On September 3, 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced the revised minimum wage amounts recommended by the Local Minimum Wage Councils in each prefecture.
The new minimum wages are scheduled to take effect between October and December 2026.
The national weighted average will be 1,177 yen per hour, an increase of 56 yen from the previous year.
Top 10 Prefectures by Minimum Wage
| Rank | Prefecture | Revised Minimum Wage (Yen) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo | 1,280 |
| 2 | Kanagawa | 1,279 |
| 3 | Osaka | 1,231 |
| 4 | Saitama | 1,196 |
| 5 | Chiba | 1,195 |
| 5 | Aichi | 1,195 |
| 7 | Kyoto | 1,180 |
| 8 | Hyogo | 1,172 |
| 9 | Shizuoka | 1,154 |
| 10 | Mie | 1,143 |
Bottom 10 Prefectures by Minimum Wage
| Rank | Prefecture | Revised Minimum Wage (Yen) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miyazaki | 1,085 |
| 2 | Kochi | 1,086 |
| 2 | Okinawa | 1,086 |
| 4 | Nagasaki | 1,087 |
| 5 | Aomori | 1,090 |
| 5 | Iwate | 1,090 |
| 5 | Akita | 1,090 |
| 5 | Kagoshima | 1,090 |
| 9 | Yamagata | 1,092 |
| 9 | Shimane | 1,092 |
Prefectures with the same minimum wage are given the same rank. The bottom 10 are listed based on ranking positions.
2026 Regional Minimum Wage List
| Prefecture | Revised Minimum Wage (Yen) | Increase (Yen) |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 1,131 | 56 |
| Aomori | 1,090 | 61 |
| Iwate | 1,090 | 59 |
| Miyagi | 1,098 | 60 |
| Akita | 1,090 | 59 |
| Yamagata | 1,092 | 60 |
| Fukushima | 1,094 | 61 |
| Ibaraki | 1,136 | 62 |
| Tochigi | 1,125 | 57 |
| Gunma | 1,120 | 57 |
| Saitama | 1,196 | 55 |
| Chiba | 1,195 | 55 |
| Tokyo | 1,280 | 54 |
| Kanagawa | 1,279 | 54 |
| Niigata | 1,108 | 58 |
| Toyama | 1,119 | 57 |
| Ishikawa | 1,113 | 59 |
| Fukui | 1,112 | 59 |
| Yamanashi | 1,113 | 61 |
| Nagano | 1,117 | 56 |
| Gifu | 1,121 | 56 |
| Shizuoka | 1,154 | 57 |
| Aichi | 1,195 | 55 |
| Mie | 1,143 | 56 |
| Shiga | 1,136 | 56 |
| Kyoto | 1,180 | 58 |
| Osaka | 1,231 | 54 |
| Hyogo | 1,172 | 56 |
| Nara | 1,107 | 56 |
| Wakayama | 1,101 | 56 |
| Tottori | 1,090 | 60 |
| Shimane | 1,092 | 59 |
| Okayama | 1,104 | 57 |
| Hiroshima | 1,141 | 56 |
| Yamaguchi | 1,101 | 58 |
| Tokushima | 1,103 | 57 |
| Kagawa | 1,092 | 56 |
| Ehime | 1,093 | 60 |
| Kochi | 1,086 | 63 |
| Fukuoka | 1,114 | 57 |
| Saga | 1,095 | 65 |
| Nagasaki | 1,087 | 56 |
| Kumamoto | 1,092 | 58 |
| Oita | 1,096 | 61 |
| Miyazaki | 1,085 | 62 |
| Kagoshima | 1,090 | 64 |
| Okinawa | 1,086 | 63 |
| National Weighted Average | 1,177 | 56 |
Source: “FY2026 Regional Minimum Wage Recommendations,” Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
By Hajime Saito
X: @hajimesaitoYJC
Source:
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Sep. 3, 2026)
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