Do Dependent Spouses (扶養) Get a Pension in Japan?

Quick Answer: Yes. A dependent spouse (扶養) whose income stays under ¥1.3M/year is a Category III insured person (第3号被保険者) — you pay no pension premiums, but those years still build your National (basic) Pension. You receive the basic pension only, not the salary-linked Employees' Pension. A full 40-year record pays roughly ¥70,600/month in FY2026, scaled down for fewer years.

If one partner works for a company and the other stays home or works part-time, a common worry is that the non-working spouse is "getting nothing" from the pension system. The good news: that's not how it works. Dependent spouses are covered — but only for one of Japan's two pension layers. This guide explains which one, how much, and what happens if your income crosses the well-known income "walls."

This is educational information, not pension, tax, or legal advice. The rules around dependent status are mid-reform — confirm your situation with the Japan Pension Service and your official record on Nenkin Net.

What is a dependent spouse (扶養 / Category III) in pension terms?

Japan sorts everyone paying into the pension system into three categories. A Category II insured person is a company employee or civil servant enrolled in the Employees' Pension (厚生年金). A Category III insured person (第3号被保険者) is the dependent spouse of a Category II worker, with income under the ¥1.3M annual threshold.

The defining feature of Category III is that you pay no pension premiums yourself — the cost is covered collectively through your spouse's Employees' Pension enrolment. Despite paying nothing directly, every month you spend as a Category III insured person is credited toward your National (basic) Pension exactly as if you had paid the National Pension premium.

How much pension does a dependent spouse actually get?

A dependent spouse receives the National (basic) Pension only — the flat-rate layer. You do not build the Employees' Pension (厚生年金), because that layer is tied to salary and employer enrolment, which Category III status by definition doesn't include.

The basic pension is scaled by your contribution months. A full record of 480 months (40 years) pays about ¥70,600/month in FY2026. Fewer years scale down proportionally — for example, 20 years as a dependent spouse builds roughly half of the full amount. Importantly, Category III months count toward the 10-year (120-month) minimum you need to qualify for any Japanese pension at all, and they combine with any years you spent working or self-employed.

If you want to see your own number, the Japan Pension Estimator has a field called "Extra years on National Pension (国民年金) only" — enter your dependent-spouse years there, and it will show your estimated basic pension.

What happens if your income crosses ¥1.06M or ¥1.3M?

This is where the well-known income "walls" come in. Cross ¥1.3M/year and you generally lose dependent status, meaning you'd need to pay into the pension system yourself. Cross ¥1.06M/year (roughly ¥88,000/month) while working at a qualifying employer and you're enrolled into the Employees' Pension directly — becoming a Category II insured person.

Crossing into Category II isn't a loss for your pension: you start building the salary-linked Employees' Pension on top of the basic pension, which means a larger benefit later. The trade-off is that you (and your employer) now pay premiums. These thresholds and the Category III system itself are under active reform as of 2026, with proposals to phase out the system entirely — so treat any specific figure as current rather than permanent.

For couples weighing whether the lower-earning partner should stay under the wall or earn more, it's worth modelling both paths — our guide on FIRE planning with two incomes walks through the household trade-offs, and how much couples need to retire early puts the pension into the bigger picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a stay-at-home spouse in Japan get a pension? Yes. As a dependent spouse (Category III), you pay no premiums but still build the National (basic) Pension. A full 40-year record pays about ¥70,600/month in FY2026, scaled down for fewer years.

Do dependent-spouse years count toward the 10-year minimum? Yes. Category III months count toward the 120-month (10-year) qualifying period, and they combine with any employee or self-employed months you've accumulated.

Why don't I get the Employees' Pension (厚生年金) as a dependent? The Employees' Pension is a salary-linked layer tied to being enrolled through an employer. Category III status means you're not enrolled as an employee, so you build only the flat-rate basic pension. If you take a job and cross the enrolment threshold, you become Category II and start building the Employees' Pension too.

What happens to my pension if my working spouse passes away? That's a separate benefit — the survivor's pension (遺族年金) — with its own eligibility rules. Your own basic pension is unaffected, but couples should stress-test living on one pension. Confirm the details with the Japan Pension Service.

Are the ¥1.06M and ¥1.3M walls changing? The income thresholds and the Category III system are under reform as of 2026, with proposals to phase out the dependent-spouse category. Check the Japan Pension Service for the current rules before making decisions.

Sources and further reading

Figures reflect FY2026 and the rules in force as of mid-2026. The Category III system, the ¥1.06M and ¥1.3M thresholds, and pension amounts are subject to ongoing reform and annual revision — always confirm your own situation with the Japan Pension Service and your official record on Nenkin Net.