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3 months' part-time job - should I switch from NHI/NPS to company insurance?
The thing is, I don't know if this is a good move for me?
Based on my low income last year, my NHI premium is minimal (i'm a student until next month).
To my understanding, the company insurance premium isn't computed from last year's income but based on the salary I'm going to earn (which is approximately 100,000 yen per month).
I'm going to work with this company for 3 months.
My understanding is that the national pension plan has an exemption system for unemployed and low-income earners. I think I may qualify for it. But I switch to the company pension system, I think they'll deduct the usual amount, so the insurance+pension deductions may reach 30-50% of my expected salary if I switch.
Forgoing my current lower premium on the NHI and the exemption possibility from the NPS feels unwise to me. The 30,000-50,000 yen of deductions from a 100,000 yen part-time job are significant chunk for a short-period employment.
Does anybody have experience in similar situations?
Should I ask to remain in the NHI/NPS if possible?
(knowing that I may get the 3 month's worth of pension back during the lump-sum withdrawal when i leave japan eventually, that I can live with if I must. It's the lower premium on the NHI that I am hesitant to let go).
honestly, you're probably right to be cautious. the real kicker here is that shaho kenko (company insurance) splits the premium with your employer, so your actual out-of-pocket is only half of that 100k salary bracket rate. but with a 3-month contract, the admin hassle of switching back to kokumin kenko after might not be worth it.
i'd push back on the employer a bit. tell them you're a student with minimal income and ask if they can keep you on the national system for the short term. some smaller companies don't mind if you're only there for a few months, especially if they haven't already processed the paperwork. the worst they can say is no.
if they insist, just let it happen. the lump-sum pension withdrawal is real and you'll get that back when you leave. the nhis side is annoying but honestly, you're only paying the higher rate for 3 months. that's like 15k-20k extra total, not life changing. save your energy for bigger fights.
the comment about shaho kenko having better coverage is real but for 3 months it barely matters. if u get sick u just go to the clinic anyway and the 30% copay is the same under either system. the real thing nobody's mentioning is that once u switch to company insurance, when u quit they'll make u switch back to kokumin kenko and u might get hit with backpay depending on timing. the city office can be weird about gaps. at 100k a month the pension deduction under kosei nenkin is about 18k yen and health insurance around 5k so ur looking at 23k total not 30-50k. still annoying but not as brutal as u think. ask if they can keep u on national but if they say no just roll with it for 3 months
yeah the other replies are right but missing one thing - the company health insurance (shaho kenko) actually gives you better coverage than kokumin kenko. things like higher reimbursement rates for medical stuff and sick leave allowance. if you happen to get sick or injured during those 3 months, you'd be better off under the company one
that said, i'd still try to stay on kokumin kenko. the real issue is the pension deduction. at 100k/month, you're looking at about 18k for pension plus maybe 5-6k for health insurance under shaho kenko. that's rough when you're only taking home 100k. the lump-sum withdrawal helps but you lose like 20% to tax and it takes months to process after you leave japan
one option nobody mentioned - ask your employer if you can just opt out of the pension portion. some companies let you stay on kokumin nenkin instead of kosei nenkin if you're short-term. the law says they have to enroll you if you meet the hours requirement but in practice smaller places are flexible. just be upfront that you're leaving in 3 months and the math doesn't work for you
if they say no, honestly just deal with it for 3 months. the extra cost is like 40k total and you'll get most of the pension back. not worth stressing over
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.