You were hurt while working or on your commute in Japan. Get medical help first, tell the clinic 仕事中のけがです (“I was injured at work”) or 通勤中のけがです (“I was injured while commuting”), and report the facts to your supervisor promptly. Ask HR about the workers’ compensation procedure. Your employer does not make the final decision on whether an injury qualifies for 労災.
Japanese words you may hear
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 労災・労災保険 | ろうさい・ろうさいほけん (rōsai / rōsai hoken) | Work-related accident / workers’ compensation insurance |
| 業務災害 | ぎょうむさいがい (gyōmu saigai) | Injury or illness arising from work |
| 通勤災害 | つうきんさいがい (tsūkin saigai) | Injury or illness arising from a qualifying commute |
| 発生日時・発生場所 | はっせいにちじ・はっせいばしょ (hassei nichiji / hassei basho) | Time and place of the incident |
| 事故の状況 | じこのじょうきょう (jiko no jōkyō) | What happened; describe the facts |
| 受診・医療機関 | じゅしん・いりょうきかん (jushin / iryō kikan) | Medical visit / clinic or hospital |
| 労災指定医療機関 | ろうさいしていいりょうきかん (rōsai shitei iryō kikan) | Medical provider designated for workers’ compensation |
| 事業主証明 | じぎょうぬししょうめい (jigyōnushi shōmei) | Employer’s certification on a claim |
| 労働基準監督署 | ろうどうきじゅんかんとくしょ (rōdō kijun kantokusho) | Labor Standards Inspection Office |
What to do, step by step
- Get care and state when the injury happened. For a serious injury, seek emergency care immediately. Tell the medical provider that it occurred during work or a commute, even if the compensation paperwork is not ready. MHLW explains that ordinary health insurance is not the route for a work or commuting injury. If you already used it, there is a correction procedure; ask the insurer and labor office rather than ignoring the issue.
- Report the facts to your supervisor or HR. Record the date, time, location, task, what happened, any witnesses, and where you received care. For a commute, note the route and circumstances. Do not decide yourself that every incident near work or on any detour automatically qualifies; the Labor Bureau explains the distinction between work and commuting accidents.
- Ask which claim and medical-provider procedure applies. The paperwork can differ between a work accident and a commuting accident, and between a designated provider and one that is not designated. The MHLW page on claims after a work accident links to the forms and explains that the Labor Standards Inspection Office investigates a claim. Keep receipts and copies of the information you submit.
- If you cannot work, report the absence too. Tell your manager when you expect an update from your clinician and ask HR how to record the time. Our absence notice guide has phrases. A work-related injury follows a different insurance route from the non-work-related sickness allowance discussed in our medical leave guide.
Short Japanese phrases
- 勤務中に手をけがしました。これから病院を受診します。労災の手続きを教えてください。
I injured my hand while working. I am going to a clinic now. Please tell me the workers’ compensation procedure. - 通勤中に転倒しました。発生時刻と場所をお伝えします。
I fell during my commute. I will give you the time and place. - 病院には「仕事中のけが」と伝えました。必要な書類を確認していただけますか。
I told the clinic it happened at work. Could you check which documents are needed? - 受診後、勤務できるか分かり次第ご連絡します。
I will update you after the appointment when I know whether I can work.
If your employer says it is not 労災
The employer’s view does not settle the claim. MHLW says the worker can make a claim even if the employer refuses its certification; contact the Labor Standards Inspection Office for help with the process. That office decides whether a claim is paid after examining the facts. MHLW also has a workers’ compensation guide in English and other languages. Procedures and the correct forms depend on the incident, so use the current official instructions for your case.
