros: Free. Instant. Available in English. Covers the full range of standard employment obligations. No appointment needed.
Cons: Provides information and guidance, not professional advisory services. Does not file documents on your behalf. Complex situations may still require professional support.
Best for: First-time employers needing to understand the landscape, founders doing initial compliance planning, and companies that want to prepare before engaging a professional.
| Factor | Sharoushi | MmowW Checker |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ¥30,000-¥100,000+/month | Free |
| Speed to first answer | 1-5 business days | Immediate |
| Language | Primarily Japanese | English |
| Filing service | Yes | No (guidance only) |
| Ongoing advisory | Yes | No |
| Coverage completeness | Comprehensive + nuanced | Standard obligations |
| Availability | Business hours | 24/7 |
The most effective strategy for many founders is to use both:
This approach prevents the scenario where you walk into a professional consultation with no context and spend the first hour (and associated fees) on basic orientation.
Use our free tool to check your compliance instantly.
Try it free →Solo founder making first hire: Budget is tight. A monthly sharoushi retainer of ¥50,000 is significant. The checker provides the compliance roadmap for free, allowing the founder to handle straightforward filings independently and engage a professional only for complex situations.
Growing startup with 10+ employees: At this scale, a sharoushi becomes practically necessary for ongoing payroll, social insurance adjustments, and employment regulation compliance. The checker serves as a quick reference tool alongside the professional relationship.
Foreign founder with limited Japanese network: Finding a sharoushi who works in English takes time. The checker provides immediate English-language compliance guidance while the founder searches for the right professional.
Q: Can the checker replace a sharoushi entirely?
A: For very small companies with straightforward employment arrangements, the checker may provide sufficient guidance for the founder to handle compliance independently. However, as your company grows or faces complex employment situations (layoffs, disciplinary actions, workplace injuries), professional support becomes important.
Q: Does MmowW offer sharoushi services?
A: MmowW provides tools and guidance for company formation and compliance. Professional services such as social insurance filing and labor advisory are provided by licensed sharoushi. The checker helps you understand what you need, so you can engage the right professional when the time comes.
Q: What if the checker and a sharoushi give different guidance?
A: The checker applies standard legal requirements. A sharoushi may consider nuances specific to your situation (industry custom, local practice, special exemptions). In case of conflict, the professional's situation-specific advice should take precedence.
Understand your employment obligations before your first consultation:
Use the Employment Rule Checker →
Obligations mapped. Professional support planned. MmowW Scribe guides your company from formation through compliant growth.
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