Kagoshima Labour Bureau raises Kagoshima Prefecture minimum wage to 1,090 yen

The Kagoshima Labour Bureau has decided to revise the Kagoshima Prefecture Minimum Wage and announced it in the Official Gazette dated September 25, 2026. Due to this revision, the hourly minimum wage applicable within the prefecture will be increased from 1,026 yen to 1,090 yen. The announcement was issued as Kagoshima Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 1, under the name of Kazunori Nagano, Director of the Kagoshima Labour Bureau.

Scope of Revision and Post-Increase Amount

This decision partially amends the Kagoshima Prefecture Minimum Wage (Kagoshima Labour Standards Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 3 of 1980), revising the hourly rate stipulated in Public Notice No. 4. The details of the change are as follows:

• Hourly rate before revision: 1,026 yen
• Hourly rate after revision: 1,090 yen
• Increase amount: 64 yen
• Scope: Regional minimum wage applicable within Kagoshima Prefecture
• Public Notice Number: Kagoshima Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 1
• Date of Public Notice: September 25, 2026

Legal Basis and Public Notice Procedures

The decision to revise was made based on the provisions of Article 12 of the Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959). This law stipulates the authority of the Director of the Prefectural Labour Bureau to determine and revise regional minimum wages, and the authority regarding Kagoshima Prefecture is exercised by the Director of the Kagoshima Labour Bureau.

The public notice of the decision is based on the provisions of Article 14, Paragraph 1 of the same Act. This paragraph requires that when a minimum wage is determined or revised, the contents must be publicly announced, and its effectiveness is made clear externally through publication in the Official Gazette. This public notice followed this procedure and was published in the Official Gazette dated September 25, 2026.

Impact on Workers and Employers within the Prefecture

The regional minimum wage is the lower limit of wages applicable to all workers employed at workplaces within Kagoshima Prefecture, and employment at a wage below this limit is not permitted. Due to this revision, employers within the prefecture must ensure that the wages paid are equal to or greater than the new hourly rate, regardless of the employment type, such as regular, fixed-term, or part-time.

• Applicable targets: Workers employed at workplaces within Kagoshima Prefecture
• Eligible employment types: All workers subject to the regional minimum wage, regardless of whether they are regular or non-regular employees
• Employer obligations: Payment of wages not lower than the revised hourly rate
• Determining body: Kagoshima Labour Bureau
• Decision maker: Kazunori Nagano, Director of the Kagoshima Labour Bureau

Positioning in the Regional Economy

The revision of the minimum wage directly affects the income of low-wage workers by raising the overall wage level within the prefecture. At the same time, it impacts the management of companies within the prefecture, including small-scale businesses, through the increase in personnel costs. With the official publication of Kagoshima Prefecture’s regional minimum wage in the Official Gazette, the applicable amount has been publicly finalized for both labor and management within the prefecture.

This public notice pertains to the decision to revise the minimum wage for Kagoshima Prefecture. While the Official Gazette of the same date also contains public notices regarding hearings of opinions on the revision of specified minimum wages for seafarers in other regions, these are separate procedures from the regional minimum wage of Kagoshima Prefecture.

For workers within the prefecture, the most direct implication is that the applicable lower limit for wages has been confirmed to increase to 1,090 yen. For employers, it is required to ensure compliance with the new level through the review of wage ledgers and working conditions.

Source

• Official Gazette dated September 25, 2026, Kagoshima Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 1 (Kazunori Nagano, Director of Kagoshima Labour Bureau)
• Legal Basis: Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959), Article 12 and Article 14, Paragraph 1
• Subject of Revision: Kagoshima Prefecture Minimum Wage (Kagoshima Labour Standards Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 3 of 1980)