The 30-year-old had thought her passport was required by her then employer, Advanceconsul Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialists' Office, only to apply for a work visa.
The civil lawsuit was filed in the Yokohama District Court last month against a company that was just in September last year warned by Kanagawa prefecture for"unjust labour practices" in another case. One reason for this jump is an increase in"technical interns" under a programme that has been criticised for being a hotbed of human rights abuses, including excessive overtime, unpaid wages and workplace harassment.The harsh scrutiny over the programme led the government to tighten laws in 2017, including a ban on employers holding on to passports.
They note that a series of cases involving foreigners would have sullied its reputation as an ideal country to work in. It also states that the passport will"continue to be held by the employer in the event of resignation".