You are here  The Coming Spring Shock  The Japan Times ran a
couple of articles last week on the coming changes in health
insurance for foreigners in Japan.  As you are probably already
aware, starting next April, you will have to show proof of
enrollment in shakai hoken (SH) or kokumin kenko hoken (KKH)
when you apply to renew your visa. Jenny Uechi reminds us of the
law:  If you are working for a company in Japan, chances are
that you are (or need to be) enrolled in shakai hoken, in which
you pay half of your health insurance premiums and your company
pays the rest. There isn't much ambiguity about shakai hoken: If
a company employs more than five people, and an employee is
working more than 20 hours a week for a period longer than 2
months, the company is obligated to submit paperwork for an
employee's health insurance and pension to the Social Insurance
Agency within five days of hiring. With shakai hoken comes the
kosei nenkin, or pension plan; the two are a set, and enrollment
is mandatory whether you p