Staff writer

KYOTO -- Local foreign and Japanese private university teachers have formed a group to study an issue that affects nearly all foreigners working for Japanese employers -- a pension system that pays out less the longer you work.

"Under the current system, you must work for a minimum of 20 to 25 years in order to qualify for a full pension. If you don't stay the required length of time, you could lose a lot, if not most, of what you've paid into the system," said Paul Jaffe, an American instructor at Ryukoku University and head of the group.