Fukuoka Transport Machinery Minimum Wage Rises to 1,205 Yen…

The Fukuoka Labour Bureau has decided to raise the specified minimum wage applicable to the transport machinery and equipment manufacturing industry in Fukuoka Prefecture from 1,147 yen to 1,205 yen per hour, as announced in the Official Gazette on November 9. The new wage amount will take effect on December 10, 2026, and will apply directly to businesses manufacturing transport machinery and equipment within the prefecture and the workers employed there.

Framework for Decision and Public Notice Based on the Minimum Wage Act

The notice was published in the labor section of the government reports as Fukuoka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 4. This decision is based on the provisions of Article 15, Paragraph 2 of the Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959), and is publicized in accordance with the provisions of Article 19, Paragraph 1 of the same Act.

The subject of the revision is Fukuoka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 4 of 2008 (Minimum Wage for Transport Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing Industry in Fukuoka Prefecture), taking the form of amending the amount specified in No. 4 of said notice. The specified minimum wage is a statutory minimum wage applied to specific industries and is applied in conjunction with the regional minimum wage set at the prefectural level.

Increase of 58 Yen, Effective December 10

The decided details are as follows:

Amount before revision: 1,147 yen per hour
Amount after revision: 1,205 yen per hour
Increase amount: 58 yen (approximately 5.1%)
Effective date: December 10, 2026 (stipulated in the supplementary provisions)
Date of decision/notice: November 9, 2026

There is approximately one month between the public notice and the effective date, during which businesses will be required to review internal wage ledgers, work rules, and unit prices in subcontracting agreements.

Issuing Authority and Reference Information

This notice was issued by Kazumitsu Suzuki, Director of the Fukuoka Labour Bureau. In the Official Gazette, it was published alongside other government reports promulgated on the same date (such as the public notice regarding the return of structures based on the River Act by the Kanto Regional Development Bureau).

Issuing Authority: Fukuoka Labour Bureau
Document Type: Government Report (Labor) / Public Notice regarding the decision to revise the minimum wage
Official Number: Fukuoka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 4
Publication: Official Gazette, November 9, 2026 (Monday) issue
Legal Basis: Minimum Wage Act Article 15, Paragraph 2 (Decision), Article 19, Paragraph 1 (Public Notice)

Ripple Effect on Automotive Subcontractors

Fukuoka Prefecture hosts production bases for finished vehicles and automotive parts, and the specified minimum wage for the transport machinery and equipment manufacturing industry has functioned as an indicator for measuring wage levels in the prefecture’s manufacturing sector. This increase will ripple out not only to the businesses directly affected but also to small and medium-sized processing and assembly subcontractors through the recalculation of labor cost unit prices and negotiations over transaction prices.

An hourly rate of 1,205 yen corresponds to a monthly amount of approximately 192,800 yen, based on a simple calculation for full-time work (8 hours per day, 20 days per month).

Focus on Practical Response Until the Enforcement Date

In labor management practice, the new amount must be applied to wages paid from December 10 onwards, requiring the handling of wage calculation periods that include this date to be determined in advance. Whether dispatched workers or workers employed under contracts for work are subject to these changes also tends to be a point of contention in practical operations.

For companies, challenges remain in updating wage ledgers and proceeding with negotiations for price pass-throughs in subcontracting transactions by December 10. For workers, as long as they work in the same industry within the prefecture, this industry-specific amount will serve as the wage floor, separate from the regional minimum wage.

Official Source

Official Gazette, November 9, Reiwa 8 (Monday) issue, Government Reports (Labor)
Fukuoka Labor Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 4 (Public Notice Regarding the Decision to Revise the Minimum Wage)
Issuer: Kazumitsu Suzuki, Director of the Fukuoka Labor Bureau
Legal Basis: Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959), Article 15, Paragraph 2; Article 19, Paragraph 1
Subject of Revision: Fukuoka Labor Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 4 of 2008 (Minimum Wage for Transport Equipment Manufacturing Industry in Fukuoka Prefecture)
Effective Date: December 10, Reiwa 8