On 1 October 2026, the Hokkaido Labour Bureau announced that the Hokkaido Regional Minimum Wages Council (headed by the council chair) had, by 29 September, submitted its recommendations to the Director of the Hokkaido Labour Bureau on the Hokkaido industry-specific minimum wages for four industries, including "manufacture of processed milk and milk drinks, dairy products, and sugar and starch sugars". This is a recommendation, not a decision. The Bureau states 「今後は、この答申の内容についての異議申出に関する諸手続を経て、北海道特定最低賃金額が決定されることになります」("Going forward, the Hokkaido industry-specific minimum wage amounts will be decided after the procedures concerning objections to the content of this recommendation").
| Industry | Date of recommendation | Recommended amount (hourly) | Current | Increase (rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacture of processed milk and milk drinks, dairy products, and sugar and starch sugars | 28 September | ¥1,160 | ¥1,113 | ¥47 (4.2%) |
| Iron and steel | 29 September | ¥1,221 | ¥1,165 | ¥56 (4.8%) |
| Manufacture of electronic parts, devices and electronic circuits, electrical machinery and apparatus, and information and communication equipment | 16 September | ¥1,174 | ¥1,116 | ¥58 (5.2%) |
| Shipbuilding and repair, and manufacture of hull blocks | 25 September | ¥1,162 | ¥1,105 | ¥57 (5.2%) |
- Planned effective date is 1 December: The planned effective date for all four industries is 1 December. However, 「本答申に対する異議申出があった場合には、発効が遅くなることがあります」("If an objection is lodged against this recommendation, the effective date may be delayed," the Bureau states).
- Relationship to the regional minimum wage: 「北海道最低賃金（地域別最低賃金）は、令和８年10月１日から時間額1,131円となっています」("The Hokkaido minimum wage (regional minimum wage) has been ¥1,131 per hour since 1 October 2026 (Reiwa 8)," the Bureau states). The regional minimum wage applies to all workers at workplaces in Hokkaido, and 「二つ以上の最低賃金の適用を受ける場合には、高い額の最低賃金が適用されます」("where two or more minimum wages apply, the higher one applies," the Bureau states). All of the recommended amounts exceed ¥1,131. Note that, of the "Current" amounts in the table, those for the three industries other than iron and steel are below ¥1,131, and since 1 October the higher regional minimum of ¥1,131 has applied to them. As reported in our earlier article, a separate revision procedure for iron and steel was already under way.
- Exclusions: Some workers are not covered by the industry-specific minimum wage. Three exclusions are common to all four industries: persons under 18 or aged 65 or over (「18歳未満又は65歳以上の者」); persons who are still learning skills within a set period after being hired (three months for dairy products and similar, six months for the others); and persons mainly engaged in cleaning, tidying, sorting, odd jobs or cooking. In addition, workers in certain duties are excluded in each industry, and some sub-sectors are outside the scope altogether, such as 「鉄素形材製造業」("manufacture of iron and steel castings and forgings") and 「その他の鉄鋼業」("other iron and steel industries") within iron and steel.
- Pay that does not count towards the minimum: 「精皆勤手当、通勤手当、家族手当、臨時に支払われる賃金、１か月を超える期間ごとに支払われる賃金、時間外等割増賃金は算入されません」("Attendance allowances (for perfect or regular attendance), commuting allowances, family allowances, wages paid on an irregular basis, wages paid at intervals of more than one month, and overtime and other premium wages are not counted," the Bureau states). For agency (dispatched) workers, 「派遣先の地域（産業）に適用される最低賃金が適用されます」("the minimum wage for the region (industry) of the client company where they are placed applies").
1 December is only the planned effective date; the final amounts and effective date will be settled after the objection procedure. Employers of workers in the industries concerned should confirm the decision in the Hokkaido Labour Bureau's announcements.
Source: Hokkaido Labour Bureau, "Press Release on the Recommendation Concerning Revision of the Hokkaido Industry-Specific Minimum Wages" / Same press release (PDF), "Recommendation to Raise the Hokkaido Industry-Specific Minimum Wages Has Been Reached"