Finding lost money in Japan.
Japan keeps one national record of the months you were insured, so most lost pension money starts there. Other forgotten savings are harder to trace from abroad.
Last read: 1 November 2026
Pensions
State pension: Nenkin Net (Japan Pension Service). Your pension records, contribution history and benefit estimates. From abroad: Overseas residents can use Nenkin Net. A user ID is issued only if your details match the pension record, and it is posted to your overseas address.
Workplace and private pensions: Japan has no public register that links employers to their pension funds. Ask your former employer which fund held your years.
Key facts and sources
- Registering for Nenkin Net needs either a My Number Card and an email address, or a basic pension number and an email address to get a user ID. Source: Japan Pension Service, read 1 November 2026.
- The Japan Pension Service says people living overseas can use Nenkin Net. Source: Japan Pension Service, read 1 November 2026.
- For overseas residents, a Nenkin Net user ID is issued only if the details entered match the record for the basic pension number, and a postcard with the ID is sent to the overseas address. Source: Japan Pension Service, read 1 November 2026.
- Overseas residents can view the electronic version of the pension notice (nenkin teikibin) on Nenkin Net. Source: Japan Pension Service, read 1 November 2026.
- Under the dormant deposits law, a former depositor can ask the Deposit Insurance Corporation, or a bank it appoints, to pay the principal plus an amount equal to interest. Source: Financial Services Agency, read 1 November 2026.
Other lost money
- Dormant bank accounts: Dormant bank deposits (Ministry of Finance, Chugoku Local Finance Bureau). The page says deposits with no transactions for 10 years or more can still be withdrawn by taking a passbook, seal and ID to the bank where the account was held.
Questions
How do I find a lost pension in Japan?
Start with Nenkin Net, run by the Japan Pension Service, which holds your contribution history. For a workplace fund, ask the former employer, as Japan has no public register linking employers to funds.
Can I check my Japanese state pension from abroad?
Yes. The Japan Pension Service says overseas residents can use Nenkin Net. The user ID is posted to your overseas address, and only if your details match the pension record.
Can I find a forgotten bank account in Japan?
Deposits with no transactions for 10 years or more can still be withdrawn. Take your passbook, seal and ID to the bank where the account was held.
Worked in more than one country?
No national tool looks across borders. PensionHunter traces pensions left behind across borders. It is run by Battersea Park Capital. Capital Find Money's founder has an interest in it, and we feature it because no national tool looks across countries. Try the free lost pension checker. Our own count of pensions left behind and the guides are free.
We always point people to the free government tracing route first, and we take nothing from financial advisers.