High court dismisses claim of unjust contract termination by 7-Eleven

A Japanese high court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by a man who claimed Seven-Eleven Japan Co.'s termination of his franchise contract was unjust, in a dispute that originated in his decision not to operate his store overnight.

The Osaka High Court said the chain operator’s claim that the termination resulted from former franchisee Mitoshi Matsumoto’s behavior toward customers was fair, upholding a lower court ruling ordering him to pay damages to the company.

The dispute between Seven-Eleven and Matsumoto, which began after Matsumoto’s decision to cease 24-hour operations, shed light on th...