Pension Division in Divorce in Japan: Agreed vs. Category 3 Division

Japan's pension division system splits Employee Pension records accumulated during marriage upon divorce. Agreed Division (Employee Pension Act Art. 78-2): requires mutual agreement or court decision on split ratio (up to 50%, courts typically grant 50%), applies to divorces after April 2007. Category 3 Division (Art. 78-14): automatic 50% split for Category 3 insured periods (dependent spouse) after April 2008, no consent required. Deadline: within 2 years of divorce. Only Employee Pension proportional component is divided (not National Pension basic benefit, corporate pensions, or iDeCo). Split affects future pension amounts, not immediate payments.