If you’ve been contributing to the national insurance plan for at least twenty-five years, then upon retirement at the age of sixty you’ll be entitled to claim your pension. If you sign up for the pension plan after the age of thirty-five then you may have to continue to contribute until your sixty-five or seventy. Special rules apply to foreign nationals who have become permanent residents of Japan. Consult your local ward office or the Social Insurance Agency website above for more details.

Should you be injured or fall ill while working, the Labour Standards Act states your employer must cover your medical expenses and pay any necessary compensation. Since such costs can be large the Workers' Compensation Insurance was created, and all employers must pay into this. Japanese residents are covered by the National Health Insurance plan for illness or injury. All large businesses are responsible for making sure their employees are suitably insured.

As a foreign resident in Japan you can subscribe to the National Health Insurance plan as long as you have completed your alien registration. This is not an option for those coming to Japan on short term visas however. You can find out more about National Health Insurance at your local ward office.

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