How to find a lost Japanese pension from abroad

Japan's public pension system runs through Japan Pension Service (JPS, Nihon Nenkin Kikō). Contributions to the National Pension (Kokumin Nenkin) and the Employees' Pension Insurance (Kōsei Nenkin) sit under your basic pension number (kiso-nenkin-bangō) on a single Nenkin record. From abroad, foreign workers who have contributed and left Japan typically pursue the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment; residents nearing retirement pursue the pension itself. Corporate pensions (kigyō nenkin) sit outside JPS with each employer's scheme.

JPS's English benefit page is the correct starting point from abroad. It covers the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment (available to foreign nationals who paid in for at least six months and left Japan), and the routes for pension entitlement when totalisation with your current country of residence applies. The Nenkin record is centralised under your basic pension number, and JPS handles overseas enquiries directly.

There is no third-party portal that returns your Nenkin balance or lump-sum entitlement. Requests go to JPS directly, in paper form for many overseas cases, in Japanese-language process even where English pages exist. Corporate-pension entitlements are separate and require walking each former employer's scheme. PensionHunter does this as prepare-and-guide, with a complete request pack at the Enhanced Pension Identification Report tier, written and ready for the customer to send under a signed Information Request Authority.

For Japanese traces, PensionHunter's role is bounded and honest:

• JPS (Nenkin): we prepare-and-guide the Lump-Sum Withdrawal or totalisation request from abroad; the request itself is yours to lodge with JPS.
• Corporate pensions (kigyō nenkin): in the Country Pension Identification Report, we identify the scheme per former employer. In the Enhanced Pension Identification Report, we prepare a complete request pack for each identified administrator, written and ready for you to send under your signed Information Request Authority.

The Nenkin record and the corporate-scheme balance always stay with JPS or the employer's administrator. PensionHunter identifies where they sit.

Am I eligible for a Japanese pension refund after leaving Japan?

Foreign nationals who paid Employees' or National Pension for at least six months and left Japan can typically claim the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment within two years. JPS's official page has the current criteria.

Can I still claim if the two-year window closed?

The lump-sum route closes, but pension entitlement via totalisation may remain available if your current country has an agreement with Japan.

What about corporate pensions?

Corporate pensions (kigyō nenkin) sit outside JPS. Each former employer must be contacted for scheme name and administrator.

What does PensionHunter deliver at the end of a Japanese search?

For corporate pensions, the identified administrator per former employer and (at Search) the complete request pack for each, assembled as your Action Pack. For JPS Nenkin, prepare-and-guide support.