OBJECTIVE: This paper intends to review the historical development and related issues involved in the employment of persons with disabilities under the Law on Employment Promotion of Persons with Disabilities in Japan in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). METHODS: The actual situations of the special subsidiary company system, which was established by the Law to assist large-sized enterprises in achieving their legally mandated quota, were analyzed, based on the relevant data and materials published by the government and other sources. CONCLUSIONS: The targeted enterprises could achieve the highest employment rates of persons with disabilities through the establishment of special subsidiary companies. However, various studies on these companies have revealed that more effort is needed to improve the quality of employment of their workers with disabilities in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).