Leaving Japan w/o paying NHI bills?

Hello, sorry if this question has been posted before, I did a search and couldn't find an answer.

I'm working as a private ALT and I am leaving Japan in a few weeks, but still have installments that I haven't yet paid on my National Health Insurance. Do I need to make sure I pay them before I leave? Would there be consequences if I didn't?

Any info or advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks

If you ever come back to Japan to live, it's very possible that you will receive bills from your old ward/city office as soon as you register with the new one, with large fines attached for lateness. This is what happened to me with my ward taxes when I left Japan years ago thinking I wouldn't come back but ended up back here around a year later.

If you think you will never come back to Japan, then it's probably just whether you feel good about leaving bills unpaid I suppose- they aren't going to track you down overseas to demand payment.

Thank you for your reply, it is very helpful. As I may wish to come back to Japan in the future, perhaps then it would be better to make sure I pay, though I'm uncertain whether NHI is dealt with the same way as ward taxes are (?). My only problem is that NHI premiums are bloody extortionate T_T

As I may wish to come back to Japan in the future, perhaps then it would be better to make sure I pay

A decent person would do so even without plans to return to Japan.

i would pay only up until the month that im in japan. did you also cancel it? show them your boarding ticket or something that you are returning to your country so they dont keep billing you.

and if you plan on returning to japan to LIVE, pay. if you only come and visit as tourist, dont need to pay.

Thanks for the advice, I'll make sure it's sorted before I leave.