Saga Prefecture's September 2025 Budget Highlights

Saga Prefecture has unveiled its September 2025 supplementary budget, bringing the total fiscal year budget to ¥528 billion—an increase of ¥5.9 billion. Of this, ¥2.4 billion is allocated to non-financial and non-disaster-related initiatives, targeting wage growth, industry support, cultural promotion, and regional development.

Wage Growth Policies — ¥440 Million

Saga has been working to raise wages since 2023, following its 2022 minimum wage of ¥853/hour—the lowest in Japan. Thanks to sustained efforts, the rate has risen to ¥1,030/hour, narrowing the gap with neighboring Fukuoka (from ¥41 to ¥27).

This year's budget continues support for wage and business improvement through:

• Subsidies and application assistance

  
  

• Productivity grants for medium-sized businesses, regardless of employee count

  
  

• Workplace environment improvements to attract diverse talent, including foreign workers

  
  

• Support for welfare offices employing people with disabilities

  
  

• Efficiency-focused subsidies for the distribution sector

  
  

• Gift certificate programs for shopping arcades to stimulate local consumption

Emergency Support for Ceramic Industry — ¥48 Million

Saga's traditional ceramic sector faces rising material costs. To mitigate this, the prefecture will:

• Compensate companies for material price surges

  
  

• Support productivity improvements and cost-passing strategies

Emergency Support for Sake Industry and Rice Farmers— ¥76 Million

Saga's sake industry, with roots in the Edo period and international acclaim (e.g., IWC UK, Kura Master France), is under pressure due to shifting rice economics. Specialized sake rice, once priced above table rice, now faces lower market value, prompting farmers to switch crops.

Saga's response includes:

• Compensation for price gaps between sake rice and table rice

  
  

• Support for sake producers facing cost inflation

  
  

• Research into high-yield, resilient rice varieties

Preparing for Tour de Kyushu 2026— ¥16 Million

The annual Tour de Kyushu cycling race, launched in 2023, drew 100,000 spectators and generated ¥2,700 million in economic impact in 2024. Saga will host the 2026 edition and is preparing a scenic route from Karatsu to Itoshima, featuring pine forests, Karatsu Castle, and historic fishing ports. The goal is to showcase Saga’s tourism assets to athletes and visitors alike.

Promoting Japanese Culture Abroad — ¥42 Million (¥120 Million Total by 2030)

Under Japan's ACE program for cultural outreach, Arita Town in Saga—famed for Arita-yaki porcelain—is the sole Kyushu representative. Saga will launch two projects:

1. A hands-on museum for Arita-yaki creation

   
   

2. Tourism promotion linking Arita to other cities, featuring local cuisine and traditional tea ceremonies

The long-term vision is to establish Arita as a “culture-cultivation city” by 2035.

WWII Remembrance and Peace Ceremony — ¥3 Million

Marking 80 years since the end of WWII, Saga will hold a memorial service on October 8, 2025. Twenty students will study wartime history in Saga and Okinawa, and interview bereaved families to preserve their stories. Originally planned for 2035, the project was expedited due to the aging population of war witnesses and rising global tensions.