The national weighted-average minimum wage is expected to rise by ¥56 under the FY2026 revision, and more than half of restaurants plan to raise hourly wages. Many respondents also said the increase would put pressure on profits, highlighting the difficulty of passing higher costs through to prices.
According to a survey by a company providing support services for restaurant openings and operations, 235 responses were received, and the survey was conducted from 10 to 14 September 2026. The national weighted-average minimum wage was raised by ¥56, and 43.0% of respondents said the increase would be higher than expected.
Before the revision, the largest share, 28.9%, had hourly wages equal to the minimum wage. More than half of the establishments had set wages above the minimum wage, including “¥10 to ¥49 higher” and “¥50 to ¥99 higher.” Regarding planned revisions, the largest share, 47.2%, intended to pass on the full increase, while 35.3% planned to leave wages unchanged.
After the revision, 31.1% planned to set wages at the new minimum wage, followed by 26.0% planning to set them ¥10 to ¥49 higher, indicating a tendency for hourly wages to move closer to the minimum wage. Regarding the impact on management, 52.4% reported an impact, with respondents citing pressure on profits and difficulty passing higher costs through to prices as food and raw material costs rose alongside labor costs.
The most common measure for addressing wage increases was changing product prices, at 84.8%, followed by reviewing staffing structures and work practices and considering knock-on wage increases. Meanwhile, regarding the prospect of a ¥1,500 minimum wage in the first half of the 2030s, approximately 59.2% of respondents expected the target to be reached.