To support you to have a secured and stable livelihood, the social insurance systems have been established to provide you with the medical care benefits and pensions in the event of sickness, injury, childbirth, death, old age and disability.
Under the universal coverage principle, all registered residents of Japan must enroll in one of the appropriate social health care and pension insurance systems.
The main social insurance systems for salaried workers in companies and factories in Japan are the Employees’ Health Insurance (KENKO HOKEN) (Government-managed type and the Society-managed type) as the health care insurance and the Employees’ Pension Insurance (KOSEI NENKIN HOKEN) as the pension insurance.
As for the self-employed workers and non-employed people, there are the National Health Insurance (KOKUMIN KENKO HOKEN) and the National Pension (KOKUMIN NENKIN).
As the specific work-based insurances, there are the Seamen’s Insurance for workers on board a ship, and the Mutual Aid Associations for public services workers such as national and local government employees.

The National Pension Scheme is a system whereby everybody receives a common ‘basic pension’ (kiso nenkin).
It provides income security in old age, in the event you acquire a disability or in the event of your death.
Everyone including foreign nationals from 20 years old up to under 60 years old must join the National Pension Scheme.
People who have joined the Employee’s Pension Scheme or a Providential Society’s Scheme are also members of the National Pension Scheme.

Social Insurance Agency? Homepage (Website)
(Overview of the Social Insurance Systems/National Pension? in English)
http://www.sia.go.jp/e/np.html

Those who must enroll
Those aged 20 to 59 years who live in Japan should enroll to the National Pension Plan. The subscribers are divided to the following three categories.

• Subscriber group No.1 ： Independent businessman, student, farmer, forestry, fisherman, part-time worker, unemployed, etc. (Except the subscribers group No.2 and No.3)
• Subscriber group No.2： Members of Welfare Pension or Mutual Aid Association
• Subscriber group No.3： Wife or husband who is supported by Subscriber group No.2

(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Pension Section

Case	Notification content	Party notified
On reaching 20 years of age	People who are not part of the welfare annuity scheme or the mutual aid society should perform the procedures for the national pension.	City Hall (Notification forms will be mailed from the Nara Social Insurance Office.)
When retiring from a company	Perform the procedures for the national pension.	City Hall
When you have become a nonworking dependent of your spouse due to marriage or retirement	Perform the procedures for conversion to a Type 3 insured person.	Spouse’s place of employment
When you are no longer a nonworking dependent of your spouse	Perform the procedures for conversion from a Type 3 insured person to a Type 1 insured person.	City Hall
When you lose your pension certificate	Apply for the certificate to be reissued.	Type 1 people City Hall Type 3 people Nara Social Insurance Office
When you participate optionally	Perform the procedures for optional participation.	City Hall

(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Pension Section

Class 1 insured persons must pay the national pension premiums directly using government-issued payment slips. Class 2 and Class 3 insured persons do not have to pay directly. It is important to regularly pay the national pension premiums every month. There are schemes for those who cannot pay, however, due to economic reasons or because they are a student. These include an exemption scheme, a deferred payment scheme for young people, and a special payment scheme for students. In each of these schemes, the government as a rule will make a determination based on the previous year’s income. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible and do not be delinquent in your payments.
(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Pension Section

Case	Notification content	Party notified
When it is difficult to make payments	Apply for exemption, deferment for young people, or special student payment.	City Hall
When you want to pay through bank transfer	Submit the document requesting bank transfer.	Financial institutions, the post office, the Nara Social Insurance Office
When you’ve lost the payment slip	Request the issuance of another slip.	Nara Social Insurance Office

(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Pension Section

System	Content
Exemption scheme	Apply when it is difficult to make payments. If approved, exemptions will be granted for premium payments (full amount, 75%, half, 25%). There will be an examination of the income of the person concerned, that person’s spouse, or head of the household.
Deferred payment scheme for young people	People under the age of 30 can apply when it is difficult to make payments. If approved, the premium payments will be deferred. There will be an examination of the income of the person concerned, or that person’s spouse.
Special payment scheme for students	Students with income below a specified amount may apply. If approved, premium payments will be deferred.

(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Pension Section

The Employees' Pension Insurance system provides the “earning-related pension" on top of the Basic Pension provided by the National Pension system.

Social Insurance Agency? Homepage (Website)
(Overview of the Social Insurance Systems/ Employees’ Pension Insurance ? in English)
http://www.sia.go.jp/e/epi.html

When you get ill or injured suddenly, the National Health Insurance system covers medical expenses by paying an insurance premium each other.
(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Health Insurance Section

All-Japan Federation of National Health Insurance Organizations ? Homepage (Website)
(Outline of National Health Insurance ? in English)
http://www.kokuho.or.jp/english/index.htm

Everyone who lives in Ikoma City must enroll in National Health Insurance system.
Foreigners who meet the requirements of National Health Insurance must enroll in National Health Insurance of their address.
Exception for the following cases.

• Those who are enrolled in a health insurance system of employment (Health insurance, Sailor insurance, Mutual aid association, etc) and their dependents
• Those who receive public assistance according to the Livelihood Protection Act.

(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Health Insurance Section

Insured members will receive the lump sum payment for delivery. (Stillbirth and miscarriages after four months pregnant are included.) \350,000

• Necessary Documents
  National Health Insurance certificate, Maternity passbook, Seal, Bankbook of householder or baby’s parents (except for Post Office)
  When you want to accept receive it in cash, ID card (Driver’s licence, etc) is required.

(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Health Insurance Section

When an insured member dies, the chief mourner will receive the allowance. \30,000

• Necessary Documents
  National Health Insurance certificate, Seal, Bankbook of householder or the chief mourner (except for Post Office), certificate of chief mourner

(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Health Insurance Section

Please notify within 14 days in the following cases.

	Case	Necessary Documents
Enroll the National Health Insurance system	When you move in the city	Seal
	When you withdraw from another health insurance	Seal,Disqualification certificate
	When you stop receiving public assistance	Seal, Assistance abolition notice
	When a child is born	Seal
	When foreigners enroll	Foreigner Registration certificate
Withdraw from the National Health Insurance system	When you move out of the city	Seal, Insurance certificate
	When you enroll in another health insurance system	Seal, Insurance certificate of both
	When you receive public assistance	Seal, Insurance certificate, Assistance start notice
	When a member dies	Seal, Insurance certificate
	When foreigners withdraw	Seal, Foreigner Registration certificate, Insurance certificate
The others	When you move within the city	Seal, Insurance certificate
	When householder or names changes
	When households separate or merge
	When you enroll the Medical care system for the retired	Seal, Insurance certificate, Pension certificate
	When you lose insurance certificate or it gets dirty to use	Seal, ID card（Driver’s licence, etc.）
	When your child lives another city to go to school	Seal, Insurance certificate, Student ID card

※When you need Insurance certificate within the day, ID card (Driver’s licence, etc) is required.
(Inquiries) National Health Insurance and Pension Division, National Health Insurance Section

The nursing care that we may be needed in our old age and which is often a cause for anxiety should not be born by the family alone. As a result, a new system, Long-term Insurance (Kaigo Hoken) system was set up so that society as a whole could take on the burden.
This insurance system is supported by insurance premium payments and tax.
When long-term care is required for such daily activities as bathing, going to the bathroom, or meals, apply at City Hall. If long-term care is recognized as necessary, long-term care service can be used with a 10% personal liability. When utilizing at-home service, however, the amount of payment will depend on the extent of care required.
(Inquiries) Long-term care Insurance Division

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ? Homepage (Website)
(Long-term Care Insurance in Japan ? in English)

Citizens over 65 years and those between 40 and 64 years old who have joined a medical insurance (National Health Insurance, Health Insurance) are insured.

• No. 1 Insured: All citizens over 65 years old
• No. 2 Insured: All citizens between 40 and 64 years old who have joined a medical insurance

(Inquiries) Long-term care Insurance Division

The long-term care system was established with the objective of using long-term care to provide social support in an aged society. Everyone aged 40 or older must pay the premiums.

• Class 1 insured persons: The premium amounts are established in six levels in accordance with the municipal residents’ tax liability and income.
• Class 2 insured persons: The premium amounts are determined by the calculation method in the person’s medical insurance. It is paid together with the medical insurance premiums.

(Inquiries) Long-term care Insurance Division

1. At what times?
   The long-term care services can be used when a person is 65 years of age or older and requires long-term care, or is between 40 and 65 years of age and requires long-term care for an illness specified as being a factor in premature aging.
   
2. Certification of the need for long-term care
   Using the long-term care services requires the submission of an application form at City Hall and the receipt of the Certification of the Need for Long-Term Care. After application, an examination will be made of the applicant’s needs. The Long-Term Care Certification Screening Committee will render a judgment on the need for long-term care based on the results of that examination and the opinion of the primary care physician. There are seven levels of services. There are two levels of support and five levels of care provided.
   
3. At-home services
   After certification, persons requiring long-term care will request that a care manager employed by an enterprise providing at-home long-term care and support formulate a care plan. (Those requiring support will make their request at a local comprehensive support center in their community.) The persons will use the services required based on the care plan.
   
4. Facility services
   Persons requiring long-term care that wish to be admitted to a facility should apply directly to the long-term insurance facility. Make inquiries there regarding the details of long-term care services.
   

(Inquiries) Long-term care Insurance Division