Diet members earned an average of 24.31 million yen in 2005, marking the first rise in four years, according to a Kyodo News survey based on lawmakers' official income statements released Monday.
The average income of lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors, including gains on land and other assets, rose by about 3 percent, or 730,000 yen.
The average last year was the lowest since income disclosure became mandatory for Diet members in 1993.
Lower House member Eisuke Mori of the Liberal Democratic Party had the highest income, at 205.36 million yen, including more than 180 million yen from the sale of property.
The second-biggest earner was Ryu Matsumoto, a Lower House member with the Democratic Party of Japan who reported 130.29 million yen in income, followed by Yoshihiro Nishida, an LDP Upper House lawmaker with 81.03 million yen.
Seventeen lawmakers reported more than 50 million yen in income, while only two made more than 100 million yen.
By party, the LDP had the highest average income, at 26.15 million yen, followed by the Social Democratic Party with an average income of 23.33 million yen, the People's New Party with 23.14 million yen and the DPJ with 22.8 million yen.
Income statements are required under the asset disclosure law for Diet members who serve as lawmakers for the entire year. For 2005, 346 members of the Lower House and 241 Upper House members submitted income statements.
Parliamentarians elected for the first time in the Sept. 11 election or in by-elections were not subject to the law yet.