To people with foreign citizenships. Japan's Pension is repayable as Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments.

On Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments (1)

Pension's Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments are lump-sum payments which can be given the right to claim for those who were enrolled in Japan's pension system, but quit it by some reasons.
A person with foreign citizenship can be repaid pension which he/she had contributed to Japan, as Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment, if he/she files a claim within 2 years after leaving Japan.

We tell you who consider whether to file a claim of Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment; if you contact us, firstly we will calculate the sum you can receive, and then, if you decide to file your claim, we 'll carry out your claim on behalf of you in Japan.

Please don't hold back and tell us through "Contact Us (English | 日本語 | 简体中文 | 繁體中文) ".

Please read carefully the following explanation, and choose the most advantageous plan for you.

Pension System in Japan and How Foreigners are Treated

In Japan, pension system is, to tell the principle, constructed so that ALL residents in Japan are required to be enrolled in, now that persons reach a certain age to be regarded to have abilities to work.

This is called "universal coverage principle".
Universal coverage principle is applied regardless of residents' citizenships. So even if you have a foreign citizenship in Japan, you are not exempt from enrolling in Japan's pensions, if you have resided for longer than a certain periods regulated by rule.

In "National Pension" which will be referred to below, it is ruled that persons must be enrolled in between 20 years old and 60. Other pensions such as "Employees' Pension Insurance"(厚生年金 in Japanese) have other rules.

At present, a person whose citizenship is a coutry which has "International Social Security Agreement" with Japan (See the table below) is to be enrolled in the social security systems of either Japan or his/her home country. "International Social Security Agreements" allow persons to give "Elimination of Dual Coverage" and/or "Totalization of Periods of Coverage". The condition of which country's system a person should be enrolled in, Japan or his/her home country, differs according to details of the agreement with Japan.

International Social Security Agreements(as of Jul.2009)

Countries to have agreements	Totalization of Periods of Coverage
Germany	Yes
United Kingdom	No
South Korea	No
USA	Yes
Belgium	Yes
France	Yes
Canada	Yes
Australia	Yes
Netherlands	Yes
Czech Republic	Yes

(Made from a table in Social Insurance Agency's website and fliers)
For details of each country, see this page

Persons whose home countries have "International Social Security Agreements" must contribute pensions to Japan if they are in conditions that agreements rule to be paid in Japan. And persons whose home counries don't have agreements with Japan, or have agreements but are still unimplemented, are to contribute pensions to Japan according to Japan's rules for qualification.

Then, how will these contributions you pay be treated in the future?

Now I’d like to give a brief explanation on Japanese pension system.

Japanese pensions have two-layered system; "National Pension" (国民年金 in Japanese, the Basic Pension for all the persons qualified), and other pensions (additional earning-related pensions).
These pensions are to be paid back as "Old-age Pension", "Disability Pension and Disability Allowance", and "Survivors' Pension" (老齢年金,障害年金,遺族年金 in Japanese).

Of these, "Old-age Pension" is the most wide-range one. The enrolling period to be qualified for recieving it is, by the rule, 25 years.
So a person must be enrolled in Japan's pension system for at least 25 years living in Japan to be entitled to receiving it.

For native Japanese who were born and raised in Japan, there will be no problem. But for persons with foreign citizenships who immigrated into Japan in the middle of thier life, or who had lived in Japan but emigrated to other countries afterwards, might not necessarily have enough periods for this condition. So I'd like to stress that you persons with foreign citizenships might not, in your old ages, be paid back you contributed to Japan as pensions.
(In coutries which have "Totalization of Periods of Coverage" in above mentioned "International Social Security Agreements", persons can save the enrolling periods in Japan by totalizing them with their home countries. But some countries have agreements without totalization between Japan and home countries. See the table above.)

Various factors will influence conditions of persons with foreign citizenships to be entitled for receiving Japan's pension; how is the "International Social Security Agreement" of your home coutry with Japan, how is the condition you work in Japan, and so on. If you think about claiming "Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment", which I'd like to explain now, ask us what you don't understand.

The detailing introduction of Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments is available in various languages: