Minimum Wage Hikes for Tokushima Machinery and Fukuoka Car Retail Industries

The regional labor bureaus of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced revisions to the specified minimum wages for Tokushima and Fukuoka Prefectures in the official gazette dated November 4, 2026. Tokushima Labor Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 2 increases the hourly rate for the general-purpose machinery/equipment, production machinery/equipment, and business machinery/equipment manufacturing industries in Tokushima Prefecture from 1,134 yen to 1,191 yen. Fukuoka Labor Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 3 increases the rate for the automobile (new car) retail industry in Fukuoka Prefecture from 1,131 yen to 1,185 yen. The new hourly rates will take effect on December 24, 2026, and December 10, 2026, respectively.

Both public notices announce 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. These are not regional minimum wages, but specified minimum wages that add a premium to specific industries and regions. The revisions apply to the amounts specified in Item 4 of the existing public notices issued by each labor bureau in 2008 (No. 2 for Tokushima and No. 3 for Fukuoka).

57 Yen Increase for Three Machinery Manufacturing Industries in Tokushima Prefecture

The Tokushima Labor Bureau announced the specified minimum wage applicable to workers engaged in the manufacturing of general-purpose machinery/equipment, production machinery/equipment, and business machinery/equipment. The details of the revision are as follows:

• Target Industries: General-purpose machinery/equipment manufacturing, production machinery/equipment manufacturing, business machinery/equipment manufacturing
• Previous Hourly Rate: 1,134 yen (2008 Tokushima Labor Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 2)
• Revised Hourly Rate: 1,191 yen (Increase of 57 yen)
• Effective Date: December 24, 2026
• Date of Notice/Issuer: November 4, 2026, Takashi Kamei, Director of Tokushima Labor Bureau

54 Yen Increase for New Car Retail Industry in Fukuoka Prefecture

The Fukuoka Labor Bureau’s notice differs in nature, as it targets the sales and service sector of the automobile (new car) retail industry. The details of the bureau’s notice are as follows:

• Target Industry: Automobile (new car) retail industry in Fukuoka Prefecture
• Previous Hourly Rate: 1,131 yen (2008 Fukuoka Labor Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 3)
• Revised Hourly Rate: 1,185 yen (Increase of 54 yen)
• Effective Date: December 10, 2026
• Date of Notice/Issuer: November 4, 2026, Kazumitsu Suzuki, Director of Fukuoka Labor Bureau

Practical Impact on Employers and Workers in December

As there is only a little over one month until the effective dates, employers in the relevant industries must promptly review their work rules, wage ledgers, and the hourly rates on job postings to align them with the new amounts. Because the enforcement dates differ—late December for Tokushima and early December for Fukuoka—companies with bases in both prefectures must be careful with unit price management across the month.

Since specific minimum wages are set by industry provided they do not fall below the regional minimum wage, this increase will not apply to industries outside the scope, even within the same prefecture. All public notices were issued in the name of the Director of the Regional Labor Bureau and are formatted such that the requirement for taking effect is met upon publication in the Official Gazette.

These two cases indicate a series of increases in specific minimum wages during the autumn revision round of 2026, and are characterized by the fact that new rates were presented simultaneously for two different industries: manufacturing and automobile sales. For the relevant business establishments and workers, this revision will directly impact December payroll calculations and labor cost planning for the fiscal year.

Official Sources:

• Official Gazette, Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Labor Section “Public Notice Regarding the Decision to Revise Minimum Wages”
• Tokushima Labor Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 2 (November 4, 2026, Takashi Kamei, Director of Tokushima Labor Bureau)
• Fukuoka Labor Bureau Minimum Wage Public Notice No. 3 (November 4, 2026, Kazumitsu Suzuki, Director of Fukuoka Labor Bureau)
• Legal Basis: Minimum Wage Act (Act No. 137 of 1959), Article 15, Paragraph 2; Article 19, Paragraph 1