(Update) Japan Govt Asks Fukuoka Pref. for Support to Raise Minimum Wages

Fukuoka, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)--Japanese economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa called for support from the governor of Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Thursday to raise minimum wages in the country.
On Aug. 4, the Central Minimum Wages Council, which advises the labor minister, recommended that minimum hourly wages be raised by a record 63 yen, or 6 pct, on national average in fiscal 2025, which began last April. Based on the recommendation, prefectural councils determine their own minimum wages.
The Japanese government has a target of raising minimum wages to 1,500 yen on average during the 2020s. This means that an increase of at least 7.3 pct is necessary every year.
Akazawa told Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori in their meeting at the prefectural office on Thursday that he wants to see a wage hike above the recommended level achieved in the prefecture.
The minister told reporters after the meeting that he has called five or six other prefectural governors to ask for their cooperation.
(2025/08/14-19:52)