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Japan Minimum Wage by Prefecture (2025–26)

Japan sets its minimum wage by prefecture, not nationally. Here are the official 2025 figures for all 47 — ranked from highest to lowest, with the raise and the date each took effect.

Short answer

Japan's minimum wage is set per prefecture. After the FY2025 revision, Tokyo is highest at ¥1,226/hour; Kochi, Miyazaki, Okinawa are lowest at ¥1,023. The national weighted average is ¥1,121 — and for the first time on record, all 47 prefectures clear ¥1,000/hour. All figures are hourly, before tax.

Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), FY2025 Regional Minimum Wages — National List. Figures are the prefectural hourly minimum (地域別最低賃金), before tax and social insurance.

At a glance

National weighted average¥1,121up +66 (+6.3%) on the year
Highest¥1,226Tokyo
Lowest¥1,023Kochi · Miyazaki · Okinawa
Prefectures ≥ ¥1,00047 / 47first time on record (all 47)

All 47 prefectures, ranked

Ranked by hourly rate, highest first. Tap a prefecture for its living-and-travel guide.

#Prefecture¥ / hourRaiseEffectiveRegion
1Tokyo¥1,226+63Oct 3, 2025Kantō
2Kanagawa¥1,225+63Oct 4, 2025Kantō
3Osaka¥1,177+63Oct 16, 2025Kansai
4Saitama¥1,141+63Nov 1, 2025Kantō
5Chiba¥1,140+64Oct 3, 2025Kantō
6Aichi¥1,140+63Oct 18, 2025Chūbu
7Kyoto¥1,122+64Nov 21, 2025Kansai
8Hyogo¥1,116+64Oct 4, 2025Kansai
9Shizuoka¥1,097+63Nov 1, 2025Chūbu
10Mie¥1,087+64Nov 21, 2025Kansai
11Hiroshima¥1,085+65Nov 1, 2025Chūgoku
12Shiga¥1,080+63Oct 5, 2025Kansai
13Hokkaido¥1,075+65Oct 4, 2025Hokkaidō
14Ibaraki¥1,074+69Oct 12, 2025Kantō
15Tochigi¥1,068+64Oct 1, 2025Kantō
16Gifu¥1,065+64Oct 18, 2025Chūbu
17Gunma¥1,063+78Mar 1, 2026Kantō
18Toyama¥1,062+64Oct 12, 2025Chūbu
19Nagano¥1,061+63Oct 3, 2025Chūbu
20Fukuoka¥1,057+65Nov 16, 2025Kyūshū
21Ishikawa¥1,054+70Oct 8, 2025Chūbu
22Fukui¥1,053+69Oct 8, 2025Chūbu
23Yamanashi¥1,052+64Dec 1, 2025Chūbu
24Nara¥1,051+65Nov 16, 2025Kansai
25Niigata¥1,050+65Oct 2, 2025Chūbu
26Okayama¥1,047+65Dec 1, 2025Chūgoku
27Tokushima¥1,046+66Jan 1, 2026Shikoku
28Wakayama¥1,045+65Nov 1, 2025Kansai
29Yamaguchi¥1,043+64Oct 16, 2025Chūgoku
30Miyagi¥1,038+65Oct 4, 2025Tōhoku
31Kagawa¥1,036+66Oct 18, 2025Shikoku
32Oita¥1,035+81Jan 1, 2026Kyūshū
33Kumamoto¥1,034+82Jan 1, 2026Kyūshū
34Fukushima¥1,033+78Jan 1, 2026Tōhoku
35Shimane¥1,033+71Nov 17, 2025Chūgoku
36Ehime¥1,033+77Dec 1, 2025Shikoku
37Yamagata¥1,032+77Dec 23, 2025Tōhoku
38Iwate¥1,031+79Dec 1, 2025Tōhoku
39Akita¥1,031+80Mar 31, 2026Tōhoku
40Nagasaki¥1,031+78Dec 1, 2025Kyūshū
41Tottori¥1,030+73Oct 4, 2025Chūgoku
42Saga¥1,030+74Nov 21, 2025Kyūshū
43Aomori¥1,029+76Nov 21, 2025Tōhoku
44Kagoshima¥1,026+73Nov 1, 2025Kyūshū
45Kochi¥1,023+71Dec 1, 2025Shikoku
46Miyazaki¥1,023+71Nov 16, 2025Kyūshū
47Okinawa¥1,023+71Dec 1, 2025Okinawa

What this means for your paycheck

These are hourly minimums — the legal floor an employer may pay, before tax and insurance. As a rough full-time guide (40 hours a week), ¥1,226 works out to about ¥213,000 a month before deductions, and ¥1,023 to about ¥177,000. Income tax, residence tax, health insurance and pension typically take roughly 15–20% off the top, so take-home pay is lower. A higher headline wage also tends to come with higher rent: Tokyo pays the most but also costs the most to live in, so compare wages against local rent before choosing where to work.

If you're coming on a Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) visa

Specified Skilled Worker (SSW / tokutei ginō) jobs in fields like caregiving, food service and manufacturing must pay at least the local prefectural minimum, and Japanese labour law requires equal-or-better pay than a Japanese worker doing the same job. Use the table to compare regions: a slightly lower wage in a low-rent prefecture can leave more money at the end of the month than a high wage in central Tokyo. Always confirm the wage, working hours and deductions written in your employment contract (雇用契約書) before you sign.

Sending money home

Many residents who send part of their pay abroad use a low-fee transfer service to avoid the high spread on bank wires. Wise is one widely used option; compare its fee and exchange rate against your bank for your own corridor before deciding.

Where it's heading

The figures above are the 2025 revision, which took effect between October 2025 and March 2026 depending on the prefecture. The government has stated a goal of lifting the national average to ¥1,500/hour by the late 2020s, so expect further annual increases.

Common questions

Q. What is the minimum wage in Japan in 2025?
A. Japan has no single national minimum wage — it is set per prefecture. After the FY2025 revision the national weighted average is ¥1,121 per hour, ranging from ¥1,023 (Kochi, Miyazaki, Okinawa) to ¥1,226 (Tokyo). All figures are hourly, before tax.

Q. Which prefecture has the highest minimum wage?
A. Tokyo has the highest at ¥1,226 per hour, followed by Kanagawa (¥1,225) and Osaka (¥1,177).

Q. Which prefecture has the lowest minimum wage?
A. Kochi, Miyazaki, Okinawa share the lowest at ¥1,023 per hour. As of the 2025 revision, every one of the 47 prefectures is at or above ¥1,000 for the first time.

Q. When did the 2025 minimum wages take effect?
A. Each prefecture sets its own effective date. The 2025 rates took effect between October 2025 and March 2026; all listed figures are in force as of June 2026.

Related

Moving to Japan: the practical timeline → Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) practice test → All 47 prefecture guides →
General information only, compiled from official MHLW data on the date below — not legal or employment advice. Minimum wages are revised every year; confirm the current figure for your prefecture at mhlw.go.jp before relying on it.
Data: MHLW FY2025 revision · page compiled 2026-06-15. MHLW 地域別最低賃金.