Pension

更新日 2010年12月01日

Pension is a system, which aims to provide life security for post-retirement years, when
becoming impaired, or when deceased. Prominently, there are employee's pension and national pension in the Japanese public pension. Including the foreign nationals, everyone from age 20 to age 60 will subscribe to the national pension. Students must subscribe as well. When you subscribe to a pension, a pension booklet will be issued, store the booklet in a safe location.

National Pension

It is a system, where every individual must subscribe and it provides common basic pension to everyone residing in Japan. There are three types of basic pensions and they are, "Disability basic pension," "Survivor's basic pension," and "Old-age basic pension."

Disability basic pension

It is a pension which is paid when disabled by an illness or injury, if certain requirements are met.

Survivor's basic pension

It is a pension which is paid to the dependent whose livelihood depended solely on the deceased subscriber, if certain requirements are met.

Old-age basic pension

Basically, it is a pension which is paid after turning 65 years of age, if the subscription to the national pension has been longer than 25 years (period of over 25 years in which the premiums had been paid or exempted).

Procedure for subscribing to the national pension

Everyone from age 20 to age 60, who is residing in Japan and are not subscribed to employee's pension will subscribe to the national pension.

Where to process

National Health Insurance and Pension Division in Central Office (Kokuho-nenkin ka)

Required items

Passport, alien registration card

National pension premiums payment

Premiums must be paid when subscribed to a pension. Premiums are an important source of funds for everyone to collect our pension. If there are difficulties in making premium payments due to economic reasons, you may be exempt from the premiums by submitting an application. Please consult at the counter in charge of pension at the City Hall.

Premiums are payable at banks and post-offices when you receive the payment slips.
Payments may also be made through convenience store, online banking, and account transfer of banks and post-offices.

Employee's Pension

Employee's pension is a pension plan, which involves mainly the people working for a company. The subscription is processed at the company, and pension premiums are deducted from salaries. When subscribed to an employee's pension, procedures at the City Hall will not be necessary since you will also be subscribed to the national pension automatically. Subscribers of employee's pension will collect greater amount of pension in the future than those subscribed to national pension alone. When you have resigned from a company, take the procedures for national pension subscription at the City Hall.

Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment

Foreign nationals who had subscription with either an employee's pension or national pension, had made premium payments for more than six months, and are returning to their homeland without collecting pension are able to receive lump-sum withdrawal payment. Obtain an application document at the Social Insurance Office and make the request within two years of returning home by mail.

Where to inquire

National Health Insurance and Pension Division (Kokuho-nenkin ka)
Phone: 055-282-7248