Gaijin Money is a tips log about money in Japan.
I live in Japan, and my expat friends kept asking me the same questions. Can I use furusato nozei? Is NISA worth opening? How do I get my pension back when I leave? The answers exist, but mostly in Japanese, spread across government websites and fine print. When English pages exist, they are often short or out of date.
So I started writing the answers down in plain English, one question at a time. This site is that collection.
Who this is for
People who live in Japan but didn’t grow up with its systems. You might be a company employee, a student, a freelancer, or a family member. You might read Japanese a little, or not at all.
What I cover
- Furusato nozei (hometown tax donation): how it works, your deduction limit, the one-stop exception, and return gifts.
- NISA and kodomo NISA: who can open an account, the limits, and what happens when you move abroad.
- iDeCo: who can join, contribution limits, fees, and when you can withdraw.
- Pension (nenkin): what you pay, and the lump-sum refund when you leave Japan.
- Banking: what you need to open an account, and banks that work in English.
How I write these guides
- Official sources first. I start with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the National Tax Agency (NTA), the Financial Services Agency (FSA), the Cabinet Office, the official iDeCo site, and the Japan Pension Service. For portals, banks, and brokers, I use each company’s official pages and FAQs. I don’t use other blogs as the source of a rule.
- A link next to each fact, so you can check it yourself.
- Dated rules. Each guide shows the date its information was checked. Japanese tax rules change often, so check the date.
- Plain English. Japanese terms come with the original word, so you can match them to the forms you receive.
What this site is not
I’m not a tax accountant or a financial adviser, and these guides are not tax, legal, or investment advice. I explain how the systems work and what the official rules say. I don’t tell you how much to donate, which fund to buy, or which account to open. For your own situation, ask a licensed tax accountant (zeirishi, 税理士) or your local tax office.
How this site is funded
Some guides contain affiliate links, for example to Rakuten or Amazon. If you use them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what I write. Details are in the Disclaimer.
Contact
Found a mistake, or have a question you’d like answered in a guide? Use the contact form.