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INVESTMENTS - Available-For-Sale Investments in Debt Securities, Perpetual Securities and Equity Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Sep. 30, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015
--- | --- | ---
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | $ 74,148 | $ 62,963
Gross Unrealized Gains | 10,745 | 6,627
Gross Unrealized Losses | 1,094 | 1,796
Fair Value | 83,799 | 67,794
Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 70,929 | 60,642
Gross Unrealized Gains | 10,515 | 6,405
Gross Unrealized Losses | 917 | 1,698
Fair Value | 80,527 | 65,349
Perpetual securities: |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 1,950 | 1,841
Gross Unrealized Gains | 170 | 200
Gross Unrealized Losses | 126 | 94
Fair Value | 1,994 | 1,947
Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 1,269 | 480
Gross Unrealized Gains | 60 | 22
Gross Unrealized Losses | 51 | 4
Fair Value | 1,278 | 498
Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 33,189 | 25,592
Gross Unrealized Gains | 6,462 | 3,067
Gross Unrealized Losses | 170 | 148
Fair Value | 39,481 | 28,511
Yen-denominated | Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 724 | 472
Gross Unrealized Gains | 32 | 19
Gross Unrealized Losses | 42 | 4
Fair Value | 714 | 487
Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 37,740 | 35,050
Gross Unrealized Gains | 4,053 | 3,338
Gross Unrealized Losses | 747 | 1,550
Fair Value | 41,046 | 36,838
Dollar-denominated | Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 545 | 8
Gross Unrealized Gains | 28 | 3
Gross Unrealized Losses | 9 | 0
Fair Value | 564 | 11
Japan government and agencies | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 22,563 | 17,293
Gross Unrealized Gains | 4,700 | 1,862
Gross Unrealized Losses | 23 | 0
Fair Value | 27,240 | 19,155
Municipalities | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 1,353 | 1,208
Municipalities | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 223 | 128
Gross Unrealized Gains | 44 | 9
Gross Unrealized Losses | 2 | 0
Fair Value | 265 | 137
Municipalities | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 929 | 926
Gross Unrealized Gains | 162 | 151
Gross Unrealized Losses | 3 | 6
Fair Value | 1,088 | 1,071
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 1,228 | 582
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 969 | 322
Gross Unrealized Gains | 45 | 33
Gross Unrealized Losses | 3 | 0
Fair Value | 1,011 | 355
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 202 | 200
Gross Unrealized Gains | 15 | 27
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | 217 | 227
Public utilities | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 8,509 | 7,479
Public utilities | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 1,667 | 1,400
Gross Unrealized Gains | 371 | 210
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 10
Fair Value | 2,038 | 1,600
Public utilities | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 5,721 | 5,464
Gross Unrealized Gains | 804 | 636
Gross Unrealized Losses | 54 | 221
Fair Value | 6,471 | 5,879
Sovereign and supranational | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 1,598 | 1,407
Sovereign and supranational | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 943 | 791
Gross Unrealized Gains | 205 | 180
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | 1,148 | 971
Sovereign and supranational | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 355 | 331
Gross Unrealized Gains | 95 | 105
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | 450 | 436
Banks/financial institutions | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 6,344 | 6,019
Banks/financial institutions | Perpetual securities: |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 1,768 | 1,742
Banks/financial institutions | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 2,752 | 2,321
Gross Unrealized Gains | 411 | 325
Gross Unrealized Losses | 99 | 105
Fair Value | 3,064 | 2,541
Banks/financial institutions | Yen-denominated | Perpetual securities: |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 1,679 | 1,581
Gross Unrealized Gains | 138 | 143
Gross Unrealized Losses | 126 | 93
Fair Value | 1,691 | 1,631
Banks/financial institutions | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 2,754 | 2,865
Gross Unrealized Gains | 537 | 634
Gross Unrealized Losses | 11 | 21
Fair Value | 3,280 | 3,478
Banks/financial institutions | Dollar-denominated | Perpetual securities: |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 53 | 77
Gross Unrealized Gains | 24 | 35
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 1
Fair Value | 77 | 111
Other corporate | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 34,089 | 29,378
Other corporate | Perpetual securities: |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 226 | 205
Other corporate | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 4,072 | 3,337
Gross Unrealized Gains | 686 | 448
Gross Unrealized Losses | 43 | 33
Fair Value | 4,715 | 3,752
Other corporate | Yen-denominated | Perpetual securities: |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 218 | 183
Gross Unrealized Gains | 8 | 22
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | 226 | 205
Other corporate | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 27,629 | 25,154
Gross Unrealized Gains | 2,424 | 1,774
Gross Unrealized Losses | 679 | 1,302
Fair Value | 29,374 | 25,626
U.S. government and agencies | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 150 | 110
Gross Unrealized Gains | 16 | 11
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | $ 166 | $ 121

X
- Definition Amount before tax of unrealized gain in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investments in debt securities classified as available-for-sale. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27161-111563 + Details
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- Definition Amount before tax of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investments in debt securities classified as available-for-sale. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27161-111563 + Details
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- Definition Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65884222&loc=d3e22054-111558 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph (aa) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27232-111563 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66010992&loc=d3e26610-111562 + Details
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