Japan's pension insurance system consists of national pension insurance and generous pension. National endowment insurance, also known as basic endowment insurance, is compulsory insurance for all citizens over 20 and under 65. The welfare pension for the elderly is an annuity added on the basis of the national endowment insurance. The insured object is limited to the working class, and the pension is compulsory for the well-being of the elderly. The premium shall be borne by the government, enterprises and individuals respectively.

The national old-age insurance system operates under the premise of the government, and the insured can receive old-age insurance money for life. According to statistics, the national pension benefits account for 63.6% of the family income of the elderly. This system has become the main guarantee for people's old age and has been playing a very important role. However, with the aging of the population, this old-age insurance system is facing severe challenges.

(B) Japan's aging status and trends

According to the aging standard of the United Nations, countries with population over 65 accounting for more than 7% of the total population are called aging countries. According to the population projection figures released by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on September 19, 2004, the elderly population over 65 years old in Japan has accounted for 20% of the total population, with an average life expectancy of 82 years, among which the elderly population over 90 years old in Japan has reached 10 16000, and the aging trend of Japanese society will be further intensified. It is estimated that the elderly may account for 25% of the total population in the next decade, 28% in 2030 and 33% in 2050. At present, there is an old man for every four staff members. By 2025, there will be one elderly person for every two staff members, and by 2050, there will be one elderly person for every 1.5 staff members. Japan's public pension insurance system is generally regarded as a mixed pension insurance system with pay-as-you-go system as the main body and fund system as the supplement, so the public pension insurance system operates on the basis of intergenerational support. In the 1960s, the average age in Japan was 60 years old, but now the average age has been extended to 82 years old. In the 1960s, the payment period was 10 year, so the payment period nearly doubled. As can be seen from the above data, the burden of old-age insurance premiums for modern workers has obviously increased greatly. Under the situation of aging population, the old pension insurance system can no longer provide necessary social security for more elderly people, so the reform of Japanese pension insurance system is the inevitable result of aging population.

(c) The hollowing out of state pensions

According to statistics, at present, about13 of the insured in Japan refuse to pay or delay to pay the insurance premium. The main reasons are: first, because of poverty, unemployment, disease and other reasons, unable to pay insurance money; Second, it is mainly because young and middle-aged people lack trust in the current state pension and are able to pay but unwilling to pay. They think that a large part of their high endowment insurance premium is used for contemporary endowment expenditure. However, due to the declining birth rate and aging population in recent years, when they are old, the new generation of young people can hardly bear the burden of providing for the elderly. They are increasingly suspicious of the national pension insurance system. If this situation continues, the national old-age insurance system will exist in name only. Therefore, to solve the problem of hollowing out the national pension, it is necessary to reform the old-age insurance system.

Changes in family structure

With the rapid development of Japan's economy after the war, Japan has rapidly entered the ranks of developed countries, and its lifestyle has also undergone major changes. The nuclear family has become smaller and more and more elderly people live alone. In order to ensure the living, medical and nursing expenses of the elderly, the existing pay-as-you-go old-age insurance system can no longer meet these needs of the elderly, so the reform of the old-age insurance system is the inevitable trend of the development of the social security system for the elderly.

Second, Japan's pension system reform content

(A) the reform of the management and operation of endowment insurance

It is very important for the normal operation of the endowment insurance system to manage and operate the endowment insurance fund to maintain and increase its value. In the past, the Japanese government has always been conservative in fund management and operation, mainly operating funds in the form of credit, controlling the direct entry of funds into the capital market. Credit funds are subject to many restrictions, and the results of its fund operation are basically in a deficit state. In order to solve the shortcomings in fund management, Japan has set up an annuity management foundation to expand the participation of private and elite talents in fund management and operation, introduce a competitive mechanism, and guide pension funds to the capital market in a planned and step-by-step manner. In order to strengthen the security of capital operation, a special investment committee has been set up to strictly investigate and examine the funds directly entering the capital market. At the same time, the international accounting standards system will be implemented, and all information about the operating conditions will be completely open and subject to the supervision of the people and the international community.

(2) Postpone the payment period of pension.

In order to alleviate the social pressure brought by the aging population and delay the payment of pensions, the specific measures are as follows: gradually postpone the pension collection time to 65 years old, and increase it by 1 year every three years, starting from 20 13 for men and ending from 20 18 for women until 2030. This reform will effectively reduce the amount of pension payment.

(3) Expand the sources of insurance funds.

In the case of relatively insufficient financial resources for old-age insurance, Japan first reduced the number of years of joining old-age insurance from the previous 25 years to 20 years, extending the time for paying old-age insurance; Secondly, expand the payment base of endowment insurance, that is, include wage income and bonus income into the payment base of insurance; Thirdly, the on-the-job pension has also been revised, stipulating that the object of on-the-job pension includes company employees aged 65-69, who also have to pay insurance money; At the same time, the financial burden rate of basic pension will be increased from the original 1/3 to 1/2.

Implement the nursing insurance system for the elderly.

Since 1990s, with the progress of population aging and childishness.

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