Homepage by Matti Naskali
In Japan you can receive the Old-age Basic Pension at the age of 65 if you have been covered under the National Pension and Employees’ Insurance systems. To satisfy contribution requirements,
your total insurable periods need to be 25 years
or more.
*1
HOWEVER! The period before you moved to Japan is counted to the 25 years when you get permanent residence:
Nenkin *1
: If you become a naturalized Japanese citizen or if you are
admitted as permanent resident before you become 65 year
old, your overseas residence period between April 1, 1961
and the previous day you become Japanese citizen, within
your age between 20 - 59, will be considered as “complementary period”.
The complementary period is the valid period
to be included to see if you satisfy the 25-year period
requirement to be entitled to the Old-age Basic Pension, but is not considered in benefit amount calculation.
You can receive the Old-age Employees’ Pension on top of your Old-age Basic Pension, if you have a coverage period under the Employees’ Pension Insurance system and you satisfy contribution requirements to qualify for the Old-age Basic Pension at the age of 65.
Japanese Service of the Nenkin Teiki Bin (Pension Coverage Regular Notice)
Japanese law will provide cash payments to foreigners leaving the country
"Network Answers Japan" webpage
article
with two officials at the Ministry
of Health and Welfare (Koseisho): Tokio Ozawa, of the ministry's pension
division, and Akito Yokomaku, of the pension guidance division of the
Social Insurance Agency, a unit of the ministry. And now, the answers
to all your questions...
Q. Ok, the big question: How much money will I get back?
A. First, the equivalent of no more than three years worth of pension contributions will be returned.
Q. Why is it limited to three years?
A. Because 90 percent of foreigners working in Japan stay here less than three years. The new pension payment was specifically designed for them.
Q. What about the other 10 percent?
A. Too bad -- unless they are working in Japan for 25 years, thus qualifying for an old-age pension (rorei nenkin) when they turn 65.