Japan sets minimum wages per prefecture, revised every October. The national weighted average has climbed past the ¥1,100/hour mark in recent revisions, with Tokyo highest and rural prefectures lower — and the rate applies to every worker in the prefecture, whatever their nationality or visa.
Key facts
- Set by
- Prefecture, revised each October
- National average
- ¥1,121 → 1,177/h (Oct 2025)
- Highest
- Tokyo (¥1,226 → 1,280)
- Applies to
- All workers incl. part-time
- Authority
- MHLW / labor bureaus
The legal floor, prefecture by prefecture
Japan sets its minimum wage per prefecture, not nationally. This is the lowest an employer may legally pay you for an hour of work — whatever the job, whatever your visa.
| Prefecture | In force now | New rate | Rise | New rate starts | Full-time month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo 東京 | ¥1,226 | ¥1,280 | +54 | 2026-10-01 | ¥221,000 |
| Kanagawa 神奈川 | ¥1,225 | ¥1,279 | +54 | 2026-10-01 | ¥221,000 |
| Osaka 大阪 | ¥1,177 | ¥1,231 | +54 | 2026-10-01 | ¥213,000 |
| Saitama 埼玉 | ¥1,141 | ¥1,196 | +55 | 2026-10-01 | ¥207,000 |
| Chiba 千葉 | ¥1,140 | ¥1,195 | +55 | 2026-10-01 | ¥207,000 |
| Aichi 愛知 | ¥1,140 | ¥1,195 | +55 | 2026-10-01 | ¥207,000 |
| Kyoto 京都 | ¥1,122 | ¥1,180 | +58 | 2026-11-16 | ¥204,000 |
| Hyogo 兵庫 | ¥1,116 | ¥1,172 | +56 | 2026-10-01 | ¥203,000 |
| Shizuoka 静岡 | ¥1,097 | ¥1,154 | +57 | 2026-10-15 | ¥200,000 |
| Mie 三重 | ¥1,087 | ¥1,143 | +56 | 2026-10-01 | ¥198,000 |
| Hiroshima 広島 | ¥1,085 | ¥1,141 | +56 | 2026-10-11 | ¥197,000 |
| Shiga 滋賀 | ¥1,080 | ¥1,136 | +56 | 2026-10-03 | ¥197,000 |
| Hokkaido 北海道 | ¥1,075 | ¥1,131 | +56 | 2026-10-01 | ¥196,000 |
| Ibaraki 茨城 | ¥1,074 | ¥1,136 | +62 | 2026-10-18 | ¥197,000 |
| Tochigi 栃木 | ¥1,068 | ¥1,125 | +57 | 2026-10-01 | ¥195,000 |
| Gifu 岐阜 | ¥1,065 | ¥1,121 | +56 | 2026-10-01 | ¥194,000 |
| Gunma 群馬 | ¥1,063 | ¥1,120 | +57 | 2026-10-03 | ¥194,000 |
| Toyama 富山 | ¥1,062 | ¥1,119 | +57 | 2026-10-01 | ¥194,000 |
| Nagano 長野 | ¥1,061 | ¥1,117 | +56 | 2026-10-02 | ¥193,000 |
| Fukuoka 福岡 | ¥1,057 | ¥1,114 | +57 | 2026-10-04 | ¥193,000 |
| Ishikawa 石川 | ¥1,054 | ¥1,113 | +59 | 2026-10-03 | ¥193,000 |
| Fukui 福井 | ¥1,053 | ¥1,112 | +59 | 2026-10-04 | ¥192,000 |
| Yamanashi 山梨 | ¥1,052 | ¥1,113 | +61 | 2026-11-01 | ¥193,000 |
| Nara 奈良 | ¥1,051 | ¥1,107 | +56 | 2026-10-04 | ¥192,000 |
| Niigata 新潟 | ¥1,050 | ¥1,108 | +58 | 2026-10-01 | ¥192,000 |
| Okayama 岡山 | ¥1,047 | ¥1,104 | +57 | 2026-10-02 | ¥191,000 |
| Tokushima 徳島 | ¥1,046 | ¥1,103 | +57 | 2026-11-01 | ¥191,000 |
| Wakayama 和歌山 | ¥1,045 | ¥1,101 | +56 | 2026-10-03 | ¥190,000 |
| Yamaguchi 山口 | ¥1,043 | ¥1,101 | +58 | 2026-10-08 | ¥190,000 |
| Miyagi 宮城 | ¥1,038 | ¥1,098 | +60 | 2026-10-01 | ¥190,000 |
| Kagawa 香川 | ¥1,036 | ¥1,092 | +56 | 2026-10-01 | ¥189,000 |
| Oita 大分 | ¥1,035 | ¥1,096 | +61 | 2026-11-01 | ¥190,000 |
| Kumamoto 熊本 | ¥1,034 | ¥1,092 | +58 | 2026-12-01 | ¥189,000 |
| Fukushima 福島 | ¥1,033 | ¥1,094 | +61 | 2026-10-16 | ¥189,000 |
| Shimane 島根 | ¥1,033 | ¥1,092 | +59 | 2026-10-10 | ¥189,000 |
| Ehime 愛媛 | ¥1,033 | ¥1,093 | +60 | 2026-11-01 | ¥189,000 |
| Yamagata 山形 | ¥1,032 | ¥1,092 | +60 | 2026-10-30 | ¥189,000 |
| Iwate 岩手 | ¥1,031 | ¥1,090 | +59 | 2026-12-01 | ¥189,000 |
| Akita 秋田 | ¥1,031 | ¥1,090 | +59 | 2026-10-14 | ¥189,000 |
| Nagasaki 長崎 | ¥1,031 | ¥1,087 | +56 | 2026-11-02 | ¥188,000 |
| Tottori 鳥取 | ¥1,030 | ¥1,090 | +60 | 2026-10-03 | ¥189,000 |
| Saga 佐賀 | ¥1,030 | ¥1,095 | +65 | 2026-11-15 | ¥189,000 |
| Aomori 青森 | ¥1,029 | ¥1,090 | +61 | 2026-10-29 | ¥189,000 |
| Kagoshima 鹿児島 | ¥1,026 | ¥1,090 | +64 | 2026-10-25 | ¥189,000 |
| Kochi 高知 | ¥1,023 | ¥1,086 | +63 | 2026-10-29 | ¥188,000 |
| Miyazaki 宮崎 | ¥1,023 | ¥1,085 | +62 | 2026-10-24 | ¥188,000 |
| Okinawa 沖縄 | ¥1,023 | ¥1,086 | +63 | 2026-12-02 | ¥188,000 |
Monthly figures are the floor rate x 173 hours, before tax and insurance. They are the legal minimum for those hours, not a typical offer.
The new rate does not arrive everywhere at once. Only 15 of the 47 prefectures switch on 1 October 2026; the rest follow across 21 different dates ending 2 December, and the highlighted ones keep the old floor into November or later. Until your prefecture’s date, the old, lower rate is still what your employer legally owes you. MHLW also notes these dates are provisional and can move if objections are filed.
The national weighted average rises from ¥1,121 to ¥1,177 — a ¥56 increase, on top of last year’s record ¥66. The lowest floor in the country goes from ¥1,023 to ¥1,085. These are the FY2026 (令和8年度) figures, announced in September 2026.
Official rates · FY2025 (令和7年度) → FY2026 (令和8年度) · 厚生労働省 ↗
How the system works
Each prefecture’s minimum hourly wage is recommended by a tripartite council and takes effect in October. The spread matters: since the October 2025 revision the national weighted average is ¥1,121 → 1,177, with Tokyo at the top (¥1,226 → 1,280) and regional prefectures roughly ¥1,020–1,100; the next revision takes effect in October 2026. A handful of industries also carry sector-specific minimums slightly above the regional floor.
Checking your own pay in three steps
- Find your prefecture’s current rate — the table above has all 47, with the date each one took effect. The official MHLW list is the source, in Japanese.
- Compute your real hourly base — monthly base pay ÷ actual scheduled hours, excluding commute allowance and overtime premiums. Your contract’s written conditions give the inputs.
- Compare, including deductions — dormitory or meal deductions that drive the net below minimum are the classic violation pattern in factory and agricultural work.
If you are below it
Underpayment of minimum wage is a criminal violation, not a negotiation topic. Labor standards offices accept anonymous reports in multiple languages, back pay can be claimed retroactively, and your visa status is irrelevant to the claim. Workers who report are also protected against retaliatory dismissal — and if the workplace sours anyway, the job-change guide covers your options.
Japanese you will use on this page (tap ▶)
| シフトを代わってもらえますか。 Shifuto o kawatte moraemasu ka. Could you cover my shift? | |
| 八千円お預かりします。 Hassen-en oazukari shimasu. Out of 8,000 yen. | |
| 一万三千五百円です。 Ichiman sanzen gohyaku-en desu. That is 13,500 yen. | |
| すみません、もう一度お願いします。 Sumimasen, mō ichido onegai shimasu. Sorry, could you say that once more? | |
| 体調が悪いので、今日は休ませてください。 Taichō ga warui node, kyō wa yasumasete kudasai. I am not feeling well; please let me take today off. |
Audio synthesized with VOICEVOX:Meimei Himari at standard pace for shadowing; real conversations run faster and carry accents.
Common mistakes & warnings
- Exact figures change every October — always confirm your prefecture's current rate on MHLW's minimum wage page rather than trusting any article, including this one.
- The minimum is calculated on base pay — employers cannot count commuting allowance or overtime premiums toward it.
- Piece-rate and "training period" wages must still average out above the minimum per hour worked. A lower training wage is legal only within strict limits.
Frequently asked questions
Does the minimum wage apply to foreign students working part-time?
Fully. The 28-hour visa cap limits hours, not the wage — student part-timers in Tokyo earn the same legal minimum as anyone else.
My dormitory and meals are deducted — is that legal?
Deductions for housing and meals are allowed only under agreements and reasonable actual-cost limits. Deductions that push effective hourly pay below the minimum are a labor-office matter.
How do regional differences interact with cost of living?
Roughly — Tokyo's higher minimum tracks its higher rent. For workers in minimum-wage-adjacent jobs, a lower-rent city at a slightly lower wage often nets out ahead; compare city budgets on our cost-of-living pages.
Is the minimum wage a lot in US dollars?
The ¥1,121 → 1,177 national average is roughly US$7–8 an hour depending on the exchange rate. Japan sets wages only in yen — the dollar figure moves with the currency, your rent and groceries do not.
What is a livable salary in Japan?
For one person, roughly ¥250,000–300,000 gross a month outside Tokyo and ¥300,000 or more inside it. Gross pay loses about 20% to income tax, resident tax, pension and health insurance, so ¥300,000 gross is around ¥240,000 in hand. A modest single month costs about ¥180,000 in Tokyo, ¥140,000 in Osaka and ¥125,000 in Fukuoka. Full-time work at Tokyo's FY2026 minimum wage is ¥221,440 gross — about ¥177,000 net, which covers a modest Tokyo month with almost nothing left over.
Is ¥300,000 a month a good salary in Japan?
Comfortable for one person outside Tokyo, adequate inside it. ¥300,000 gross is roughly ¥240,000 after tax and insurance, which leaves about ¥60,000 a month against a modest budget in Tokyo, ¥100,000 in Osaka and ¥115,000 in Fukuoka. ¥200,000 gross is a different story: ¥160,000 net does not cover a modest Tokyo month at all, and that is close to what full-time minimum-wage work pays.
Official sources
- MHLW — regional minimum wages (2026-07-17)
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules change; always confirm details with the official sources listed above before making decisions.