Japan Tech Pay Insights
Real analysis of what Japan tech salaries and contractor day rates are actually doing, and what it means if you are hiring, job-hunting, or contracting right now.
Featured · Japan
Nenmatsu Chōsei 2026 (年末調整): Why Your Refund Is Bigger This Year
The 2026 tax reform raised the basic deduction, but withholding only changed on 1 December, so the year-end adjustment refunds the difference. Refund calculator and forms.
6 October 2026 · 8 min read
Japan Minimum Wage 2026: ¥1,177 Average, Tokyo ¥1,280 by Prefecture
Japan minimum wage 2026 by prefecture: ¥1,177 average, Tokyo ¥1,280, Osaka ¥1,231, from 1 Oct to 2 Dec. Monthly pay, salary check and the end of the 106万 wall.
Japan Overtime Pay 2026: Rates, Late-Night and Holiday Premiums
Japan overtime pay calculation: +25% beyond 8 hours, +50% over 60 hours a month, +25% late night, +35% on days off. Worked example, fixed overtime and who is exempt.
Japan Social Insurance 2026: Why Your Take-Home Drops in October
Japan social insurance deductions reset every September from your April to June pay, overtime and commuting included. How the grade works and what you can do.
Software Engineer Salary in Japan 2026
Japan's software engineer median is ¥8,970,000, Tokyo ¥9,825,000. A ¥8,675,000 package nets about ¥533,487 a month after tax and resident tax.
Cost to Hire in Japan 2026: Social Insurance and Bonus Costs
A ¥7,000,000 hire costs ¥8,099,000 a year, 15.7% on top. Why that falls to 9.1% at ¥20m once the pension base caps, line by line.
iDeCo Tax Savings Japan 2026: Limits and Take-Home Benefit
iDeCo saves tax at your marginal rate, 30.4% at mid-level. From December 2026 the employee limit jumps from 23,000 to 62,000 yen a month.
AI Engineer Salary in Japan 2026: ¥7M-¥20M+ by Level
AI engineers in Tokyo earn ¥7M-¥10M mid-level and ¥10M-¥15M senior, with foreign-capital firms paying 20-40% more. Full ladder, bonus split and HSP visa points.
Furusato Nozei Deduction Cap 2026: How to Maximise It
Below your Furusato Nozei cap, any donation costs a flat ¥2,000 and you keep a gift worth up to 30%. On ¥7,000,000 the cap is about ¥108,832. How it's set.
How Retirement Payouts Are Taxed in Japan (退職金)
A ¥10M retirement payout after 15 years owes just ¥304,652 in tax, about 3%, vs roughly ¥2.8M as salary. How the deduction and halving rule combine, 5 examples.
How Japan's Resident Tax Works and Why It Lags a Year
Japan's resident tax this year is based on last year's income, so a newcomer on ¥3,000,000 pays almost nothing in year one. A four-year worked example.
UK vs Japan Take-Home Pay 2026: £50K Compared
Closer than Japan's reputation: 6.8 points at 50k, 2.0 at 120k. And resident tax lands a year late, so your second year costs more.
Japan Salary Bonus Structure 2026: What Your Offer Pays
A ¥6M Japan offer paid as 10 base months plus 2 bonus months is ¥428,571 a month, not ¥500,000. Same annual total, very different cash flow. Worked examples.
Cross-market guides
Ireland
United Kingdom
Ireland vs UK Tech Salaries: How Do They Compare?
Dublin vs London tech pay: median salaries, cost-of-living adjustments and net take-home compared, to see where tech workers are actually better off.
Read the full comparisonMore Ireland & UK comparisons