How much of your salary do you actually keep in Japan?

Ask most people in Japan how much they take home and they'll shrug — the number that lands in the bank is usually 75% to 80% of the gross figure on the contract, and the gap surprises almost everyone at first.

Five things get withheld before you see the money: health insurance, employees' pension, employment insurance, income tax and resident tax. Company employees split the insurance premiums with their employer, so only half of each rate comes out of your pay.

One quirk worth knowing: resident tax is billed a year behind, based on last year's income. If you arrived in Japan partway through the year, your first year carries little or no resident tax at all — so don't get used to that number.

The Salary & Take-home Pay calculator does the full breakdown for any gross salary, monthly or annual, employee or self-employed.