The Lakeland Lectures are a forum for researchers, students and members of the public to discuss contemporary issues affecting Japan. Lakeland College has offered a U.S.-accredited liberal arts program

in Tokyo since 1991. Lakeland’s main campus is in Wisconsin, USA and was founded in 1862.

Location: 5-7-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 1st FloorSee www.lcjapan.com/lectures for map; Tel: 03-3225-0425

W here did Japan’s most famous labor practice, “lifetime employment”, come from? Is it mandated by law, or is it merely the product of societal expectations? Is lifetime employment really a panacea, or is it actually one of the root causes of Japan’s economic problems? Is it to blame for the uniquely Japanese phenomena of karoshi (death by overwork)? What is happening to lifetime employment in 21st century Japan? What can working adults expect in their careers in the future? And, most importantly, is the evolution of lifetime employment led by legal change or by social change? This lecture will address these questions and more in the examination of the past, present, and future of Japanese labor.

Vicki L. Beyer, a U.S. lawyer admitted in the State of Washington, is Labor & Employment Counsel for Accenture Japan. She has been an in-house lawyer specializing in employment law for nearly 15 years. Prior to that, she was a legal academic for 10 years, teaching in Japan and Australia. She holds degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Washington, and Bond University.

Wednesday, March 18, 7:00 p.m.

Vicki L. Beyer

Labor Practices in JapanLooking at Law and SociaL change