Osaka and Hokkaido steel industry rates rise December 1st

The Osaka Labour Bureau and the Hokkaido Labour Bureau announced in the official gazette on the 28th their decision to raise the minimum wages for industries such as the steel industry in Osaka Prefecture and Hokkaido. The new hourly rates will take effect on December 1, 2026, raising the wage floor for workers engaged in the steel and machinery and apparatus manufacturing industries in both regions. These announcements publicize decisions based on Article 15, Paragraph 2 of the Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959), in accordance with the provisions of Article 19, Paragraph 1 of the same Act.

The basis for these changes consists of three notices: Osaka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 4 and No. 5, issued in the name of Koji Makinae, Director of the Osaka Labour Bureau, and Hokkaido Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 5, issued in the name of Tatsuya Muramatsu, Director of the Hokkaido Labour Bureau. All were published in the labor section of the official gazette on the same date. The revisions apply to regional minimum wages set by industry, which is a separate framework from the general minimum wage for each prefecture.

Osaka Prefecture Steel Industry Hourly Rate Increased by 55 Yen to 1,240 Yen

Osaka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 4 partially amends the Osaka Prefecture Steel Industry Minimum Wage (Osaka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 5 of 2008). It explicitly states that “1,185 yen per hour” in Public Notice No. 4 shall be changed to “1,240 yen per hour.”

Hourly rate before revision: 1,185 yen
Hourly rate after revision: 1,240 yen
Increase amount: 55 yen (approx. 4.6% increase)
Effective date: December 1, 2026

Over 60 Yen Increase to 1,258 Yen for Eight Industries Including General-Purpose Machinery

Osaka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 5, dated the same day, amends the minimum wage (Osaka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 5 of 2025) for the following industries in Osaka Prefecture: general-purpose machinery and apparatus manufacturing, production machinery and apparatus manufacturing, business machinery and apparatus manufacturing, heating/cooking equipment, piping accessories, metal wire product manufacturing, shipbuilding and repair, and marine engine manufacturing.

Eight target industries: General-purpose machinery and apparatus manufacturing, production machinery and apparatus manufacturing, business machinery and apparatus manufacturing, heating/cooking equipment, piping accessories, metal wire product manufacturing, shipbuilding and repair, marine engine manufacturing
Hourly rate before revision: 1,197 yen
Hourly rate after revision: 1,258 yen
Increase amount: 61 yen (approx. 5.1% increase)
Effective date: December 1, 2026

Hokkaido Steel Industry Increases by 56 Yen to 1,221 Yen, Effective the Same Day

Hokkaido Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 5 partially amends the Hokkaido Steel Industry Minimum Wage (Hokkaido Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 2 of 2008). The phrase “1,165 yen per hour” in Public Notice No. 4 is amended to “1,221 yen per hour.” “One thousand two hundred twenty-one” is the notation in the original text, and the amount refers to 1,221 yen.

Hourly rate before amendment: 1,165 yen
Hourly rate after amendment: 1,221 yen
Increase amount: 56 yen (approx. 4.8% increase)
Effective date: December 1, 2026

Amendments for Non-Ferrous Metal Manufacturing in Saitama Prefecture were also published in the same Official Gazette

In the labor section of the Official Gazette dated the 28th, Hokkaido Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 6, issued under the name of Koji Tabira, Director of the Saitama Labour Bureau, was also published. This notice amends the Saitama Prefecture Non-Ferrous Metal Manufacturing Minimum Wage (Saitama Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 2 of 2008) from “1,161 yen per hour” to “1,216 yen per hour,” with the effective date also set for December 1, 2026.

These amendments directly affect the lower limit of hourly wages and personnel cost forecasts from December onwards for businesses in Osaka Prefecture and Hokkaido, which house production sites for steel and machinery/instruments. Businesses must review wage settings for workers in the relevant industries and wage provisions in employment regulations to align with the new hourly rates before the application begins on December 1.

Official Sources

Official Gazette, dated October 28, 2026, Labor Section “Public Notice Regarding the Decision to Amend Minimum Wages”
Osaka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 4 (Partial amendment of Osaka Prefecture Steel Industry Minimum Wage, Koji Makinae, Director of Osaka Labour Bureau, October 28, 2026)
Osaka Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 5 (Partial amendment of minimum wages for eight industries including Osaka Prefecture General-Purpose Machinery and Apparatus Manufacturing, Koji Makinae, Director of Osaka Labour Bureau, October 28, 2026)
Hokkaido Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 5 (Partial amendment of Hokkaido Steel Industry Minimum Wage, Tatsuya Muramatsu, Director of Hokkaido Labour Bureau, October 28, 2026)
Saitama Labour Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 6 (Partial amendment of Saitama Prefecture Non-Ferrous Metal Manufacturing Minimum Wage, Koji Tabira, Director of Saitama Labour Bureau, October 28, 2026)
Legal Basis: Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959), Article 15 Paragraph 2 and Article 19 Paragraph 1