On 1 September 2026, the Hokkaido Labour Bureau decided to raise Hokkaido's minimum wage by ¥56 to ¥1,131 an hour, and gave public notice of the revision in the Official Gazette (官報). The process began with a request for deliberation on 1 July 2026; the Regional Minimum Wage Council submitted its report on 4 August; the decision and Official Gazette notice followed on 1 September; and the revision takes effect on 1 October. The decision and notice have already been made: this is the sixth consecutive rise from the current ¥1,075, and the first time the hourly rate has exceeded ¥1,100.
- New minimum wage: ¥1,131 an hour (up ¥56 from the current ¥1,075, an increase of roughly 5.2%)
- Public notice of the decision: 「北海道労働局長（村松 達也）は、北海道最低賃金を56円引上げ、時間額1,131円に改正することを決定し、令和８年９月１日、官報公示を行いました。」("The Director of the Hokkaido Labour Bureau, Muramatsu Tatsuya, has decided to raise Hokkaido's minimum wage by ¥56, revising it to ¥1,131 an hour, and gave notice in the Official Gazette on 1 September 2026.")
- Effective date: 「効力発生日は令和８年10月１日です。」("The effective date is 1 October 2026.")
In practice, the reference date for application is easy to misunderstand. As a general principle under the Minimum Wage Act, the revised minimum wage applies to work actually performed on or after the effective date, not according to the date wages are paid. So where a pay period or pay date straddles 1 October, hours worked in September must be calculated at the current rate of ¥1,075, and hours worked from 1 October onward at the new rate of ¥1,131, calculated separately for each. For the steel industry, a separate industry-specific minimum wage revision process is still under way, so the current rate continues to apply for the time being.
The minimum wage applies to every worker working in Hokkaido, regardless of nationality or status of residence. Companies employing foreign talent under Specified Skilled Worker, Employment for Skill Development (育成就労, Ikusei Shuro), or similar schemes must also reflect the new rate in payroll calculations from 1 October onward.
Source: On the Revision of Hokkaido's Minimum Wage (Hokkaido) / Press Release on the Official Gazette Notice of the Revised Hokkaido Minimum Wage (Hokkaido Labour Bureau)