My Experience with POVO After Leaving Japan - A Caution for Foreign Residents

When I was living in Japan (until May 2023), I used KDDI mobile services for many years without any issues. When I was transferred internally to Dubai, I decided to keep my Japanese number active, as I still needed it for banking, online services, and occasional verification.

Before relocating, I switched to povo 2.0, the low-cost mobile plan offered by the KDDI Group. The monthly charge was just 550 yen per phone, and I maintained two connections—one for myself and one for my wife. From May 2023 until August 2025, the charges were automatically deducted from my SMBC cash card, and everything worked smoothly.

After relocating to Dubai, my SMBC cash card expired on April 1, 2025. Since I no longer had a registered address in Japan, I was unable to renew the card. Around the same time, my bank account status changed from a residential account to a non-residential account. As a result, the automatic payments to povo stopped.

At that point, I had a vague concern that something might go wrong in the future. I had heard stories about unpaid bills causing trouble for foreigners when re-entering Japan. However, I didn’t know how to contact povo from overseas or formally cancel the service. There was no simple or clear way for a foreigner living abroad to reach povo support and close the contract properly.

povo’s support system is heavily app-based and Japanese-language oriented. From overseas—without a Japanese phone number or address—contacting customer support felt nearly impossible.

The Lawyer’s Email

Yesterday, I received an email in Japanese from a law office stating that they had been appointed by KDDI Digital Life to collect an outstanding payment.

Below is a summary of what the email stated (translated to English):

Creditor: KDDI Digital Life株式会社

Service: povo 2.0 (August usage fee)

Communication charge: 550 yen

Total claimed amount: 1,320 yen (including fees)

Payment deadline: February 27, 2026

Notice: Legal action may be taken if payment or response is not received

The payment was to be transferred to a Japanese bank account belonging to the law firm by the specified deadline. The amount itself was small—just over 1,000 yen—but receiving a lawyer’s notice over such a minor unpaid telecom bill was stressful and unsettling.

Important Lessons for Foreigners Leaving Japan

If you are a foreign resident in Japan and planning to relocate abroad, the below points would be helpful.

• Always officially cancel your mobile contracts: Do not assume that stopping payment will automatically cancel the service.
• Ensure your payment method remains valid: If your bank card expires, automatic deductions will fail—but the contract may continue.
• Keep screenshots and confirmation emails: If you cancel services through an app, always keep proof.
• Update contact details before leaving Japan: Make sure companies can reach you via email, even after relocation.
• Small unpaid amounts can escalate: Even a 550-yen bill can eventually be transferred to a law firm for collection.

Will This Affect Immigration When Entering Japan?

This is a common concern among former residents. Based on general understanding, unpaid telecom bills are civil contractual matters, not criminal cases. Japanese immigration authorities do not normally check private telecom payment disputes.

Unless the case escalates into a court judgment, criminal case, or serious legal violation, entry to Japan should not be affected.

However, if the debt remains unpaid and progresses into formal legal proceedings, it could create complications. It may also affect future credit checks, especially if you plan to apply for loans, housing, or mobile services in Japan again. For peace of mind, settling the matter properly and obtaining written confirmation is strongly advisable.

Japan is a wonderful country with highly efficient systems. However, those systems often assume that residents will always maintain a Japanese address, a Japanese bank account and they can navigate Japanese-language online platforms

For foreigners leaving Japan, this can unintentionally create problems. If you are moving abroad, make sure to cancel all contracts properly, update or close bank arrangements, keep written confirmations, and never ignore small unpaid amounts. Even a minor oversight can result in formal legal notices years later.

I’m sharing this experience not to criticize, but to help other foreign residents avoid unnecessary stress. If you’ve gone through something similar, feel free to share your experience.

Japanese Pension Secrets Every Indian Employee in Japan Should Know

When I first came to Japan, I was only thinking about salary, tax, rent, savings, and how to survive in Japan. Pension was the last thing on my mind. Like many of us working in Japan, I thought, that retirement is too far and let me first understand how to separate the garbages properly. 

But as years passed, I realized that Japanese pension (年金 – Nenkin) is something we foreign employees cannot ignore. Especially if we plan to return to our home country at the age of 60.

Today, I want to share how Japanese pension amount is calculated, and what difference it makes if we take pension at 60 versus 65.

If you are working in a Japanese company as a full-time employee, most likely you are enrolled in:

National Pension System (Kokumin Nenkin) – Basic pension

Employees' Pension Insurance (Kōsei Nenkin) – For company employees

As a company employee, you are usually paying into both (basic + employees’ pension). The good thing is: your company pays half of the premium. In India, many private employees don’t get this kind of structured retirement system, so in that way Japan is quite systematic.

National Pension

If you pay full National Pension for 40 years (from age 20 to 60), you receive full basic pension from age 65. As of recent figures, full basic pension is roughly around ¥800,000 per year (this amount changes slightly every year).

But most foreign employees don’t stay 40 years in Japan. Suppose:

You worked in Japan for 20 years.

You paid pension for full 20 years.

Then your basic pension will be approximately:

(20 years ÷ 40 years) × full amount

= 1/2 × ¥800,000

= Around ¥400,000 per year (from age 65)

 Actual amount depends on exact months paid.

Employees’ Pension (Kōsei Nenkin Part)

This part depends on:1) Your average monthly salary 2) Number of months you contributed

In simple terms: Higher salary + longer contribution = higher pension. For example: If someone earned an average monthly salary of ¥300,000 and contributed for 20 years, the Employees’ Pension part may give something like ¥500,000–¥700,000 per year (very rough estimate).

So total pension (basic + employees) could be:

Basic: ~¥400,000

Employees: ~¥600,000

Total: ~¥1,000,000 per year from age 65

What If I Return to India at Age 60?

Now comes the real question many Indians ask. If you leave Japan at 60 and go back to India, you have mainly two options:

Apply for Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment (if eligible and within time limit)

Keep your pension record and receive pension from age 65

Japan and India have a Social Security Agreement, so in some cases your contribution period can be combined for eligibility. That agreement is between the Governments of India and Japan, not a private arrangement.

Receiving Pension at 60 vs 65

Normally, standard pension age in Japan is 65. But you can choose early pension (as early as 60) with reduction. Here is the important part. If you start receiving pension at 60, your pension amount is reduced permanently.

Reduction is about 0.4% per month early (this percentage can change by law, so please always check latest information).

If you take pension 5 years early (60 instead of 65):

5 years = 60 months. So, 60 × 0.4% = 24% reduction

So if your pension at 65 was ¥1,000,000 per year, then at 60, it may become: ¥760,000 per year (after 24% reduction). This reduction continues for life.

Simple Comparison

If You Wait Until 65:

Annual pension: ¥1,000,000

No reduction

Higher monthly income for lifetime

If You Take at 60:

Annual pension: ~¥760,000

24% permanently reduced

You get money earlier

If you have other income in India (rent, business, family support), maybe waiting till 65 is better. If you urgently need money at 60, early pension may help.

If you permanently return to India at 60, you must maintain a bank account that can receive international transfers. Also, you must submit “proof of life” documents regularly. In addition the exchange rate (Yen to Rupees) also affects your real income.

When Yen is weak, pension value in INR becomes less. This is something we Indians naturally calculate in our heads. We always convert to rupees.

When I first heard about pension reduction, I felt it was slightly strict. But when I compare with many private sector situations in India where there is no guaranteed pension at all, I feel Japan’s system is at least stable and predictable.

If you are also an Indian in Japan thinking about retirement, I hope this small explanation helps you understand the difference between taking pension at 60 and 65.

Considering Indian Life Expectancy – Is 60 Actually Smarter?

When we discuss pension in Japan, most advice says:

“Wait till 65. You will get more money.”

That is mathematically correct.

But let us think from an Indian point of view.

In India, average life expectancy is around 67 years (approximately, based on recent public data). Of course many people live much longer — 75, 80, even 90 — but statistically speaking, average is not very high compared to Japan.

Now let us do very simple Indian-style calculation.

Case 1: Take Pension at 65

If you start at 65 and average life expectancy is 67:

You receive pension only for about 2 years.

If annual pension is ¥1,000,000:

2 × ¥1,000,000

= ¥2,000,000 total lifetime pension

Case 2: Take Pension at 60 (24% Reduction)

Annual pension becomes about ¥760,000.

But now you receive from age 60 to 67:

7 years × ¥760,000

= ¥5,320,000 total lifetime pension

Even though yearly amount is lower, total lifetime amount is much higher. Many of us return to India at 60. Those years between 60 and 70 are usually, time with family, attending children’s weddings, doing small business, travelling within India etc.

Money at 60 may actually be more useful than higher money at 75. Waiting till 65 is beneficial only if you expect to live much longer

Japan’s average life expectancy is above 80. So the pension system is designed assuming long life. But if we plan to settle in India, our lifestyle, healthcare access, stress level, and genetic factors are different.

So decision should not be emotional — it should be practical.

Pension may look like a boring topic, but after 60, it becomes very interesting. Please check official sources and consult pension office before final decision. I am only sharing what I learned from my search and understanding.