Pensions

I will be leaving Japan soon -- I've been here for two years -- and have been paying into the National Pension System. How do I go about applying for the refund? I have also heard that there are agencies that do the paperwork for a fee.

You simply go to the local city office -- kuyakusho, yakuba -- where you got your Alien Registration Card and go to the "nenkin" section. They will give you a form to fill out. You will need to have bank account details for an account where they can deposit the refund.

You take the form with you and mail it back to the city office and they will deposit your refund after you leave the country.