Earn - lazy-lazy｜にほん暮らしの学校

Japan Minimum Wage 2026: All 47 Prefectures and Start Dates

Japan's regional minimum wages for fiscal 2026 were answered by all 47 prefectural councils on 3 September: national weighted average 1,177 yen an hour, up 56 yen. Tokyo 1,280, Kanagawa 1,279, Osaka 1,231; the lowest is Miyazaki at 1,085. Planned start dates run from 1 October to 2 December by prefecture, with Tokyo, Osaka and Aichi on 1 October, Kyoto 16 November and Okinawa 2 December; until the start date the current amount applies. The Minimum Wage Act has no nationality limit, so student part-timers, technical interns and Specified Skilled Workers get the same amount. Monthly-paid workers strip out commuting allowance and bonuses and divide by scheduled hours to compare. A contract below the minimum is void for that part and you can claim the difference; the employer faces a fine of up to 500,000 yen. Full table of all 47 prefectures included.

2026.09.16

EarnEnglish

Rirekisho: The Japanese Resume Template Is Free From the Ministry

The rirekisho template is free. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare publishes it as Excel and PDF, with no sign-up and no payment. There is no official standard form any more: the JIS form was withdrawn in July 2020. On the ministry's form the gender field is optional and may be left blank, and the spouse, dependants, duty-to-support and commuting-time fields were deleted. No photo size is specified. Being asked for your residence card is not discrimination, because the employer must check your status of residence and report the hire or face a fine of up to 300,000 yen. But your registered domicile, birthplace and family must not be asked in selection.

2026.09.10

EarnEnglish

Hello Work for Foreigners: The Four Free Centres With Interpreters

An Employment Service Center for Foreigners is a Hello Work office built for foreign job seekers, with interpreters on site. There are only four in Japan: Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka. Counselling, job introductions and interpreting are all free. The languages differ by centre: Nagoya lists 10 including Nepali and Burmese, Osaka lists 6 on fixed days, and Tokyo and Fukuoka publish no list. The Tokyo centre's own English page says it serves students seeking full-time employment, not part-time work. Bring your residence card and Hello Work registration slip, plus your passport if your status is Designated Activities. If none of the four is near you, ordinary Hello Work offices with interpreters exist across Japan.

2026.09.10

EarnEnglish

Specified Skilled Worker Japan: How to Change Jobs Safely

You can change jobs on a Specified Skilled Worker visa, within the same job category or between categories whose skills are recognised as shared. If the company changes you must apply for a change of status of residence, which takes one to two months, and you cannot work for the new company until it is granted. The end of a contract and the signing of a new one are each notified to Immigration within 14 days. Losing your job does not mean leaving Japan: if you are job-hunting you may stay within your period of stay and unemployment insurance applies. But three months or more without SSW work and without good reason makes the status revocable. If the termination was not your fault the employer must support your job change, and Designated Activities for continued employment support is a fallback.

2026.09.07

EarnEnglish