February 25, 2026
Japan Fair Trade Commission
Recruitment of Fixed-Term Lawyers
Today, I would like to talk about the recruitment of fixed-term lawyers.
Under the principle of “No competition, no growth,” the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) promotes economic growth by ensuring fair and free competition and fosters a fair competitive environment. Through these efforts, the JFTC plays a role in supporting the realization of a “strong Japanese economy” from the perspective of competition policy. In recent years, the role expected of the JFTC has expanded significantly, and the scope of its responsibilities has broadened accordingly. Against this backdrop, as part of efforts to build an effective organizational structure capable of ensuring fair and free competition and contributing to the growth of Japan’s economy and the improvement of people’s daily lives, the JFTC began accepting applications for fixed-term lawyers on February 20.
In this recruitment, the JFTC plans to hire lawyers not only for its headquarters but also for its regional and other local offices. A total of 53 positions are available.
This marks the first time that the JFTC will hire fixed-term lawyers for its regional offices. As the importance of work related to ensuring proper transactions at the regional office continues to grow, the JFTC aims to make direct use of the legal expertise of fixed-term lawyers on the ground. By doing so, it seeks to enhance the speed and professionalism of its responses and to strengthen its enforcement framework.
The JFTC has jurisdiction over the Antimonopoly Act, the SME Transactions Act, the Act on Ensuring Proper Transactions Involving Specified Entrusted Business Operators, and the Mobile Software Competition Act. The fixed-term lawyers will work alongside JFTC officials on law enforcement, policy development, and litigation matters related to these laws. The JFTC expects that their expertise will contribute to the effective implementation of competition policy.
Fixed-term lawyers will have the opportunity to deepen their expertise in competition policy through these assignments. We also expect that, as these fixed-term lawyers pursue careers in various fields after their tenure, they will help foster a broader understanding of the JFTC’s role and the importance of competition policy in Japan’s economic and social landscape.
In January 2026, the JFTC received the Special Award at the JILA In-House Legal Awards 2025 from the Japan In-House Lawyers Association. This award is presented to organizations that have contributed to expanding opportunities for in-house lawyers and enhancing their roles. The JFTC will continue to strive to create a workplace where lawyers and other specialized professionals can fully utilize their expertise and play active roles.
Further details of the recruitment are available on the JFTC’s website. We encourage those who are interested to apply. For additional information, please contact the Personnel Division of the Secretariat.
（Tentative translation）
