How is 採用通知書 different from 内定通知書?

Both signal selection, but the strength of commitment differs. 内定通知書 is the formal naitei offer used in the new-graduate cycle: once accepted, Japanese case law treats it as a labor contract with a deferred start date that can only be revoked on narrow grounds. 採用通知書 is a more general selection notice; while the practical effect is similar once both parties confirm, the document is less formalized as a binding pre-contract. Many companies use only one of these — pick the one that matches your hiring channel.

Is 採用通知書 legally required?

No. What is legally required is the 労働条件通知書 (labor conditions notice) under Article 15 of the Labor Standards Act, which must be issued by the start date at the latest. The 採用通知書 is a business-practice document that supports the offer process and is good for record-keeping, but not a statutory requirement.

Should the 採用通知書 include compensation?

Yes for most modern hiring practices. The Notice of Hiring should include the headline conditions — position, department, work location, start date, monthly base salary, expected annual salary, and high-level benefits — so the candidate has a clear picture before they accept. Full mandatory details are issued separately in the 労働条件通知書 by the start date. This template covers the headline terms; for sensitive cases (executive offers, complex equity), have the wording reviewed by a sharoshi.

Should the notice be in Japanese, English, or both?

The legally controlling version should be Japanese. For foreign-language candidates it is best practice to issue both: Japanese as the controlling document, English translation for understanding. This template lets you toggle the preview between Japanese and English so you can review and download each version separately.

Japan Notice of Hiring Template (採用通知書)

Generate a Japanese Notice of Hiring (採用通知書) — the general selection notice often used for mid-career and lateral hires. Position, start date, headline compensation, next steps. Preview in Japanese or English, edit inline, export to PDF.

By Emmanuel Gendre

Founder, SaiyouTeam · 12 years recruiting in Japan

Last reviewed: May 2026

Company

Company name 会社名

Company name (English version)

Address (Japanese) 所在地

Address (English version)

Representative (Japanese) 代表取締役

Representative (English version)

Candidate

Full name (Japanese) 氏名

Full name (English version)

Dates

Issue date 発行日

Start date 入社予定日

Response deadline 回答期限

Role

Position (Japanese) 役職

Position (English version)

Department (Japanese) 配属部署

Department (English version)

Work location (Japanese) 勤務地

Work location (English version)

Working hours (Japanese) 勤務時間

Working hours (English version)

Compensation (headline)

Monthly base salary (JPY) 月額基本給

Expected annual salary (JPY) 想定年収

Contact

HR contact (Japanese) 問い合わせ先

HR contact (English version)

Optional clauses

Next stepsOutlines the next steps after acceptance (contract signing, joining package). Response requestAsks the candidate to confirm acceptance by the response deadline. Labor conditions notice deferralStates that the full labor conditions notice (労働条件通知書) will be issued by the start date.

2026年5月15日

田中太郎　様

〒100-0005 東京都千代田区丸の内1-1-1

株式会社サンプル

代表取締役　山田花子

採用通知書

拝啓　時下ますますご清栄のこととお慶び申し上げます。このたびは、弊社の採用選考にご応募いただき、誠にありがとうございました。

慎重なる選考の結果、貴殿を当社の社員として採用することを決定いたしましたので、ここにご通知申し上げます。下記の条件をご確認のうえ、ご検討くださいますようお願い申し上げます。

敬具

記

入社予定日2026年7月1日
配属ITソリューション部
役職ソフトウェアエンジニア
勤務地本社（東京都千代田区丸の内1-1-1）
勤務時間9:00 - 18:00（休憩60分、所定労働時間8時間）
給与月額基本給：¥400,000 想定年収：¥6,000,000
回答期限 2026年5月29日までに、書面またはメールにて入社の意思をご回答くださいますようお願い申し上げます。
今後の手続き採用ご承諾後、雇用契約書および入社書類を別途送付いたします。入社日までに、ご記入・ご返送いただく書類がございますので、あわせてご対応をお願いいたします。
労働条件の明示詳細な労働条件は、入社時に労働条件通知書（労働基準法第15条）にて別途明示いたします。
お問い合わせ本件に関するお問い合わせは、人事部田中（電話 03-1234-5678 / メール hr@example.co.jp）までお願いいたします。

以上

May 15, 2026

To: Taro Tanaka

1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Sample Corporation

Representative Director: Hanako Yamada

NOTICE OF HIRING

Dear Taro Tanaka,

Thank you for your interest in joining our company and for taking part in our recruitment process. After careful consideration, we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for employment with our company.

Please review the conditions below and let us know your decision.

Sincerely,

PARTICULARS

Start dateJuly 1, 2026
DepartmentIT Solutions Division
PositionSoftware Engineer
Work locationHead Office (1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Working hours9:00 - 18:00 (60 min break, 8 contractual hours/day)
Compensation Monthly base salary: ¥400,000 Expected annual: ¥6,000,000
Response deadline Please confirm your decision in writing or by email by May 29, 2026.
Next steps Upon your acceptance, we will send the employment contract and joining-package documents separately. Some documents will require your signature and return before the start date.
Labor conditions notice Detailed working conditions will be issued separately on the start date in the form of a Labor Conditions Notice (労働条件通知書, Labor Standards Act Art. 15).
Contact Please direct any questions to HR Department, Tanaka (tel: 03-1234-5678 / hr@example.co.jp).

End of notice

Ready to send? Download a PDF of the notice above.

Frequently asked

Common questions about the Notice of Hiring

What is the 採用通知書?

A document the Japanese employer issues to confirm a candidate has been selected. Commonly used for mid-career and lateral hires.

How is it different from 内定通知書?

Both signal selection, but 内定通知書 is the formal naitei offer from the new-graduate cycle that creates a stronger legal commitment once accepted. 採用通知書 is a more general selection notice.

Is it legally required?

No. The legally required document is the 労働条件通知書 (labor conditions notice) under Article 15 of the Labor Standards Act, issued by the start date.

Should it include compensation?

Yes for modern practice. The Notice of Hiring should include headline conditions. Full mandatory details go in the 労働条件通知書.

Japanese, English, or both?

Japanese is the legally controlling version. For foreign-language candidates, issue both: Japanese as controlling, English for understanding.

About the author

Emmanuel Gendre

Founder, SaiyouTeam · TechieCV K.K.

Emmanuel advises small and mid-sized companies (SMBs) on HR and recruiting in Japan. He brings 12 years recruiting in Japan as a Recruitment Consultant placing IT professionals, plus prior experience hiring engineers across EMEA as a Google recruiter. Drafting Japanese Notices of Hiring (採用通知書) for mid-career hires is something he handles regularly with his SMB clients.

For case-specific offer-stage matters, Emmanuel works with licensed Japanese professionals (社会保険労務士 and 弁護士).

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Important. This template provides a generic Japanese Notice of Hiring (採用通知書) structure for general information only and is not a substitute for legal advice. For sensitive cases (executive offers, complex compensation, fixed-term contracts), have the final wording reviewed by a labor and social security attorney (社会保険労務士) or qualified legal counsel.

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