Japan
Worked in Japan? Any pension you built up here is yours to keep and can usually be paid to you abroad — but you have to claim it; it won't start automatically. The full state pension age is 65, with early access from 60. On totalization, Japan has bilateral totalization agreements, so the years you worked here may combine with other countries you've worked in. Below is Japan's system at a glance and what expats should check.
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Overview
Japan operates a mandatory two-tier public pension system underpinned by the National Pension (Kokumin Nenkin), which provides a flat-rate basic pension to all residents aged 20–59 regardless of nationality, and the Employees' Pension Insurance (Kosei Nenkin), an earnings-related scheme covering company employees and public-sector workers. Both tiers are pay-as-you-go (PAYG) and administered by the Japan Pension Service under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The standard retirement age is 65, with early claiming from 60 (at a reduction) and deferred claiming up to 75 (with a bonus). The minimum qualifying period is 10 years (reduced from 25 years in 2017). For FY2026, the full basic National Pension is ¥847,300/year (¥70,608/month), up 1.9% from FY2025, and the model couple Employees' Pension benefit is ¥237,279/month. Pension benefits are indexed annually via a macroeconomic slide mechanism: for FY2026, wages rose 2.1% and the slide factor was -0.2%, yielding a net +1.9% increase for National Pension and +2.0% for Employees' Pension — the fourth consecutive year of positive adjustment.
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Complementing the public system are voluntary private and occupational tiers: iDeCo (individual-type defined contribution pension) for individuals, corporate DC plans sponsored by employers, and legacy defined-benefit corporate pension funds. The 2025 Pension Reform Act (enacted June 13, 2025) introduced significant changes: the restriction on employee voluntary DC contributions exceeding employer contributions was abolished from April 1, 2026; iDeCo contribution limits for employees without corporate DC plans will rise from ¥23,000 to ¥62,000/month and for self-employed from ¥68,000 to ¥75,000/month, effective December 1, 2026; the corporate DC ceiling rises from ¥55,000 to ¥62,000/month from January 2027; the iDeCo enrollment age limit will be raised to 70 (effective within 3 years of promulgation, expected December 2026); and the lump-sum withdrawal cap for departing foreigners will rise from 60 to 96 months (effective within 4 years of promulgation, ~2029, by Cabinet Order). The Employees' Pension earnings ceiling remains ¥650,000/month as of mid-2026, with a planned increase to ¥750,000/month under the 2025 reforms.
For cross-border workers, Japan has concluded social security totalization agreements with 24 countries (as of December 2025), allowing combination of coverage periods to meet the 10-year minimum qualifying period. Foreign nationals who leave Japan with 6+ months but fewer than 10 years of contributions may claim a lump-sum withdrawal payment (Dattai Ichijikin) within 2 years of departure, currently capped at 60 months (5 years) of contributions. Japan's public pension benefits are fully payable abroad with periodic proof of life required. From June 2027, Japan will formally check pension and health insurance payment compliance during visa renewals for all foreign residents.
~33% (mandatory public schemes only for average earner, per OECD Pensions at a Glance 2023); government target is 50% of average net wage for model couple (one earner, 40-year career) including both National Pension and Employees' Pension combined; current replacement rate estimated at 61.2% by Japanese government method for model household
Pillar 1: Mandatory public pension — National Pension (flat-rate, universal) + Employees' Pension Insurance (earnings-related). Pillar 2: Voluntary occupational DC plans (corporate-type DC, 企業型確定拠出年金) and legacy DB corporate pensions. Pillar 3: Individual voluntary savings — iDeCo (individual DC), National Pension Fund, and NISA investment accounts.
Bismarckian/Mixed — mandatory two-tier public PAYG system with voluntary occupational and individual DC components
Employee
Employees' Pension Insurance: 9.15% of standard monthly remuneration (fixed since September 2017)
Employer
Employees' Pension Insurance: 9.15% of standard monthly remuneration (equal split; total combined rate 18.3%)
Self-Employed
National Pension flat rate: ¥17,920/month (FY2026, April 2026–March 2027); projected ¥18,290/month (FY2027). Optional additional premium of ¥400/month available for a modest benefit boost.
Notes
Employees' Pension contribution rate has been fixed at 18.3% since September 2017. The earnings ceiling for Employees' Pension contributions is ¥650,000/month standard monthly remuneration (planned to rise to ¥750,000/month under 2025 Pension Reform Act, effective date by Cabinet Order). National Pension contributions are flat-rate regardless of income. Advance payment discounts available (e.g., 2-year prepayment saves ~¥17,000). Contribution exemptions available for low-income individuals (full, 3/4, 1/2, or 1/4 exemption). Maternity and parental leave periods are contribution-exempt without affecting benefit calculation.
Common questions
What is the retirement age in Japan?
The full state pension age in Japan is 65. Early retirement may be possible from 60. Deferring can raise your pension up to age 75.
Can I claim a Japan pension if I live abroad?
Yes. A pension you've earned in Japan stays yours wherever you retire, and can usually be paid into an overseas account once you reach pension age. It won't start automatically, though — you need to claim it, typically a few months in advance, through Japan's pension authority.
Do totalization agreements affect my Japan pension?
Japan has bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements. These can let you combine the years you worked in Japan with years in partner countries to meet a minimum qualifying period, so short stints aren't wasted. Which partners and rules apply depends on your own work history.
How is the pension system structured in Japan?
Bismarckian/Mixed — mandatory two-tier public PAYG system with voluntary occupational and individual DC components Pillar 1: Mandatory public pension — National Pension (flat-rate, universal) + Employees' Pension Insurance (earnings-related). Pillar 2: Voluntary occupational DC plans (corporate-type DC, 企業型確定拠出年金) and legacy DB corporate pensions. Pillar 3: Individual voluntary savings — iDeCo (individual DC), National Pension Fund, and NISA investment accounts. It includes 4 schemes in our directory.
How do I get a copy of my Japan pension record?
Ask Japan Pension Service (Nenkin Net) for your ねんきん定期便 / 年金記録 (Nenkin Net) (the Pension record and annual pension notice). It's free and you can request it yourself — our step-by-step guide on this page walks through the portal, what to have ready, and what to do if the login fails.