The Japan Pension Service announced that, starting October 1, 2026, a new exemption from National Pension premiums has begun for people raising children ^[1]. Under this system, Category 1 National Pension insured persons—self-employed people, farmers, students, and unemployed individuals aged 20 to under 60—who are raising a child can have their National Pension premiums exempted for the period until the child turns one year old ^[1]. The exemption is available to those raising a child, whether birth or adoptive parents, and applies regardless of income once an application is filed ^[1]. Importantly, the exempted period is still counted as if premiums were paid when calculating the old-age basic pension benefit amount, so the exemption does not reduce future pension entitlements ^[1].

Separately, the Japan Pension Service reported that as of October 2026, the wage requirement for part-time workers to join social insurance (health insurance and employees' pension insurance) has been abolished, under the 2025 Pension System Reform Act (Act No. 74 of 2025) ^[2]. Previously, part-time workers needed to meet a wage threshold of at least 88,000 yen per month in basic pay to be covered; this requirement has now been removed ^[2]. The remaining conditions for enrollment are that scheduled weekly working hours be at least 20 hours, that the employer have at least 51 employees, and that the worker not be a student ^[2]. People receiving a special minimum wage reduction exemption under Article 7 of the Minimum Wage Act, with basic pay below 88,000 yen per month, are in principle excluded from mandatory enrollment, but they may opt in upon request ^[2].

The Japan Pension Service also announced a new premium adjustment system beginning October 2026, designed to temporarily reduce social insurance premium burdens for employees newly subject to coverage under the expanded eligibility rules ^[3]. Under this system, employers may temporarily shoulder part of an employee's social insurance premium, reducing the employee's burden for a combined total of three years from when the system is used, without increasing the employer's final premium payments or affecting the employee's future pension benefits ^[3]. The system is available to offices that newly became voluntary specified applicable establishments on or after October 1, 2026, and will extend to establishments newly designated as specified applicable establishments through the coverage expansion effective October 1, 2027 ^[3].

Foreign residents working part-time or raising young children in Japan should check the Japan Pension Service's official pages for exact application procedures, as the sources did not provide detailed filing instructions.

Source credit 出典：「2026（令和8）年10月1日から国民年金保険料の育児免除制度が始まりました」（日本年金機構）（https://www.nenkin.go.jp/oshirase/taisetu/kojin/2026/202610/100103.html）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 出典：「2026（令和8）年10月に社会保険の短時間労働者に係る賃金要件が撤廃されました」（日本年金機構）（https://www.nenkin.go.jp/oshirase/taisetu/jigyosho/2026/202610/100104.html）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 出典：「2026（令和8）年10月から、健康保険・厚生年金保険の保険料調整制度が始まりました」（日本年金機構）（https://www.nenkin.go.jp/oshirase/taisetu/jigyosho/2026/202610/100103.html）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 This article is Japan News's own English summary of the Japanese original. It has been translated and edited by Japan News; it is not an official translation, and the Japan Pension Service did not write or review it.