Government employees in Japan to see higher bonus pay on top of salary raise
The agency also plans to propose that government employees' monthly salaries be hiked by an average of about 3%, the largest increase since 1991, when the average gain was 3.71%.
This will mark the fourth straight year of increase in both salaries and bonuses for government employees amid rising salaries in the private sector.
The agency plans to submit the proposal to parliament and the Cabinet on Aug. 7.
The agency annually surveys private-sector salary levels and compares them with those of government employees. It recommends salary revisions for government employees to eliminate disparities between the public and private sectors.
In 2024, the agency sought to increase the monthly salary by 2.76%, on average — or ¥11,183 — and bonuses by 0.10 month to 4.60 months.
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It's almost impossible to walk into any top bar in London, Singapore and Hong Kong today and not spot the bottle, with its white label and eponymous kanji character for 'six,' sitting behind the counter. Since its launch in 2017, Roku gin has become a popular spirit in many of the world's top bars. | SUNTORY 'In the six years since it was launched, Roku has become the second most popular premium gin in the world, hitting sales of nearly 400,000 cases,' says Tetsuji Yano, senior general manager of Suntory Osaka Plant. 'In the long term, we aim for (Roku) to become the number one premium gin in the world.' The Osaka Spirits & Liqueurs Craft Distillery will focus largely on gin — and for good reason: According to a press statement from Suntory, Japan's gin market was estimated to be worth ¥25 billion as of 2024. The new distillery is part of Suntory's aim to capture the growing demand for gin, develop its Roku range and help drive Japan's total gin market to ¥45 billion by 2030. 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Beyond sniffing games and the obligatory video presentation and guided tasting session, Suntory can afford to add a little more interactiveness and personalization to the visitor experience. The good news is Suntory still has till next spring to explore new ideas. Perhaps it can take a leaf out of some creative visitor programs in London's gin distilleries, such as Portobello Road Distillery, where, under guidance from an instructor, you get to create your own blend of gin and have it bottled and labeled right there and then as a souvenir. Throwing in a food and gin pairing session wouldn't hurt, too.
