How to evaluate the financial condition of a Japanese spouse

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See also our page on Child support and other public allowances

I am preparing for a divorce trial outside Japan, against my Japanese spouse. I would like to present data on the financial benefits a citizen of Japan has. This assumes:

1) A Japanese citizen of working age, who has worked at least some period in Japan.

2) A Japanese citizen reaching retirement age in Japan.

I believe benefits include:

What else should I know about the financial benefits of Japanese citizenship?

I assume that you are talking about someone who would be unmarried and have custody of a child in Japan.  There are special benefits for such an unmarried parent also.  I think there might be free medical care for the children, and others, but off hand I cant remember the details, but I believe there were some available in the document titled " Marbury v. Madison and The Matrix: What Child Custody and Visitation in Japan Show us about the Japanese Court System" listed on the page about educating western judges about Japan, here:

http://www.crnjapan.com/prevention/en/educating_judges.html

There is a chart used to calculate child support payments in Japan that you might want to use.  (I suspect the amounts tend to be less than in the US.)  They are originally referenced on a Tokyo court website. They may be different, i.e. lower, in other jurisdictions, as this appeared to be a Tokyo court specific site.

Unfortunately I do not know about how much pension she would get if she has not been working in Japan. Certain things are mandatory to contribute to even if you are not working, I think, like national health insurance. But Im not sure about the pension part. It may be that you have to contribute to get it, and if you dont contribute, you dont get any. But if she has been working in Japan, she should have a little book that documents all her contributions. Could these be "community property" for YOU also? You ought to be able to demand to see this also if she has worked there.  I know this is true because I have one of these books myself. Perhaps the form has changed and the info is kept in a computer or something, but Im sure such info exists.

If you need info on her earnings if any in Japan, then she can get copies of past tax bills at the local gov office in Japan. A simple form is all it takes. I have done this myself.

I also just had someone tell me they had "the book on alimony" and would send me a copy of relevant charts. I had asked about financial payment charts and things, so I assume it contains such. I imagine that alimony is also lower in Japan also. You may be able to use that fact to help justify lower alimony if she ever moves back, or as evidence that Japan is a very socialist country with a lot of state provided services. Hence cost of living is not anywhere near as high as we are told, for a native Japanese. (And outside of big cities it is even lower also.) Ill probably announce on the mailing list when I get it.

Bank accounts are difficult, as even Japanese courts cant find them.  But some private detectives in Japan claim to be able to search for them.  Not sure how, but if you suspect s/he has substantial assets, you may want to talk with one.

Property is worth a lot in Japan, and Japanese laws on inheritance guarantees a certain portion to various family members. (And one supreme court case on inheritance of children born out of wedlock.)  So depending on her family situation, there might be some worthwhile property in her family.

A foreign parent in Japan writes:

I don't know much about pension schemes because I haven't gotten there yet myself.  But I do know that if you never paid in, you will never get anything out.  There are plenty of Japanese who worked as "self-employed" and never paid in, that now have no savings and no pension and are completely dependent on their children for financial support.

I did have an experience with the welfare system on behalf of a very old homeless man whom I had befriended when my daughter was born. When my daughter was 5 and he was 80, he took ill in the park and I took him to a private hospital that specializes in caring for indigents (all paid by the government).  It got him out of the rain, but he was constantly hungry (they scrimped on the food).  He was moved after 90 days to a dormitory for indigent men (26 to a room!) which he loved because he could use the ofuro whenever he wanted and he got 3 huge bentos every day.  Finally when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, he was moved into a proper hospital and then later to a hospice sort of hospital where he was treated quite well and where he died.  I do not know if this kind of benefit would be available to a non-Japanese, but I do know that if a homeless man past 65 years old takes ill, there is a government fund in Tokyo covering him, even if he has not paid into a pension plan or into NHI.

Subsidized public housing in all of Tokyo has huge waiting lists and are often done by lottery, so again the result is much like that of applying for public daycare except even worse.  There is regular public housing (not subsidized) that is easier to get.  However, it is close to or at regular market price these days, so hardly worth the effort.