Even though full-time, regular work in Japan is getting scarcer, wages have finally risen. Japan?s average wage, excluding bonus and overtime pay, rose by 0.1% in February. Although that increase may seem small, it is the first time that average wages have risen in 22 months. Over the course of the past 15 years wages have dropped by about 15%. The increase is a lagging indicator that Prime Minister Abe?s economic revival plan is beginning to take effect. The next stage of the plan calls for much higher taxes, which presently is infeasible, but may be possible if wages continue to rise.
See "Finally, a (Very, Very Small) Rise in Japanese Wages", Bruce Einhorn, Business Week, March 4, 2014