Overview
- Weekly Bunshun published an investigation Tuesday that obtained outsourcing contracts for USJ character performers showing a clause that requires a 500,000 yen payment if a performer unilaterally terminates their agreement.
- The reported clause demands roughly two to three months of pay to quit because performers quoted in the reporting say many earn about 200,000 yen a month.
- Universal Studios Japan declined to confirm clause specifics and said termination requests are handled on a case-by-case basis rather than with a uniform policy.
- Legal commentators say whether the clause is illegal depends on how performers are classified since Article 16 of the Labor Standards Act would apply to employees while freelancers could be protected by the Antimonopoly Act, the Civil Code’s public-order rules, or the Freelance Act.
- There is no public record of formal complaints or regulator action yet and the next developments to watch are whether performers file claims, regulators open probes, or public pressure prompts contract changes during USJ’s 25th anniversary events.