Japanese business journal Nikkei Business reported on April 9 that Sony and Bandai Namco have abolished winter bonuses for some of their employees in recent years.
In comparison to western companies, the concept of “bonuses” is slightly different in Japan, as they’re paid to all workers usually twice a year – once in the summer, and once in the winter. While the size of the bonus may vary depending on the company, it usually amounts to the value of a few months’ salary per seasonal bonus, which means it’s a significant chunk of peoples’ yearly incomes.
As Nikkei Business highlights, Sony and Bandai Namco have recently revamped their compensation systems by abolishing these bonuses partially in order to redistribute them as part of the monthly salary and thus effectively raise average salaries. More specifically, they have abolished winter bonuses and converted them to salaries, while the summer bonuses are still being paid out regularly.
As for how this has reflected on salaries – the starting salary for certain entry-level positions at Sony Group was raised by 38,000 yen (approx. $260 USD), and if we take into account the overall wage increase of 10,000 yen, the total adds up to a 48,000 yen (approx. $330 USD) increase. As for Bandai Namco, the introduction of the new compensation system in 2022 resulted in its starting salary being raised from around 1,500 USD to around 1,980 USD. Moreover, in 2025, the initial salary was raised by an additional 100 USD.
The reason why companies are currently going as far as redesigning their compensation systems is mainly the workforce shortage – in order to attract more talent, it is necessary to offer more competitive salaries and make investments into human resources more efficient. Another good example of this is Konami Group, who recently raised employees’ salaries for the fourth consecutive year in order to create a more rewarding work environment.
According to Japanese Trade Union Confederation’s annual wage increase statistics for Spring 2025, the average salary in Japan was increased by 5.42%, exceeding the percentage of average salary raises for the previous year, and it is predicted that this number will only grow.
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