As inflation continues to soar, Japan’s workers are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. Despite recent minimum wage adjustments, the national weighted average remains at just ¥1,055 per hour—far from enough to support a decent standard of living. Even those working full-time earn only about ¥2 million annually, keeping them in economic insecurity. Raising the minimum wage to ¥1,500 per hour would provide approximately ¥3 million per year, finally giving workers a chance to escape poverty and achieve financial stability.
Japan lags far behind other developed nations in terms of minimum wage policies. G7 countries, as well as the European Union, have taken significant steps to ensure fair wages that keep up with the cost of living. Germany now conducts twice-yearly wage reviews, while France and Canada have implemented automatic cost-of-living adjustments. In contrast, Japan’s wage policies remain stagnant, leaving millions of workers vulnerable. The government must take decisive action by implementing substantial increases and ensuring that all minimum wage discussions are conducted with full public transparency.
Labour organisations across Japan are demanding immediate change. Key reforms include setting a uniform nationwide minimum wage, eliminating regional disparities, and requiring minimum wage reviews at least twice a year to keep pace with inflation. The time for half-measures has passed—Japan must commit to bold economic intervention to protect its workers.
Based on these concerns, we demand:
- An immediate increase of the minimum wage to ¥1,500 per hour, with reviews at least twice yearly
- Elimination of regional disparities through the implementation of a nationally uniform minimum wage system
- Complete transparency in all minimum wage council proceedings
Support this movement by signing the petition today: http://www.generalunion.org/1500-petition
Read the petition in full here
Download the paper petition (Japanese language only)