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Living in Japan: Social Security in Japan
- Health Insurance (kenko hoken)
- Pension system (nenkin)
- Unemployment insurance (koyo hoken)
- Labor accident insurance (rosai); Taxes in Japan
- Income Tax (shotoku zei)
- Inhabitant Tax (jumin zei)
- Corporate Tax (hojin zei) and Corporate Enterprise Tax (jigyo zei)
- Other taxes; Driving in Japan

Visa and Immigration Procedure in Japan: Working visa, spouse visa, status of residence, Premanent Residence, Nikkei...

Setting up business in Japan: Incorporation, setting up an office/company in Japan

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Living in Japan

Social Security in Japan

Health Insurance (kenko hoken)

There are two types of Health Insurance in Japan : Employees Health Insurance (kenko hoken) and National Health Insurance for self-employed (kokumin kenko hoken).

Most employers have the obligation to join the health insurance plan and pay the half of the monthly contributions for their employees except for the part-time workers.

The calculation of amount of the contributions is based on the amount of your income.

When you are covered by the health insurance, you are charged only 30% of the actual medical costs.

There are also other benefits such as "Benefits for High-cost Medical Care" (kogaku ryoyo-hi) which will reimburse all the medical expenses that exceed a certain amount (usually around 80,000 yen) within the same month.

Also if your yearly medical expenses exceed a certain amount (usually around 100,000 yen), you could have your income tax refund in some cases by declaring it (kakutei shinkoku) at the Tax Office.

Employees Health Insurance (kenko hoken) provides with "sickness and injury allowance" (syobyo teate-kin) that covers 60% of the amount of your salary when you are not paid due to medical treatment for sickness or injury.

You can also benefit from "maternity allowances" (shussan teate-kin, 60% of the amount of your salary) if you are not paid during your maternity leave.

Both Employees Health Insurance (kenko hoken) and National Health Insurance (kokumin kenko hoken) provide with "midwifery expenses" (shussan ikuji ichiji-kin, 350,000 yen) and "funeral expenses" (maisoryo/sosai-hi, minimum 50,000 yen).

Information sources on Health Insurance in Japan :

>> Social Insurance Agency

>> Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Pension system (nenkin)

There are also two types of pension system in Japan : Employees Pension Insurance (kosei nenkin) and National Pension Insurance (kokumin nenkin).

Like Health Insurance, the employers must join the Pension Insurance and pay the half of the monthly contributions for their employees.

You are entitled to receive the benefits from 65 years old, after joining the pension system for more than 25 years.

Although many foreigners don't join the Japanese pension system for more than 25 years, or live in Japan after 65 years of age, it is mandatory to join the pension system if you live in Japan for more than 1 year and pay for the monthly contributions.

It is however possible to have a part of the contributions refund once you leave Japan if you have joined for more than 6 months. This system is called Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments (dattai ichiji kin).

Japan already has International Social Security Agreements with Germany, UK, South Korea, United States, Belgium, France, Canada, Australia and will have such agreements with Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain in the near future. If you come from one of these countries, you only need to join the social security system in either your own country or in Japan, in order to avoid the dual coverage/contribution.

For more information on this issue, please see the following websites :

>> Social Insurance Agengy - Employees Pension Insurance

>> Social Insurance Agency - National Pension Insurance

>> Social Insurance Agency - Interntional Social Security Agreement

>> Tokyo Metropolitan Government

>> Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The Pension Insurance also provides with "Disability Allowance" (shogai kyufu) if you unfortunately come to have a certain degree of disability after joining the system.

In case the insured person dies, the Pension Insurance pays "Survivors Pension" (izoku nenkin) to his/her family members who have been financially dependent on the deseased person.

Unemployment insurance (koyo hoken)

It is mandatory for the employers to insure their employees for the unemployment. Both the employers and the employees pay for the monthly contributions.

This insurance provides with the unemployment allowances for people who have lost their jobs whether unvoluntarily or voluntarily. Its amount and duration depends on the length of the insured period, the age and the circumstance.

The unemployment insurance also offers other allowances such as work training allowances and child-care leave allowances.

In some cases foreigners don't qualify for the unemployment insurance.

For further information, please contact "Hello Work" (Japanese Public Employment Security Office) in charge of the area of your residence.

Labor accident Insurance (rosai)

This is a compulsory insurance that the employers are solely responsible for the payment of its contributions. It covers for the injury, sickness, handicap and death related to work, happended at work or while commuting from or to the place of employment.