Japan's Central Minimum Wage Council (中央最低賃金審議会) has announced that the hourly minimum wage (最低賃金) for 2024 will rise by an average of 5.1% compared with 2023 — the largest increase in Japan's modern history.
The national minimum wage in 2024
Effective 1 October 2024:
- National average: ¥1,054/hour (up ¥51 on 2023)
- Full-time work at 8 hours × 22 days = approximately ¥185,500/month
- Overtime is paid at ×1.25 (weekdays) and ×1.35 (nights and weekends)
The ten prefectures with the highest minimum wage
- 🥇 Tokyo (東京): ¥1,163/hour
- 🥈 Kanagawa (神奈川): ¥1,162/hour
- 🥉 Osaka (大阪): ¥1,114/hour
- Saitama (埼玉): ¥1,078/hour
- Aichi (愛知 — Nagoya): ¥1,077/hour
- Chiba (千葉): ¥1,076/hour
- Kyoto (京都): ¥1,058/hour
- Hyogo (兵庫): ¥1,052/hour
- Shizuoka (静岡): ¥1,034/hour
- Hiroshima (広島): ¥1,020/hour
Which prefecture should Vietnamese workers choose?
Tokyo has the highest minimum wage, but also the highest cost of living. Nexora's research finds that Aichi (Nagoya) and Kanagawa usually offer the best income-to-cost ratio for Vietnamese workers, because:
- Wages are high (top five nationally)
- Rent is around 30% lower than in Tokyo
- There is a large Vietnamese community
- Many factories and large production sites recruit Tokutei Ginou workers
What is the actual take-home pay after tax?
In Aichi, at ¥1,077/hour for 8 hours × 22 days:
- Gross pay: approximately ¥189,600/month
- Income tax (所得税): approximately ¥9,000
- Social insurance (健康保険 + 厚生年金): approximately ¥28,000
- Residence tax (住民税): approximately ¥8,000 (from the second year onwards)
- Actual take-home pay: approximately ¥144,000 – ¥152,000/month
That is equivalent to roughly 24–26 million VND per month (at the October 2024 rate of ¥1 ≈ 170 VND).
With overtime — common in manufacturing plants — monthly income can reach ¥200,000 – ¥250,000, or 34–42 million VND.
Benefits beyond wages
In addition to salary, Tokutei Ginou workers are entitled to:
- National health insurance — you pay only 30% of medical costs
- Pension contributions — refundable on returning home (the lump-sum withdrawal payment)
- Annual leave: at least 10 days in the first year
- A commuting allowance paid by the employer
- Housing support or free dormitory accommodation at some companies