News Over 700 contract-based academics dismissed from Japanese universities before 10-year threshold

According to information obtained by the Mainichi Shimbun through a freedom of information request, a total of 701 instructors and researchers employed on fixed-term contracts at Japan's national universities had their employment terminated just before reaching the 10-year threshold that would have allowed them to transition to indefinite positions. The data, voluntarily disclosed by the Ministry of Education, also includes figures broken down by university, indicating that Japan's foremost academic research institutions may be more likely to dismiss veteran researchers rather than grant them permanent status.

Ten years has passed since the revised Labor Contracts Act came into force in 2013, and the survey found that since the 2023 academic year -- when those on fixed-term contract first became eligible to gain the right to indefinite-term employment -- the highest number of faculty and researchers whose contracts were terminated just before reaching the 10-year mark were at the University of Tokyo and the University of Osaka, with 92 people each. They were followed by Tohoku University with 69 people and Kyoto University with 65. Until now, only the total number of such cases across national, public and private universities and research institutions had been made public. This is the first time the breakdown by individual university has been revealed.

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The survey revealed that although hundreds of fixed-term staff at top national universities in Japan became eligible for indefinite-term employment, only a small fraction made the transition. At the University of Tokyo, 296 individuals gained eligibility, but just 55 secured indefinite contracts. Kyoto University saw 137 gain the right, yet only five exercised it. Tohoku University had 38 eligible students, and Hokkaido University had 21, but only four at the latter and none at the former made the switch. Neither Osaka University nor Kyushu University, despite having eight and twelve eligible staff respectively, saw a single individual transition to indefinite employment.