In my non-legal opinion, I would strongly urge the consultation of Japan's labor or regulatory agencies, to understand what your recourse might be under Japanese law. Unless your life is in danger, your immediate departure from Japan might be used by your employer to obtain a finding that YOU have breached the contract, and are hence subject to penalties.

I'm not sure if this applies to Japan, but I do know that in many countries, civil proceedings can "escalate" into criminal cases. If your employer decides to take action, there may be a possibility that you could have criminal charges filed against you. This could cause serious difficulties for you (e.g., arrest, fines, etc.) should you ever attempt to visit Japan for any reason in the future.

I'm guess what I'm really saying is that you need a competent Japanese labor/contract law attorney, post haste.

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