Minimum Wage Increases for Okayama and Nagano Prefectures Announced in Official Gazette

The Okayama Labour Bureau and the Nagano Labour Bureau announced revisions to increase the minimum wages of both prefectures in the Official Gazette dated September 2, 2026. The minimum wage for Okayama Prefecture has been revised from 1,047 yen to 1,104 yen per hour, and the minimum wage for Nagano Prefecture from 1,061 yen to 1,117 yen per hour, directly affecting the wage and labor management of all workers and employers in both prefectures.

The revisions were made based on the provisions of Article 12 of the Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959) and were publicized in accordance with the provisions of Article 14, Paragraph 1 of the same Act. The notices were issued on September 2, 2026, as Okayama Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 2 and Nagano Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 1, respectively, under the names of Kumiko Morimi, Director of the Okayama Labour Bureau, and Satoshi Kimura, Director of the Nagano Labour Bureau.

Details and Amounts of the Revision

Both notices are established in a format that amends the hourly rate within “Item 4” of the existing minimum wage public notices.

• Okayama Prefecture: 1,047 yen per hour → 1,104 yen (57 yen increase)
• Nagano Prefecture: 1,061 yen per hour → 1,117 yen (56 yen increase)

The revision for Okayama Prefecture is positioned as a partial amendment to the 1980 Okayama Labour Standards Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 2, and the revision for Nagano Prefecture as a partial amendment to the 1980 Nagano Labour Standards Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 5.

Legal Basis and Procedures

Minimum wages are determined as regional minimum wages for each prefecture based on the Minimum Wage Act and are publicized by the Director of the Labour Bureau. This revision is a decision based on the provisions of Article 12 of the said Act and was publicized according to the provisions of Article 14, Paragraph 1.

• Governing Law: Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959)
• Basis for Decision: Article 12 of the same Act
• Basis for Public Notice: Article 14, Paragraph 1 of the same Act
• Date of Issue: September 2, 2026

Scope and Impact

The revised minimum wage applies as the lower limit of wages to be paid to employees for all employers operating businesses within both prefectures. Any labor contract that sets a wage lower than the hourly rate shall be void, and the employer shall be obligated to pay an amount equal to the revised minimum wage.

• Target: All workers and all employers within both prefectures
• Applicable Wages: All wage formats, including hourly, daily, and monthly wages
• Impact: Wage revisions, labor management, and updates to payroll calculation systems are required

Employers in both prefectures are required to review their salary structures and ensure awareness to avoid paying wages below the revised minimum wage. This public notice was published in the Official Gazette dated September 2, 2026, signifying an increase in wage levels for workers and businesses in both prefectures.

Source: Okayama Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 2 (Director of Okayama Labour Bureau, Kumiko Morimi) and Nagano Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 1 (Director of Nagano Labour Bureau, Satoshi Kimura), published in the Official Gazette (Extra Edition) dated September 2, 2026. The governing law is the Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959).