Starting from October 2023, all 47 prefectures in Japan have increased their minimum wage standards, raising the minimum hourly wage from 39 yen to 47 yen. The national average hourly wage is 1,004 yen, an increase of 43 yen compared to 2022, breaking the 1,000 yen mark for the first time.
This 43 yen increase is the largest since the system was initiated in 1978. All municipalities have complied with the national requirements, with 24 municipalities exceeding their targets. The two prefectures with the highest increase are Shimane and Saga, which have increased by 47 yen, followed by Yamagata and Tottori, which have increased by 46 yen.
Additionally, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his hope at an economic conference to raise the national average minimum wage to 1,500 yen per hour by the mid-2030s.
Following last year's trend, the Tokyo metropolitan area often leads the rankings, while the Tohoku, San'in, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions are at the bottom. Here is the ranking of Japan's prefectures' minimum wages for 2023:
