Working at an urisen shop

1. Understand how pay really works

Pay figures are the most misunderstood part of job ads in this industry. Start work with the wrong idea of them and what you take home can be far from what you expected.

2. 12 things to check when choosing a shop

Even when a shop's terms look good, the question is not whether good terms are written in the ad but whether you can get them confirmed in writing. These are checks you can use as they are, before and during the interview.

1. 01Will the shop give you the pay rates, your share and any deductions in writing?

   If you work as an independent contractor, the Freelance Act (in force since 1 November 2024) requires the business that engages you to state the terms in writing or in another recorded form. A shop that only tells you verbally, or says it will explain once you have started, is quite likely not meeting that obligation.

   How to check

   At the interview, ask: “Please give me the pay rate table and a list of everything that gets deducted, on paper, as a PDF or in a message.” If they refuse, or what they give you differs from the job ad, walk away.

   Source (Japanese): Japan Fair Trade Commission: overview of the Freelance Act ↗

2. 02Is the payday clear, and within 60 days of the work?

   Under the Freelance Act, the business must set a payment date within 60 days of the day the work was done, as short as possible, and pay by that date. Be wary of terms like “we pay once we have collected the money.”

   How to check

   Ask for actual dates: when the pay period closes and when you get paid, and, if you are paid daily, when anything not settled on the day (such as booking bonuses) is paid. Keep the answers in writing. Make sure your first payment arrives as promised.

   Source (Japanese): Explainer: payment deadlines under the Freelance Act ↗

3. 03Is there a system of fines or penalties?

   If you work as an employee, a rule that sets fixed fines in advance for lateness, absence or missed sales targets breaches Article 16 of the Labour Standards Act (ban on pre-set damages), and the employer can face up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥300,000. A shop where fines are routine may take the law lightly in other ways too.

   How to check

   Ask: “Is there any money penalty for being late, cancelling a shift on the day, or a booking being cancelled? If so, how much, and on what basis?” If they can name an amount straight away, it is being run as a system.

   Source (Japanese): Explainer: Article 16 of the Labour Standards Act (ban on pre-set damages) ↗

4. 04Does the shop check ID strictly? (The laxer it is, the more dangerous)

   Article 22 of the Entertainment Business Act (風営法) bans having anyone under 18 serve customers; violations carry up to one year's imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥1,000,000. A shop that does not look at ID runs the risk of having minors work there, and if it is raided and closed down, you may never recover pay you are owed. A strict age check is not a hassle; it is a sign the shop is run properly.

   How to check

   See whether they ask for photo ID, and whether they can explain why they keep a copy, how they store it and what happens to it after you leave. Avoid any shop that says ID is not needed.

   Source (Japanese): Explainer: age-check duties under the Entertainment Business Act ↗

5. 05Does the job ad say clearly whether there are quotas or pressure to sell?

   Some shops state “no quotas, no forced sales” or “the shop brings in the customers”, but there are also reports of shops deducting money when quotas are missed. Whether there are quotas directly affects how steady your income is and how much pressure you are under.

   How to check

   Save a copy of the job ad, then ask at the interview: “Are there number targets for dates with customers, meeting them after hours, or promoting yourself on social media?” and “What happens if I miss them?”

6. 06Are the dorm costs and the conditions for moving out clear?

   Plenty of shops advertise “dorm fee and utilities all free”, but if the contract lets them charge back dorm fees when you quit, you effectively cannot leave. A contract that sets a penalty in advance may conflict with Article 16 of the Labour Standards Act.

   How to check

   In the written dorm agreement, check: (1) the monthly cost, (2) how much notice you must give before moving out, (3) whether you will be charged if you quit partway through, and (4) whether there is a penalty clause for leaving early. If there is a penalty clause, do not sign.

7. 07How much is any standby or minimum guarantee, and on what conditions?

   Under pure commission, a day with no bookings earns you nothing. Some shops state that they pay a guarantee when you get no bookings, or a standby guarantee, but as far as we have checked, none of them publishes the amount, so the only way to find out is to ask at the interview. (Some shops do publish a guaranteed minimum take-home per booking, but that is not the same as a guarantee for days without bookings.) This directly affects whether you can plan your living costs.

   How to check

   Ask for figures: “How much is the standby guarantee?” “What do I have to do to get it (hours, days per week)?” “Is it included in the daily payment?”

8. 08Can the shop clearly explain your contract: employment, or independent contractor?

   Even if the contract says independent contractor, you may be judged an employee if in practice your attendance is tracked with a time card or you take work instructions. The contract type decides where you go for help (a Labour Standards Inspection Office, or the Freelance Trouble 110 hotline) and which laws protect you, so do not leave it vague.

   How to check

   Ask whether you will sign an employment contract or a service contract, and always get a copy. Avoid shops that will not give you one. Save screenshots of attendance instructions, shift schedules and pay statements.

9. 09Is the job ad specific, and does it match what you are told at the interview?

   From April 2024, amendments to the Employment Security Act and to the Labour Standards Act enforcement rules added to the working conditions that must be stated when recruiting (such as how far your workplace and duties may change). If an ad is too vague, or the terms at the interview differ from the ad, expect later promises to be broken too.

   How to check

   Screenshot the job ad as it was when you applied, and compare it item by item with the terms offered at the interview. If anything differs, point it out there and then, and get the corrected terms in writing.

   Source (Japanese): Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: changes to the rules on stating working conditions ↗

10. 10Are the rules on your photo and personal information written down?

    Whether your face photo may go on the website really is something shops confirm when hiring. If where it appears and when it is deleted are left vague, photos can stay up after you leave and lead to people finding out who you are.

    How to check

    Confirm in writing where photos will appear (the shop's own site, social media, advertising sites) and how soon after you leave they will be deleted, and note who to contact to ask for deletion.

11. 11Does the shop support STI testing and health care?

    In work that involves physical contact, managing the risk of sexually transmitted infections is essential. A shop that adjusts shifts around testing or gives you information is treating the health of the people who work there as an asset.

    How to check

    Ask whether you can take time off for regular tests, and whether the shop helps with test costs or tells you where to go. Whatever the shop does, get tested regularly yourself at a public health centre, where it is free and anonymous.

    Source (Japanese): Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: HIV testing and counselling map ↗

12. 12Is there someone to report harassment to?

    The Freelance Act includes provisions on the working environment, and harassment (verbal abuse, violence, power harassment, sexual harassment) is explicitly listed as something the Freelance Trouble 110 hotline handles. At a shop with no one to report to, you are left on your own when trouble happens.

    How to check

    Ask who you report to if a customer or a staff member harasses you. Even if the shop has no one internally, know the outside hotlines yourself.

    Source (Japanese): Freelance Trouble 110 ↗

3. What job ads actually ask for

A summary of the conditions we found in several shops' published job ads.

Minimum age

18 or over, no high-school students. This ties directly to Article 22 of the Entertainment Business Act and the rules on late-night work, so avoid any ad that is vague about the minimum age.

Maximum age

Many shops set the limit at around 35, but it varies from shop to shop, for example 「18歳〜27歳位迄」 (18 to about 27) or 「18歳～50代位まで」 (18 to about your 50s), and some shops set no upper limit.

ID

You are usually asked to bring photo ID (driving licence, student ID, passport, residence card, etc.).

Experience

Most ads say no experience is needed. But “beginners welcome” tells you how easy it is to get hired, not that you will earn anything.

Other jobs

Many ads allow it. Separately, be careful about your main job's work rules, and about the chance that your main employer finds out through the resident tax notice.

Days per week

Many shops set no minimum, with lines like 「週1日からOK」 (from one day a week), 「自由出勤」 (come in when you like) or 「自宅待機可」 (you can wait at home). Understand that the fewer days you work, the harder it is to get bookings and the less stable your income.

Sexual orientation

Some ads state that orientation does not matter, e.g. 「ゲイ・バイ・ノンケの男性スタッフ大募集」 (“gay, bi and straight men all wanted”).

Asked at the interview

Your work name, age, height, weight, experience at other shops, nearest station, weekly availability, the income you want, how long you plan to work, what you know about STIs, whether your photo can be published, and so on. We found no ad that states numerical requirements for appearance.

Alcohol under 20

Under the Entertainment Business Act, serving alcohol or tobacco to anyone under 20 is prohibited. If you are 18 or 19 and work at a boys' bar or similar, confirm in advance that you will not be drinking.

4. Frequently asked questions