Article by: Yuichi Tokuhara

Japan's 2024 minimum wage to rise sharply to a national average of 1,055 yen.

Minimum wages by prefecture for FY2024 have been announced, with the national average rising 51 yen from the previous year to 1,055 yen. The increase is the largest ever, with 16 prefectures in Japan exceeding 1,000 yen per hour. Tokyo had the highest increase at 1,163 yen and Akita had the lowest at 951 yen, narrowing the gap to 212 yen. Twenty-seven prefectures exceeded the national standard, with Tokushima in particular seeing an unusually large increase of ¥980, an increase of ¥84. The new minimum wage will be applied from October 1.