Survey on the Effect of Pension System Rules for
        Non-Japanese Working in Educational Institutions in Japan

Dear Colleagues

This survey is part of a movement to investigate important inequities in
the private university pension system which will likely have an adverse
effect on your financial status. We request your cooperation in our
efforts to redress this inequitable treatment.

Many teachers and other employees are paying a substantial amount into the
pension fund every month, but may not be aware that upon leaving they
could receive only a small portion of their contributions as a one-time
lump-sum payout.

The private university pension system provides a number of ways for
Japanese members to make up insufficient years of service which are not
available to non-Japanese.

Since the minimum length of service to qualify for benefits is 20-25 years
(depending on date of birth), a large number of non-Japanese employees are
likely to go home having worked their core career years here, but not
receive significant benefits from their contributions to the system.
Alternatively, some will feel forced to make important life decisions as
to where they live and work based on the inability to recover their
contributions should they leave. Further information regarding this issue
is contained on the summary of a forum held November 20, 1997.
(http://www.kyoto-su.ac.jp/~trobb/pensummary.html)

The Shiritsu Daigaku Kyoiku Renmei (Education Federation of Private
Universities) which is the umbrella organization for university labor
unions, is attempting to bring this issue to national attention so that a
more equitable arrangement can be established.

The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide the working committee with
the information it needs in order to proceed with its efforts to change
this system. We appreciate your taking the time to fill out this brief
questionnaire and to bring it to the attention of other people affected by
this issue.

Anyone interested in contributing their skills and efforts to this
campaign is invited to contact Thomas Robb at <tom@robb.net>.


                            PENSION SYSTEM SURVEY

Note: All information supplied below, including your name and address,
will be kept in the utmost confidence.

SURNAME__________________________  GIVEN NAME __________________ AGE______

MARRIED?  [ ]Yes    [ ]No    NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS:___  (Include spouse if
                                              dependent for tax purposes)
NATIONALITY____________________

TYPE OF INSTITUTION             EMPLOYMENT STATUS:  
 [ ] Elementary    [ ] Public    [ ] Tenured
 [ ] Junior High   [ ] Private   [ ] Contract with no limitations on renewals
 [ ] High School                 [ ] Contract with limitations on renewability
 [ ] Senmon Gakko                [ ] Part-time
 [ ] Junior College
 [ ] University                 School Name____________________________

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF JAPAN?                ______ yrs

YEARS IN SYSTEM: How many years have you been employed in a
position that has required you to pay into the retirement        ______ yrs
system?

EXPECTED YEARS IN SYSTEM: What is your best estimate for the
total number of years you are likely to have accumulated as a
member of the pension system (i.e., having monies deducted from
your paycheck for pension benefits) by the time you leave Japan? ______ yrs

WHY MIGHT YOU LEAVE?

 [ ] to take care of parents
 [ ] for my children's education
 [ ] to return to my own culture
 [ ] to work in another culture
 [ ] to find another kind of work
 [ ] because my contract has lapsed
 [ ] lack of work
 [ ] other:______________________________________________________________


IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, WHICH OPTION WOULD SUIT YOU BEST?

 [ ] Originally to have had a choice as to whether to join the
     retirement system or to arrange my own pension and disability
     plan independently.

 [ ] To have my payments returned (with or without interest).

 [ ] To receive a partial retirement benefit upon reaching 65 based
     on the number of years paid into the system.

 [ ] To allow working periods outside Japan to be counted towards
     the required 20-25 years.

CONTACT ADDRESS: If you would like to receive information
   on the progress of this effort, please leave
   your e-mail address:                       _____________________________

This form may be given to anyone with WWW (Internet) access so that the
data can be input at the following URL:

       http://www.kyoto-su.ac.jp/~trobb/pension.html

Alternately, this form can be faxed to: (075) 415-1093 or sent to:
  Thomas Robb, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Kyoto Sangyo University,
      Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8555