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July 24, 2026
 

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WAGES

After the suprapartisan National Conference on Social Security working-level meeting, Itsunori Onodera (left), chairperson of the LDP¡¯s Research Commission on the Tax System, speaks to reporters at the Diet building on Monday.
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2026
Japan National Council chief modifies draft of new benefit program
The revision proposes concrete support measures, including benefit payments to low-income earners and people who cannot work due to diseases or disabilities, in fiscal 2029.
A customer checks eyeglasses in a section featuring limited-edition eyeglasses available only at the Jins Shinjuku store in April.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 9, 2026
Shoppers splurge on specs in Japan as deflation-era mindset fades away
As inflation reshapes behavior, Japanese eyeglass company Jins is working to prove higher prices are justified by delivering better materials, sharper designs and improved quality.
Japan's nominal wages rose 3.2% in May from a year earlier, marking a fourth straight month of wage growth of at least 3%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 7, 2026
Japan¡¯s nominal wage rises top 3% again in longest streak since 1992
Employers are showing they are committed to raising pay despite difficulties related to the Middle East conflict that have disrupted supply chains and boosted inflation.
Workers at 5,368 companies affiliated with Rengo have secured an average wage increase of 5.01%, according to the group¡¯s final tally released Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 3, 2026
Japan¡¯s 2026 wage talks result in third year of gains above 5%
Workers at 5,368 companies affiliated with Rengo, the country¡¯s largest labor union group, have secured an average wage increase of 5.01%.
The weighted average amount of summer bonuses rose 1.88% from a year before to ?1,008,706, thanks to robust corporate earnings and base salary hikes.
BUSINESS
Jul 2, 2026
Summer bonuses at major Japan firms top ?1 million for first time
The weighted average amount of summer bonuses rose 1.88% from a year before to ?1,008,706, thanks to robust corporate earnings and base salary hikes.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi might take a more pragmatic approach in pushing up the lowest wages in Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 2, 2026
Government signals flexibility on ?1,500 minimum wage target
Its annual policy guidelines indicate the much-discussed goal could be reached early next decade rather than by the end of this decade.
The government is considering delaying its goal of raising Japan's average minimum hourly wage to ?1,500 until the first half of the 2030s.
BUSINESS
Jun 26, 2026
Japan mulls delaying minimum wage hike
Japan¡¯s average minimum hourly wages in fiscal 2025, which ended in March, stood at ?1,121, up 6.3%?from the preceding year.
Nomura Holdings CEO Kentaro Okuda¡¯s compensation rose to ?1.6 billion ($10 million) in the year that ended on March 31.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 22, 2026
Nomura raises CEO pay to $10 million after profit hits a record
Under Kentaro Okuda¡¯s leadership, Japan¡¯s biggest brokerage generated a second straight year of record net income.
The pharmaceutical industry is among the most strained sectors, with profits squeezed by drug price cuts and rising costs amid Middle East tensions, according to Shunji Horitani, president of the Japanese Federation of Energy and Chemistry Workers¡¯ Unions.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 10, 2026
Wage gains at Japan¡¯s smaller firms at risk as 51³Ô¹ÏÍø drags on
Many of such companies lack the pricing power to fully pass rising costs on to customers because of intense competition and entrenched business practices.
More than 70% of small and midsize companies said they have raised or plan to raise wages in fiscal 2026.
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2026
Smaller firms in Japan raise pay by 4.29% in fiscal 2026
Wage growth expanded from 4.03% a year before, reflecting employers¡¯ continued efforts to secure human resources amid rising inflation.
South Korea's labor minister said companies like Samsung that outperform profit targets should consider sharing excess gains with suppliers, subcontractors and their workers.
BUSINESS
Jun 5, 2026
South Korea minister calls on tech firms to share excess AI profits with suppliers and staff
The government, businesses and unions should discuss how to share ¡°excess profits¡± and narrow the gap between conglomerates and smaller suppliers, Kim Young-hoon said.
Samsung Electronics workers chant slogans during a rally ahead of a planned strike outside the company's semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 23.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 5, 2026
Do Japan¡¯s chip workers need a Samsung-style strike?
Even as Tokyo firms prepare to award customary summer bonuses, there will be nothing on the scale that South Korean companies are offering.
Japan¡¯s real wages have risen 1.9% from a year earlier, extending gains to a fourth month and reinforcing expectations for another Bank of Japan rate hike.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 5, 2026
Japan¡¯s real wages rise for fourth month, backing BOJ hike
Inflation-adjusted wages rose 1.9% from a year earlier, accelerating from a revised 1.4% gain in the previous month, the labor ministry reported Friday.
Inflation-adjusted wages increased 1% in March from a year earlier, slowing from a revised 2% gain in February, according to the labor ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2026
Japan¡¯s real wages rise for third month to keep BOJ on hike path
It remains unclear whether higher wages will lift consumption.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a May Day event in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2026
Takaichi vows support for wage hikes at May Day event
The prime minister also called for cooperation to achieve ¡°sustained wage hikes that outpace inflation.¡±
Members of the Samsung Electronics labor union hold signs reading "Change it to be transparent!" as they stage a mass rally demanding the removal of a cap on performance bonuses, outside the company's foundry and semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 23, 2026
Samsung workers protest over huge pay gap with SK Hynix amid AI chip boom
Protesters, which union organizers put at 40,000, plan to strike for 18 days from May 21 if their demands are not met.
Rengo's tally showed that the average wage gain secured by labor unions stayed above the group's 5% target for a third straight year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 17, 2026
Japan¡¯s wage growth holds momentum after small firms reach deals
The development comes even after results from smaller firms were factored into the tally, an outcome that will keep the Bank of Japan on track for a near-term interest rate hike.
Japanese workers' base pay increased 3.3% in February, the largest gain in nearly 34 years.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2026
Japan¡¯s real wages rise most since 2021 to keep BOJ on hike path
The increase was 1.9% from a year earlier in February, marking a second straight monthly gain, the labor ministry reported Wednesday.
Japan¡¯s household spending fell for a third consecutive month in February, dropping 1.8% year-on-year despite real wages turning positive, highlighting weak domestic demand.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2026
Japan¡¯s households cut spending even after real wages advance
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation fell 1.8% in February from a year earlier, a faster decline compared with January¡¯s 1% retreat.
New NEC employees attending a welcome ceremony stand in front of a large display panel equipped with the firm's facial recognition technology in Kawasaki on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2026
Japanese companies welcome new employees as fiscal year starts
The ceremonies were held against a backdrop of global turmoil stemming from the Middle East conflict and economic uncertainty at home.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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