Japan’s 2026 Regional Minimum Wages to Rise Nationwide

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has completed the 2026 regional minimum-wage recommendation process. The weighted national average will increase by ¥56 to ¥1,177 per hour, with individual prefectural increases ranging from ¥54 to ¥65.

The new rates will take effect at different times between October 1 and December 2, 2026, following completion of each prefecture’s formal procedures. Major confirmed changes effective October 1 include ¥1,280 in Tokyo, ¥1,279 in Kanagawa and ¥1,231 in Osaka.

The regional minimum wage applies broadly to employees working in Japan, regardless of nationality, employment title or whether they are full-time, part-time, fixed-term or students. Employers should also test monthly salaries by converting qualifying remuneration to an hourly rate. Certain payments, including overtime premiums and specified allowances—are excluded from this calculation.

Businesses should review employee pay before the applicable effective date, update payroll settings and recalculate wage-linked overtime premiums. Particular attention should be given to lower-paid salaried employees, part-time staff, remote-working arrangements and payroll periods spanning the effective date.

Foreign-owned businesses should also review employment documentation, workforce budgets and outsourced-service pricing. Where the increase changes an employee’s fixed remuneration, its potential effect on future social-insurance calculations should be considered separately.

Sources

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — nationwide 2026 results
• Tokyo Labour Bureau — final Tokyo rate
• Kanagawa Labour Bureau — final Kanagawa rate
• Osaka Labour Bureau — final Osaka rate