Missed payments while living outside of Japan for 2.5 years

[putermcgee]

Background...
I had paid into the pension system, both the kosei nenkin when working full time, and the kokumin nenkin the rest of the time, for a few years up to April, 2016. I moved back to the US at that time, and didn't get a lump sum withdrawal because I figured I might be back some day.

Lo and behold, I've come back, and just received several payment slips for the time I missed. Since you can only backpay up to two years, the payment slips cover from February, 2017 (Heisei 27, right?) through October, 2018 (after which, I started paying kosei nenkin again from my paycheck). The first slip is for February, 2017, but then the next one covers March, 2017 all the way through to February, 2018 (nearly 200,000 yen!). After that is monthly slips from March, 2018 until, as mentioned above, October, 2018.

I suspect that there's some leeway in the limits to back payments since I have until May to pay the slip that includes February, 2017. I just don't understand why there's a single month's payment for the first one, then a whole year's payment on the next slip. Unless, maybe that first one is really at its absolute limit, and they're taking a long shot in hopes that I pay it right away since it's only 16,260 yen.

So my questions are these...
If I was living outside of Japan during this time, and paying into US social security, am I really required to make these payments?

If I can get out of it, what proof would I need, other than my passport showing me as out of the country?

Since I have at least a few years paid into the pension system from before, do I risk nullifying that if I avoid making the payments from when I lived out of the country? Or rather, am I going to screw myself over by trying to get out of paying?

I'm still 28 years from retirement age at this point, so I don't really know if I'll still be here by the time I actually qualify to receive the return. As long as I pay into the system for a total of 10 years, will I qualify to get something back no matter where I'm living at that time? (I understand that if I *only* paid into it for 10 years, I'd get less back)

Thanks for any advice. I'm going to try getting help at the pension office, but any info I can use here is helpful.

[RetireJapan]

Welcome to the forum!

I'll be brief as I'm away from my computer

Go and talk to a pension office, not the desk at city hall/the ward office if you can (the latter tend to be less well-informed).

I don't believe you are allowed to pay into Nenkin if you are overseas -please let us know what they say though.

Once you have paid in 120 months you will receive a pension paid anywhere in the world. You can see an estimate online (and your payment history) at the meeting website or in your annual postal statement.

[Sybil]

So my questions are these...
If I was living outside of Japan during this time, and paying into US social security, am I really required to make these payments?

When leaving Japan you are required to inform the City Office so they can provide the correct Social Security information. I guess this didn't happen in your case.


You can only pay into the pension system during the time you are resident in the country. I guess City Hall will confirm this when you visit them.

[StockBeard]

Right, I'll +1 what has been said.

I have moved out of Japan in 2014 after living there for 10 years, then came back in 2017. I have not been asked to pay anything for the "gap" years, but before leaving the country I did go to my local city hall to sign some "goodbye" paperwork. Don't remember the details but they asked me to show my plane tickets. I also had to give away my gaijin card at the airport on the day I left and check a mark on that paper they put on the passport, stating something along the lines of "I do not intend to re-enter Japan with this visa", all of those things would be sufficient proof in my opinion that you are not required to pay for the gap years.

[putermcgee]

I went to the pension office near me, and by showing my passport with the stamps of me leaving the country in 2016, then returning in 2018, they said I would only need to pay the slip from October since that's when I arrived, and was not paying into the system until November. My wife was very helpful in explaining the situation to them, but the office does apparently have English support on weekdays. My Japanese is decent, but it sure helps to have someone who's fluent with you!

When I left in 2016, I did fill out the paperwork at the city office. However, my visa was good through March, 2018, and I was uncertain if my move would be permanent. So I didn't give up my residence card at the airport. I suspect that had something to do with it, but if so, I'm curious about how they account for the months between my old visa's expiration date and my arrival several months later on a new visa.

Either way, I ended up not having to pay, save for one month's worth. That's a pretty big relief.

Thanks for the advice.