Kanagawa and Tokyo minimum wage from October 2026: 1,279 yen and 1,280 yen
Every October, Japan's minimum wages change. The regional minimum wages for fiscal 2026 have now been revised in every prefecture. Kanagawa is 1,279 yen an hour and Tokyo is 1,280 yen, and both took effect on October 1, 2026. Here are the numbers from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the labor bureaus, and what they mean for hourly and dispatched workers.
The new amounts and last year's
The MHLW's national list of regional minimum wages for fiscal 2026 (in Japanese) gives these figures for the Tokyo area.
| Prefecture | New hourly rate | Previous | Increase | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 1,280 yen | 1,226 yen | 54 yen (4.4%) | October 1, 2026 |
| Kanagawa | 1,279 yen | 1,225 yen | 54 yen (4.4%) | October 1, 2026 |
| Saitama | 1,196 yen | 1,141 yen | 55 yen (4.8%) | October 1, 2026 |
| Chiba | 1,195 yen | 1,140 yen | 55 yen (4.8%) | October 1, 2026 |
| National weighted average | 1,177 yen | 1,121 yen | 56 yen (5.0%) |
Across the country the increases range from 54 yen to 65 yen, with Saga at the top. The effective date differs by prefecture: many start on October 1, but Iwate and Kumamoto, for example, start on December 1. Kanagawa and Tokyo both start on October 1.
The Kanagawa Labor Bureau announced on August 27, 2026 (in Japanese) that it had decided the revision to 1,279 yen, up 54 yen or 4.40%, with publication in the official gazette on August 31. The Tokyo Labor Bureau's notice (in Japanese) confirms 1,280 yen from October 1.
Who it applies to
The regional minimum wage applies to every worker and employer at workplaces in the prefecture. As Kanagawa Prefecture's notice (in Japanese) puts it, the type of employment or job title does not matter. Full time, part time, arubaito, foreign or Japanese: the same floor applies. Under Article 4 of the Minimum Wage Act (in Japanese), employers must pay at least the minimum wage, and paying below the regional minimum wage carries a fine of up to 500,000 yen (Article 40).
There is a special rule for dispatched workers. Article 13 of the Act says that a worker on dispatch is covered by the minimum wage of the area where the client workplace is, not where the dispatch agency is. If you are registered with an agency in Tokyo and work at a factory in Kawasaki, the Kanagawa rate of 1,279 yen applies. If a Kanagawa agency sends you to a workplace in Tokyo, the Tokyo rate of 1,280 yen applies.
How to check your own pay
Not every allowance counts when comparing your pay with the minimum wage. According to the Kanagawa notice, these are left out:
- Attendance, commuting and family allowances
- One off payments such as a marriage allowance
- Payments made for periods longer than a month, such as bonuses
- Premium pay for overtime, holiday work and late night work
So if your base hourly rate is below 1,279 yen, you are below the minimum wage even if adding the commuting allowance would take you above it. Minimum wages are set as hourly amounts, so monthly salaries are converted to an hourly figure for the comparison.
What to check now
- On your pay slip for work from October 1 onward, the base hourly rate is at least 1,279 yen (1,280 yen if your workplace is in Tokyo)
- If you are a dispatched worker, use the rate of the prefecture where you actually work
- Employers: for a pay period that straddles October 1, hours worked from that date are paid at the new rate, and contracts and job postings show the new figure
If you think you are being paid below the minimum wage, ask your employer first; if that does not resolve it, you can consult the Labor Standards Inspection Office. For questions about pay, working conditions and daily life in Japan, Sincero Global answers in several languages. You can reach us by phone at +81 90 7841 8887, by email at info@sinceroglobal.jp, or on LINE.
