Employment Guarantor Forms in Japan: Liability Limits, Examples and FAQs
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Category: Job Search Preparation & Interview Tips, Job Change
Authors: Shusaku Yosa
An employment guarantor form, often called a mimoto hoshōsho in Japan, can create obligations for someone who guarantees an employee. Before asking a relative or another person to sign, check the actual clauses: what is covered, how much liability is possible, and how long the guarantee lasts. A document with this title is not necessarily just a reference or an emergency contact form.
This guide concerns employment in Japan, checked on October 7, 2026. Read the company’s entire form, including separate terms or attachments. The employee and guarantor should each understand their own part.
Identify what the company is requesting
Content | Purpose | Questions to ask |
|---|---|---|
Guarantee concerning losses | The guarantor accepts defined obligations | Covered liabilities, monetary limit, term and cancellation |
Personal reference | Someone confirms information about the employee | Does the document also contain financial obligations? |
Emergency contact | A contact for an accident or illness | Is this only a contact record, or also a guarantee? |
Look for wording about compensation or joint liability. The name of the form does not resolve its legal effect. Do not simply collect a name and seal without showing the terms to the person concerned.
When a monetary liability limit matters
A personal guarantee covering unspecified future liabilities may fall within Japan’s rules for individual revolving guarantees. For covered contracts concluded on or after April 1, 2020, a specific monetary maximum, called kyokudogaku, must be agreed in the required written or electronic form. Without the required limit, that guarantee has no effect. The Ministry of Justice guidance explains the scope.
The obligation does not depend on whether the template has a convenient box for the limit. If a covered guarantee appears to have no limit, ask HR to explain or revise the document. A guarantor should not independently invent a figure and assume the company has accepted it. An emergency contact record, an older contract or a corporate guarantee needs its own analysis.
A fictional completion example
Field | Example | Check |
|---|---|---|
Employee | Taro Yamada; current address | Match the employer’s records |
Employment start date | November 1, 2026 | Use the actual agreed date |
Guarantor and relationship | Ichiro Yamada; father | The guarantor reviews the whole contract |
Guarantee term | Confirmed start and end dates | Do not leave the term unexplained |
Maximum liability | ¥1,000,000 | Illustration only; not a statutory standard |
Signature or other completion | Company’s specified method | Ask whether a seal or supporting record is needed |
This example does not mean the guarantor must be a parent or that ¥1 million is an appropriate limit. Eligibility, the number of guarantors and supporting documents depend on the employer’s requirements. Ask how corrections should be made rather than overwriting a signed form.
Check the term and the guarantor’s rights
Under the Act on Fidelity Guarantees, an unspecified term is generally three years. An agreed term, and each renewed term, cannot exceed five years. There is a five-year default exception for commercial or industrial apprentices. The law also provides notification obligations in specified circumstances and opportunities to cancel prospectively. A court considers circumstances including the employer’s supervision when determining liability.
A maximum is a ceiling, not an automatic invoice for that amount whenever a loss occurs. Read the obligations together with the applicable protections. For an actual demand for payment, keep the documents and obtain advice on the specific situation.
If you cannot find a guarantor
- Get the complete form and identify the covered obligations, limit and term.
- Ask HR whether a non-relative, fewer guarantors or another process is acceptable.
- Resolve unclear clauses before requesting a signature.
- Give the proposed guarantor all pages and allow time to review them.
- Check dates, attachments and completion requirements; retain copies.
I would like to discuss the employment guarantor form. I am having difficulty finding a person who meets the specified conditions. Could we discuss whether a non-relative or an alternative process would be acceptable? I would also like to confirm the covered obligations, maximum liability and guarantee period.
Common questions
Must the guarantor be a parent? There is no universal rule requiring every employee to provide a parent or two guarantors. Confirm the company’s actual criteria and available alternatives.
Can I discard the contract when I leave? Leaving does not automatically settle every potential obligation concerning earlier events. Check the coverage and ending arrangements, and retain a copy while it may be needed.
Raise difficulties before the submission deadline. Do not imitate another person’s signature or enter a false relationship or address. Preparing a short list of questions lets HR explain the requirements and helps both you and the guarantor make an informed decision.
Related guides
- Employment Insurance Certificates in Japan: Numbers, Reissuance and Job Changes (Japanese)
- Japan’s Salary Withholding Certificate: Key Fields, Deadlines and Job Changes (Japanese)
The linked Otame4 guides are in Japanese.
