Japan Minimum Wage by Prefecture (2026–27)

Japan sets its minimum wage by prefecture, not nationally. Here are the FY2026 figures for all 47 — ranked from highest to lowest, with the raise and the date each one takes effect. The new rates phase in between Oct 1, 2026 and Dec 2, 2026, so check your prefecture's date before quoting the number.

At a glance

All 47 prefectures, ranked

Ranked by hourly rate, highest first. Effective = the date the new rate starts in that prefecture. Tap a prefecture for its living-and-travel guide.

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), ¥1,280 works out to about ¥222,000 a month before deductions, and ¥1,085 to about ¥188,000. 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 — and if your contract was signed on the FY2025 rate, the new prefectural minimum applies automatically from the effective date.

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 FY2026 revision adds ¥56 to the national weighted average (¥1,121 → ¥1,177, +5.0%) — the second-largest rise since the guideline system began in 1978, after the ¥66 of FY2025. 33 prefectures went above the central council's guideline (¥54–56), which is why the increases range from ¥54 to ¥65: Saga (+¥65), Kagoshima (+¥64), Kochi (+¥63), Okinawa (+¥63) led. The gap between the lowest and highest rate narrowed for a 12th consecutive year, to 84.8%. The government's stated goal is a national average of ¥1,500/hour by the late 2020s; at ¥56 a year that would not arrive until around 2032, so the size of each summer's guideline is the thing to watch.

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