Critical Update on Nenkin (pension)

Just back from the big pension office which is BEHIND a hospital, not in the back of it. They cannot make any determination on whether I am able to pay it or not without seeing my wife’s finances. Beyond that, I showed him, forced him to see, how much I earn now and asked how I am to pay. “You have to pay nenkin.” Was his only reply. I told home this amount is over two months worth of pay, “You have to pay nenkin.” . If I pay the bill due 1/4, I will not be able to pay my income taxes bill due 1/6. “This has nothing to do with income tax, You have to pay nenkin. If you cannot, your wife has to.”

If we divorce? “Is that really an option? Would you really make such a decision so lightly?” I pointed to the small sum I was paid in 2023 as reported on my 2024 tax return. “Do you really think that is not a huge problem?” I asked him. I told him that my pay has been below my outlays since May 2022 and that my savings are now depleted. I asked him again if he didn’t think this would be a problem. No response. I then told him it is in the situation that these bills from nenkin began arriving. Divorce is a very real possibility, I say good by to my wife and kids and return to my home country. “In that case, your exwife would have to pay what you owe or we’ll take her house and car.” “If, for example, you divorced today, she is responsible for what you owe through January next year, we just passed the cut off date. She would not be responsible for any debts you incur after the divorce.”

During the consolation, he stated that I was far behind in payments but that they are only allowed to recover the past 2 years. I asked how I was to know that my income taxes did not take care of nenkin payments. He responded that if I had visited the pension office and asked, they would have told me. I ask who takes a coat from work to go to the pension office to ask such a question, one that they do not even know could exist? (This mind set is held by those in the U.S. government too, and I hate it equally there as I do here.) Here, he responded that it was not just a problem with gaijin but that even Japanese do not know, regardless, “You have to pay nenkin.”. It is, a trap.