On the Japanese retirement lump sum: loyalty no longer welcomed.

In previous papers, I clearly showed that the annuity part of the Japanese employment pension is miserable and although the lump sum part is fairly good, most of it is spent on renovating housing. This paper shows that this vital element of the Japanese pension system is being eroded at a time when pensioners are in dire need. Also, the erosion is being done in such a way as to encourage earlier retirement and this at a time when the population is ageing fast, thus compounding the problem. It therefore behoves of all those nations that aspire to emulate Japan to think twice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]