Survivors' pension in Japan
Who receives it and how much (fiscal year 2026)
When a person covered by the Japanese pension system dies, the family they supported may receive a survivors' pension. There are two kinds: Survivors' Basic Pension from National Pension, for a spouse with children or for children, and Survivors' Employees' Pension for families of company employees.
Checked against the Japan Pension Service's English pages and fiscal year 2026 amounts in October 2026
Key points
- Survivors' Basic Pension: ¥847,300 a year, plus ¥243,800 each for the first two children
- Survivors' Employees' Pension: 3/4 of the earnings-related part of the deceased's old-age employees' pension
- Claim at a pension office within 5 years; by mail if you live abroad
This site is mainly in Japanese. English pages: When a family member dies in Japan ・ Heirs living outside Japan ・ Japanese inheritance tax for foreign nationals ・ Survivors' pension ・ Registering inherited real estate. Easy Japanese: やさしい日本語
Survivors' Basic Pension
- Who: the spouse who takes care of the deceased's child, or the child. A child is eligible until March 31 after turning 18 (20 with a disability of grade 1 or 2)
- How much: ¥847,300 a year, plus ¥243,800 for each of the first two children and ¥81,300 for each further child (a spouse born on or before April 1, 1956: ¥844,900). If only children receive it, the total is shared among them (Japan Pension Service)
- The deceased must have met the contribution requirements (paid or exempted for most of their coverage periods)
Survivors' Employees' Pension
- Who: in order, the spouse or children, then parents, grandchildren, and grandparents who were supported by the deceased. A wife under 30 with no child receives it for 5 years. A husband, parent, or grandparent must be 55 or older, and payment starts at 60 (Japan Pension Service)
- How much: 3/4 of the earnings-related part of the deceased's old-age employees' pension. If they died while insured, it is calculated with at least 300 months of coverage
- Widows aged 40 to 64 with no eligible child receive an additional ¥635,500 a year
- From 65: your own old-age employees' pension is paid first, and the survivors' pension only adds the difference
Examples: a wife whose husband died while employed
First-year annual amounts. Wife under 65 (40 or older if no child), coverage counted as 25 years.
| Husband's average monthly pay | No child | 1 child | 2 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¥300,000 | ¥1,005,467 | ¥1,461,067 | ¥1,704,867 |
| ¥400,000 | ¥1,128,790 | ¥1,584,390 | ¥1,828,190 |
| ¥500,000 | ¥1,252,112 | ¥1,707,712 | ¥1,951,512 |
A larger table is on our Japanese page 遺族年金の早見表. Rules change for deaths from April 2028.
How to claim
Claim at a pension office or pension consultation center, within 5 years. You usually need a family register showing your relationship, proof that you lived together, proof of your income, and a bank account. If you live outside Japan, send the claim by mail. If the person was receiving a pension, also claim the unpaid pension (Japan Pension Service).
FAQ
My husband was a company employee and we have no children. What do I receive?
Survivors' Employees' Pension: 3/4 of the earnings-related part of his old-age employees' pension. If he died while insured, it is calculated as if he had been insured for 25 years. If you were 40 to 64 when he died, an additional benefit for middle-aged widows is added. A wife under 30 with no child receives it for 5 years only.
I live outside Japan. Can I claim?
Yes. Send the claim by mail to the Japan Pension Service headquarters or the branch office for your last address in Japan. To receive the pension at a bank outside Japan, you also submit a notification of your overseas bank account.
The person who died was receiving a pension.
Report the death and claim the unpaid pension benefits (the pension up to the month of death that was not yet paid) at the same time.
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