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Promotion Notice (昇格・昇進通知書)

Notifies an employee of a promotion in title (昇進), grade (昇格), or both. Records new role, reporting line, compensation change, and effective date.

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

Last reviewed: · Aligned with the Status change workflow in Japanese HR practice

Promotion notice generator

2026年6月15日

田中 太郎　様

〒150-0001 東京都渋谷区神宮前2-3-4

〒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

昇格・昇進通知書

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、貴殿の日頃の功績及び評価結果を踏まえ、下記のとおり昇格・昇進を発令する旨を通知いたします。

敬具

記

  1. 昇進前の役職・等級 役職: シニアエンジニア 等級: G4 所属: ITソリューション部
  2. 昇進後の役職・等級 役職: エンジニアリングマネージャー 等級: M1 所属: ITソリューション部
  3. 適用開始日 2026年7月1日
  4. 昇進の根拠 評価対象期間: 2025年4月1日 から 2026年3月31日 根拠: 年次評価 2025年度通期の業績評価結果及び評価委員会の決定に基づくものです。
  5. 報告ライン 昇進前: ITソリューション部 部長 昇進後: 執行役員 CTO
  6. 役割・責任 新役職に係る詳細な役割及び責任は、別途交付する役割定義書（職務記述書）に定めるものとします。
  7. 報酬への影響 本昇進に伴う給与の改定については、別途、昇給通知書（又は給与改定通知書）にて通知いたします。
  8. キャリアフレームワークの参照 本通知に係る等級及び役職は、当社就業規則並びに等級制度（キャリアフレームワーク）に基づき定めるものです。
  9. お問い合わせ 本件に関するお問い合わせは、人事部 鈴木（電話 03-1234-5678）までお願いいたします。

以上

〒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

________________________

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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 Promotion Notice (昇格・昇進通知書) is

A promotion notice (昇格・昇進通知書) is the formal document that records an employee's promotion. In Japanese HR practice the term distinguishes between 昇格 (a raise in internal grade or rank) and 昇進 (a raise in formal title or position). Many companies issue a single combined notice covering both. The notice records the new title, reporting line, compensation change, and effective date.

When to use

When to issue this notice

  • Annual evaluation cycle promotion (typically April)
  • Mid-cycle promotion linked to a project completion or business reorganization
  • Promotion as part of a retention package or counter-offer
  • Promotion that accompanies a transfer to a different department

Mandatory items

What to include in the notice

  • Current title, grade, and reporting line
  • New title, grade, and reporting line
  • Effective date of the promotion
  • Reason / basis for the promotion (annual review, evaluation period results, organizational reorg)
  • Compensation change (if any): pair with a salary increase or compensation revision notice
  • New role responsibilities, especially if substantially expanded
  • Reference to the work rules / career framework that defines the new grade
  • Employer signature and date

Legal basis

Promotion is not directly regulated by Japanese labor law. It is governed by the company's work rules and the original employment contract. Promotions are favorable to the employee and do not require consent. However, the underlying compensation change does require documentation under Article 15 LSA, and a unilateral demotion (the reverse case) generally requires consent or a clear basis in work rules.

Frequently asked

Common questions about the Promotion Notice

What's the difference between 昇格 and 昇進?

昇格 (shokaku) is a raise in internal grade or rank, often tied to a salary band. 昇進 (shoshin) is a raise in formal title or position, e.g., from Senior Engineer to Manager. They often happen together but not always: an employee can be promoted in grade with no title change (昇格 only) or take a formal title with no grade change (昇進 only).

Does promotion require employee consent?

No. Promotion is favorable and takes effect on the employer's notice. Best practice is acknowledgement-of-receipt for record-keeping. The employee can decline if the promotion involves substantial changes the employee doesn't want (e.g., relocation, significant scope expansion), but plain promotion within the same role family is implementable on notice.

Can a promotion be revoked?

Once effected, a promotion becomes part of the employee's working conditions, and reverting it (a demotion) is treated as an unfavorable change requiring consent or a clear basis in work rules. Provisional or trial promotions, where the framework allows, must be explicitly labelled as such in the notice.

Does promotion automatically mean a salary increase?

Not always. Many companies link promotion to a salary band so the increase is automatic, but a few separate the two. Be explicit in the promotion notice whether the salary changes, and if so, pair with a salary increase notice or compensation revision notice.

What documentation should support a promotion?

Internally, the evaluation records (performance review, evaluation panel minutes, supervisor recommendation) supporting the promotion should be retained. The promotion notice itself doesn't need to detail these but the underlying file should be auditable, especially if the company later faces a fairness or discrimination claim from a non-promoted peer.

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. The status change workflow 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 HR 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 employment law is complex and case-specific. Before issuing this notice in any non-routine situation, consult a Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (社会保険労務士) or a qualified labor lawyer (弁護士).