JM has a question about the Japanese national pension system:

"I am an American citizen and permanent resident of Japan and have been living and working in the country continuously since 1988. During most of this time, I have been employed as a "local" hire by my company, and contributed to the Japanese pension systems. However, for two periods together totaling 68 months I was employed in an expatriate capacity, and did not contribute to the pension systems. Is it possible for me to make back contributions to the national pension system, and thus "recapture" the lost 68 months?

Also, I have seen conflicting information regarding eligibility for receiving one's pension after retirement. Many sources indicate that 25 years of contribution to the pension systems are required to receive a pension, i.e., if one were to contribute even 24 years and 11 months, no pension could be collected. Other sources, including the Social Insurance Agency's website, seem to indicate that although 25 years of contribution are required to receive a full pension, if one were to contribute less than 25 years, a prorated pension could be received. Could you confirm whether or not a prorated pension is possible?"

We called the local pension office about your predicament, and they asked what pension system you were (and are) paying into (the national system or employees' pension system), what country you worked in as an expatriate, and other case-specific questions. As we don't have that information, they were only able to offer general answers and stressed the importance of visiting your local pension office and discussing your situation directly with them, as they are best able to help you. However, here's what we found out: