An advisory council of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released a set of guidelines calling for a 18-yen hike in the average national minimum wage to ¥798. If the new wage goes into law, it will be the biggest hike under the current system, clocking in at two yen more than the 16-yen hike carried out in 2002. The plan calls for a 16-yen hike in Kyushu and Okinawa, which would bring wages above the ¥700 an hour range for most prefectures, but minimum wages in Tokyo and Kanagawa would exceed ¥900 an hour. Although the proposal reflects recent improvements in the economy, questions remain about regional disparity. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 7/30
