How to get maternity leave

Is maternity leave based on Japanese law?
Or is it based on company policy, contract type, etc?

My friend is an ALT.
She has yearly contract renewals.
She is not on shakai hoken.
She is enrolled in National Health Insurance.
She has a Japanese husband.

There is nothing in company policy regarding maternity leave.
She inquired about maternity leave.
The company told her she must resign and then reapply later on.

Is this legal?

I know to get full maternity leave benefits she must be on shakai hoken for two years.
She doesn't qualify for that since the company doesn't offer shakai hoken.
Can't they give her unpaid maternity leave?
They have relief ALTs for when ALTs must be away from work for long periods of time.

Is it legal for them to force her to resign?

In this case since she has a once year contract which will be renewed annual they give here the option.
If she is full time employee than there are other regulations.

she should ask hello work or her husband as he is japanese he can research .
but is illegal to force someone to quit job because of maternity ...( is called Matahara)

if she work 7months in her pregnancy before her leave .. i think she can get some money from hellowork.

As far as I know, maternity leave is available under the law (Labor Standards Law) for contract employees too, not just for full-time/regular employees.

How many years has she worked there? (If she has renewed the contract already a few times and would expect to have it renewed, then she is almost like a regular employee.)

When is her current contract going to end? (If the contract term is ending while she is taking her leave - 8 weeks before and 6 weeks after the childbirth - there may be some consequences.)

As a contract worker. Any info like this ahould be written in the contract the signed.