Lump Sum payments

Following on from last week's Zeit Gist article on the insurance probe involving Japan's eikaiwa, Rob has a question on pension refunds.

While foreigners who pay into the national pension system can get up to nearly three years of payments back under the Lump Sum Withdrawal System, Rob is wondering what happens to those who stay in Japan longer.

Unfortunately foreign residents who pay into the system for more than three years still only get 90 percent of three years' premiums back. Why the limit is set at this remains a mystery.