Is this a bill? Do I need to transfer money?

No. The ねんきん定期便 is an information statement and never comes with a payment slip. Actual contribution demands arrive as a separate 納付書 (payment slip). Do not transfer anything based on this notice.

Why is the 見込額 so small?

If you are under 50, the estimate counts only what you have already accrued and ignores all future contributions. If you are 50 or over, it projects forward assuming your current situation continues to age 60. The notice states which calculation it used, near the figure.

Part of my work history seems to be missing, does it matter?

It can reduce your future pension, and evidence gets harder to find as years pass. Raise it with a 年金事務所 while you still remember employer names and dates; there is no fee for requesting a correction.

I am leaving Japan. Do these contributions just disappear?

Your record stays on file. Depending on your circumstances there may be a 脱退一時金 (lump-sum withdrawal payment) for short-stay leavers, or a social security agreement between Japan and your home country that lets periods be counted together. The conditions are detailed, so confirm your own case with a 年金事務所 rather than assuming.

Insurance / Pension

ねんきん定期便: Your Annual Pension Record Notice

The ねんきん定期便 (nenkin teikibin, "regular pension notice") is a yearly statement sent by the 日本年金機構 (Japan Pension Service) around your birthday month. It is not a bill and not a demand for payment. It shows how many months you have been enrolled in the pension system, the total contributions recorded under your name, and a 見込額, an estimate of the pension you would receive. It normally arrives as a postcard. At ages 35, 45 and 59 it arrives instead in a sealed envelope containing your full enrolment history. Its real purpose is to let you check that record for mistakes. If you have changed jobs often, worked for a company that changed its name, have records under a maiden name, or have entered and left the system while moving in and out of Japan, this is your chance to confirm nothing is missing.

Not sure? Scan the paper with Misete and it tells you what it isScan it with Misete →

Who receives it

Anyone currently enrolled in the Japanese pension system: company employees and public servants (第2号 category), people paying 国民年金 (National Pension) themselves or on a student deferral (第1号), and dependent spouses (第3号). Nationality does not matter, foreign residents enrolled in the system receive it at their registered address. People already receiving a pension, and people not enrolled at all, do not get it.

What to do

1Confirm the sender is 日本年金機構 (Japan Pension Service) and understand that this is a record statement, not an invoice.
2Check that your name, date of birth and 基礎年金番号 (basic pension number) are correct, then compare the 年金加入記録 (enrolment record), employer names and months of coverage, against your own history of jobs and periods when you paid 国民年金.
3Read the note printed beside the 見込額 (estimated amount) to see whether it covers only what you have accrued so far or assumes you keep contributing until age 60.
4If a period or employer is missing, take the notice to your nearest 年金事務所 (Pension Office) or call the dedicated ねんきん定期便 phone line, bringing ID and any old payslips or employment contracts you still have.
5Use the アクセスキー (access key) printed on the notice to register for ねんきんネット, the online record service, so you can check your record any time before the key expires.

About the deadline

There is no payment deadline, because nothing is owed. Two time limits do exist. The アクセスキー has a validity period printed right next to it on the notice, it expires a set number of months after issue, and after that you must register for ねんきんネット another way. Second, the envelope version includes a 年金加入記録回答票 (record reply form) asking you to report anything that looks wrong; returning it is not compulsory and there is no penalty, but corrections are easier while the underlying employer records and your own documents still exist.

Common misunderstandings

Is this a bill? Do I need to transfer money?: No. The ねんきん定期便 is an information statement and never comes with a payment slip. Actual contribution demands arrive as a separate 納付書 (payment slip). Do not transfer anything based on this notice.
Why is the 見込額 so small?: If you are under 50, the estimate counts only what you have already accrued and ignores all future contributions. If you are 50 or over, it projects forward assuming your current situation continues to age 60. The notice states which calculation it used, near the figure.
Part of my work history seems to be missing, does it matter?: It can reduce your future pension, and evidence gets harder to find as years pass. Raise it with a 年金事務所 while you still remember employer names and dates; there is no fee for requesting a correction.
I am leaving Japan. Do these contributions just disappear?: Your record stays on file. Depending on your circumstances there may be a 脱退一時金 (lump-sum withdrawal payment) for short-stay leavers, or a social security agreement between Japan and your home country that lets periods be counted together. The conditions are detailed, so confirm your own case with a 年金事務所 rather than assuming.

Not sure the paper in your hand is this one?

Photograph it and AI tells you which document it is, then turns it into a deadline and a to-do list. Ten scans free when you sign up.

Scan it with Misete

Download onApp Store Download onGoogle Play