Average pay, the job-to-applicant ratio, the minimum wage and population change for each of Japan's 47 prefectures. Tokyo pays most (¥6.78m a year on average); hiring is tightest in Fukui (a ratio of 1.74 in September 2026). Choose a prefecture for its full profile.
| Prefecture | Average pay | Job ratio (September 2026) | Minimum wage (FY2026) | Population 2020–25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido and Tohoku | ||||
| Hokkaido | ¥4.67m | 0.98 | ¥1,131 | −4.7% |
| Aomori | ¥4.01m | 1.22 | ¥1,090 | −8.0% |
| Iwate | ¥4.26m | 1.31 | ¥1,090 | −7.1% |
| Miyagi | ¥4.99m | 1.17 | ¥1,098 | −3.3% |
| Akita | ¥4.26m | 1.30 | ¥1,090 | −8.1% |
| Yamagata | ¥4.24m | 1.53 | ¥1,092 | −7.1% |
| Fukushima | ¥4.55m | 1.40 | ¥1,094 | −6.7% |
| Kanto | ||||
| Ibaraki | ¥5.33m | 1.36 | ¥1,136 | −2.7% |
| Tochigi | ¥5.17m | 1.21 | ¥1,125 | −3.6% |
| Gunma | ¥4.95m | 1.47 | ¥1,120 | −3.8% |
| Saitama | ¥5.14m | 1.14 | ¥1,196 | −0.8% |
| Chiba | ¥5.35m | 1.29 | ¥1,195 | −0.4% |
| Tokyo | ¥6.78m | 1.08 | ¥1,280 | +1.3% |
| Kanagawa | ¥5.92m | 1.02 | ¥1,279 | −0.5% |
| Chubu | ||||
| Niigata | ¥4.63m | 1.43 | ¥1,108 | −6.1% |
| Toyama | ¥4.83m | 1.69 | ¥1,119 | −5.1% |
| Ishikawa | ¥4.86m | 1.46 | ¥1,113 | −4.1% |
| Fukui | ¥4.81m | 1.74 | ¥1,112 | −5.0% |
| Yamanashi | ¥5.10m | 1.74 | ¥1,113 | −3.8% |
| Nagano | ¥4.92m | 1.43 | ¥1,117 | −4.6% |
| Gifu | ¥4.96m | 1.51 | ¥1,121 | −4.5% |
| Shizuoka | ¥5.06m | 1.24 | ¥1,154 | −4.6% |
| Aichi | ¥5.70m | 1.21 | ¥1,195 | −1.3% |
| Kansai | ||||
| Mie | ¥5.17m | 1.44 | ¥1,143 | −4.4% |
| Shiga | ¥5.34m | 1.37 | ¥1,136 | −1.5% |
| Kyoto | ¥5.34m | 1.20 | ¥1,180 | −3.0% |
| Osaka | ¥5.50m | 0.96 | ¥1,231 | −0.9% |
| Hyogo | ¥5.46m | 1.06 | ¥1,172 | −2.7% |
| Nara | ¥5.01m | 1.22 | ¥1,107 | −4.3% |
| Wakayama | ¥4.77m | 1.07 | ¥1,101 | −6.4% |
| Chugoku | ||||
| Tottori | ¥4.30m | 1.40 | ¥1,090 | −5.5% |
| Shimane | ¥4.47m | 1.63 | ¥1,092 | −6.3% |
| Okayama | ¥4.84m | 1.33 | ¥1,104 | −4.3% |
| Hiroshima | ¥5.13m | 1.29 | ¥1,141 | −4.2% |
| Yamaguchi | ¥4.98m | 1.40 | ¥1,101 | −5.9% |
| Shikoku | ||||
| Tokushima | ¥4.71m | 1.31 | ¥1,103 | −6.2% |
| Kagawa | ¥4.98m | 1.58 | ¥1,092 | −4.6% |
| Ehime | ¥4.61m | 1.45 | ¥1,093 | −5.6% |
| Kochi | ¥4.31m | 1.19 | ¥1,086 | −7.0% |
| Kyushu and Okinawa | ||||
| Fukuoka | ¥5.00m | 1.00 | ¥1,114 | −1.1% |
| Saga | ¥4.46m | 1.34 | ¥1,095 | −3.8% |
| Nagasaki | ¥4.47m | 1.16 | ¥1,087 | −6.1% |
| Kumamoto | ¥4.61m | 1.33 | ¥1,092 | −3.5% |
| Oita | ¥4.57m | 1.29 | ¥1,096 | −4.2% |
| Miyazaki | ¥4.12m | 1.22 | ¥1,085 | −4.9% |
| Kagoshima | ¥4.53m | 1.09 | ¥1,090 | −4.8% |
| Okinawa | ¥4.11m | 1.06 | ¥1,086 | −0.1% |
Sources: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025); MHLW Employment Referrals for General Workers (September 2026, seasonally adjusted, by workplace); MHLW regional minimum wages (fiscal 2026); MHLW report on the employment of foreign workers (as of 31 October 2025); Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2025 Population Census; MHLW women's advancement database. Compiled by The Hardest Market. Annual pay is monthly contractual pay × 12 plus annual bonuses, for full-time general workers.