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Non-Compete Agreement (競業避止義務契約書)

Restricts an employee from competing during and after employment. Subject to strict reasonableness review by Japanese courts on scope, duration, and consideration.

Emmanuel Gendre, Founder of SaiyouTeam
By Emmanuel Gendre
Founder, SaiyouTeam · 12 years recruiting in Japan

Last reviewed: · Aligned with the Restrictive covenant workflow in Japanese HR practice

Non-Compete Agreement generator

競 業 避 止 義 務 契 約 書

株式会社サンプル（以下「甲」という。）と鈴木 一郎（以下「乙」という。）は、乙が甲においてシニアエンジニアとして従事するに際し、甲の営業秘密、顧客関係、技術・ノウハウその他の正当な利益の保護を目的として、以下のとおり競業避止義務契約（以下「本契約」という。）を締結する。

  1. 第1条（目的） 本契約は、甲の営業秘密、顧客関係、技術・ノウハウその他の正当な利益の保護を目的として、乙が在職中及び退職後一定期間にわたり負う競業避止義務の内容を定める。
  2. 第2条（制限される行為） 乙は、在職中及び本契約に定める期間中、甲の事前の書面による承諾なく、次の各号に掲げる行為を行ってはならない。 ・競合企業への就職又は役員就任 ・同業種の事業の起業・経営 ・甲の顧客（在職中に担当した顧客を含む。）との直接の取引又は勧誘 ・甲の役員又は従業員の引き抜き ・甲において得た技術、ノウハウ、営業情報の利用 具体的に制限される事業：クラウド型人事管理SaaSの開発・販売事業
  3. 第3条（期間） 本契約に基づく退職後の競業避止義務の期間は、退職日の翌日から起算して6ヶ月間とする。
  4. 第4条（地理的範囲） 前条の競業避止義務は、甲の営業エリア（甲が現に事業活動を行う地域）に限るにおいて適用される。
  5. 第5条（対価） 甲は、第3条及び第4条に定める競業避止義務の対価として、退職金への上乗せ支給の方法により、合計500,000円を乙に支給する。当該対価の支払いは、本契約に基づく義務の履行を確保するための合理的かつ実質的な対価であることを甲乙確認する。 本対価の合理性に関する説明：本対価は、乙の制限期間中の機会損失及び甲の正当な利益保護の必要性に照らし、合理的な水準として算定したものである。
  6. 第6条（適用除外） 乙が甲に在籍する以前から有していた顧客・取引先との関係の継続は、本契約の制限の対象外とする。 甲が現に事業活動を行っていない地域における乙の活動は、本契約の制限の対象外とする。 甲が乙の責めに帰すべき事由によらず雇用関係を終了させた場合、本契約に基づく退職後の競業避止義務は、合理的な範囲に縮減され、又は無効となる場合がある。
  7. 第7条（使用者の正当な利益） 甲乙は、本契約が、甲の営業秘密、顧客関係、技術・ノウハウ、教育訓練投資その他の正当な利益を保護するために必要かつ合理的な範囲で締結されたものであることを確認する。
  8. 第8条（損害賠償） 乙が本契約に違反した場合、乙は、甲がこれにより被った損害（合理的な弁護士費用を含む。）を賠償する責任を負うものとする。
  9. 第9条（差止請求） 乙が本契約に違反し、又は違反するおそれがある場合、甲は、乙に対し、当該違反行為の差止め又は予防を請求することができる。これは、損害賠償請求権の行使を妨げない。
  10. 第10条（退職金との関係） 第5条の対価が退職金への上乗せ分として支給された場合において、乙が本契約に違反したときは、甲は、当該上乗せ部分につき支給を停止し、又は既に支給した部分の返還を請求することができる。
  11. 第11条（合意管轄） 本契約は日本法に準拠し、これに従って解釈されるものとする。本契約に関する紛争については、東京地方裁判所を第一審の専属的合意管轄裁判所とする。
  12. 第12条（協議事項） 本契約に定めのない事項又は本契約の解釈について疑義が生じた場合は、甲乙誠意をもって協議の上、これを解決するものとする。

本契約の有効性は、民法第90条の公序良俗、憲法第22条の職業選択の自由に照らし、合理的範囲内であることが前提となります。

以上を証するため、本契約書2通を作成し、甲乙署名捺印の上、各1通を保有する。

2026年5月15日

甲

〒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　印

乙

〒150-0001 東京都渋谷区神宮前2-3-4

開発部　シニアエンジニア

鈴木 一郎　印

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Official sources

This template is built on the following primary Japanese government sources. Open each link to verify the underlying rule against the issuing authority.

Reference

What the Non-Compete Agreement (競業避止義務契約書) is

A Non-Compete Agreement (競業避止義務契約書) is the agreement under which an employee commits to not engage in business activities competitive with the employer's business. During employment, a baseline non-compete duty exists implicitly under the duty of loyalty to the employer; the agreement codifies and clarifies it. The harder case is post-employment non-compete: the employer wants the restriction to extend after separation, but Japanese courts apply strict reasonableness review to protect the employee's right to earn a living (Article 22 of the Constitution). Courts have struck down many post-employment non-compete clauses as overbroad or as imposing undue hardship on the employee.

When to use

When to use this document

  • For senior or specialized employees with significant access to trade secrets
  • Sales staff with established customer relationships
  • Engineers working on proprietary technology, especially in fast-moving sectors
  • Executives in industries where talent and customer relationships move with the individual
  • Roles where the employer has invested heavily in training that has direct competitive value

Mandatory items

What to include

  • Identity of the parties
  • Specific scope of competing activities prohibited (industry, function, customer set)
  • Geographic scope (Japan-wide, specific prefectures, global) tailored to actual market reach
  • Duration of post-employment restriction (typically 6 months to 2 years)
  • Industry / competitor scope (named competitors or category-defined)
  • Compensation (対価) for the non-compete period (often required for enforceability of post-employment clauses)
  • Carve-outs: customers the employee already had before joining, geographic regions where the company does not operate
  • Acknowledgment of the employer's legitimate interest (trade secrets, customer relationships, confidential know-how)
  • Remedies for breach: injunction, damages, possible forfeiture of severance

Legal basis

Post-employment non-compete clauses are governed by Civil Code contractual principles, but the courts apply strict reasonableness tests under Article 90 of the Civil Code (公序良俗 / public policy), with reference to the Constitution's protection of the freedom to choose an occupation. Japanese courts consider five factors when ruling on enforceability: (1) the employer's legitimate interest in the restriction, (2) the employee's position and access to protected information, (3) the geographic and temporal scope of the restriction, (4) the compensation provided to the employee for accepting the restriction, and (5) the broader public interest. Overly broad non-competes get partially or fully struck down. METI publishes detailed analysis of court rulings to guide drafting practice; the consensus is that 6 to 12 months with explicit compensation is the safest design for typical non-executive cases.

Frequently asked

Common questions about the Non-Compete Agreement

Can a non-compete clause be in the employment contract itself?

Yes, and it is common practice. However, the same reasonableness tests apply whether the clause sits in the employment contract, in 入社誓約書, or in a separate agreement. For high-stakes restrictions (senior roles, sensitive industries), a separate non-compete agreement allows for more detail on compensation, scope, and acknowledgment, all of which strengthen enforceability.

What's the typical enforceable duration?

Six months to two years post-employment is the practical range. Six months to one year is generally enforceable for typical non-executive roles with moderate-to-substantial compensation. One to two years can be enforceable for senior or specialized roles with explicit and substantial compensation. Beyond two years, enforceability becomes very difficult, and courts will narrow the duration even with consideration.

Is compensation required for the non-compete to be enforceable?

Strongly recommended for any post-employment non-compete, and effectively required for durations beyond 6 months or for industry-wide restrictions. Compensation can take the form of severance increment, a separate non-compete payment, or pre-paid compensation as part of the salary structure with explicit attribution. Without compensation, courts often find the restriction unreasonable and limit or strike it down.

What if the employer is the one terminating the employee?

Employer-initiated termination significantly weakens the enforceability of post-employment non-compete clauses. Courts reason that an employee terminated against their will should have a reasonable opportunity to find replacement work; restricting their employment options after the employer ended the relationship is generally unreasonable. Some non-compete clauses include explicit carve-outs for employer-initiated termination to acknowledge this; otherwise courts will narrow application accordingly.

Are non-competes enforceable in IT industry employment?

Yes, but with strict scope. IT and software industries see frequent talent movement and rely on individual capability that is hard to constrain by general non-compete. Enforceable IT non-competes typically restrict (1) work for specifically named direct competitors, (2) for a short duration (often under 12 months), (3) with clear compensation. Broad "work for no IT company" restrictions are routinely struck down.

About the author

Emmanuel Gendre, Founder of SaiyouTeam
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. Restrictive covenant-related paperwork is something he handles regularly with his SMB clients in Japan, so he built this template as part of that advisory work and uses it himself when those conversations come up.

For case-specific contract matters, Emmanuel works with licensed Japanese professionals (社会保険労務士 and 弁護士). This template is a planning tool used in those conversations, not a substitute for professional advice on an individual case.

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Important. This template is provided for general planning purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Japanese contract law is complex and case-specific. Before issuing this document in any non-routine situation, consult a qualified labor lawyer (弁護士) or Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (社会保険労務士).