Half Of Japanese Universities Blame Job Rules For Weak Research Work

A rule allowing fixed-term academic employees to switch to indefinite employment after 10 years is a major factor in Japan’s declining research output, nearly half of national universities reported in a recent Mainichi Shimbun survey.

Combined with declining government funding for university operating expenses, institutions have found it difficult to move away from short-term contracts. I Photo: 663highland Wikimedia Commons

Yurika Tarumi, Yoshimi Nakamura, and Shimpei Torii reported for Mainichi Japan. Originally intended to promote job stability, the rule has instead led to widespread contract terminations just before employees reach the 10-year threshold.

As a result, many researchers are unable to build stable, long-term careers.

Combined with declining government funding for university operating expenses, institutions have found it difficult to move away from short-term contracts—highlighting deep structural challenges in Japan’s academic system.

The rule was introduced through a 2013 amendment to the Labor Contracts Act, which allowed fixed-term workers with five years of service to convert to permanent status.

However, researchers were granted a special exemption extending this period to 10 years, to reflect the long-term nature of many scientific projects. According to the education ministry, as of April 2023, around 101,602 researchers at universities and research institutions were subject to the 10-year exemption.