The Tokyo Shoko Research Institute conducted a survey on minimum wage adjustments among companies in the six prefectures of Tohoku, Japan. Regarding the government's goal of raising the national average minimum hourly wage to 1,500 yen by 2029, 56.2% of companies responded that it was impossible for them to achieve this. The percentage of companies that answered "already achieved" or "likely to achieve" the 1,500 yen hourly wage target was 43.8%, an increase of 6.3 percentage points from the previous survey (October 2025). The government effectively postponed the achievement of this goal in July, stating that it would be "achieved as early as possible, no later than the first half of the 2030s." The Tokyo Shoko Research Institute noted, "It is evident that a gap is emerging between companies that can implement measures such as price pass-through and productivity improvements and those facing difficulties." The survey was conducted online from October 1st to 8th, receiving valid responses from 452 companies.
