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INVESTMENTS - Available-For-Sale Investments in Debt Securities, Perpetual Securities and Equity Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Sep. 30, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
--- | --- | ---
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | $ 74,604 | $ 69,072
Gross Unrealized Gains | 9,677 | 8,722
Gross Unrealized Losses | 1,075 | 1,092
Fair Value | 83,206 | 76,702
Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 72,244 | 66,363
Gross Unrealized Gains | 9,206 | 8,432
Gross Unrealized Losses | 1,035 | 1,035
Fair Value | 80,415 | 73,760
Perpetual securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 1,549 | 1,506
Gross Unrealized Gains | 346 | 176
Gross Unrealized Losses | 32 | 49
Fair Value | 1,863 | 1,633
Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 811 | 1,203
Gross Unrealized Gains | 125 | 114
Gross Unrealized Losses | 8 | 8
Fair Value | 928 | 1,309
Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 37,779 | 32,459
Gross Unrealized Gains | 5,151 | 4,951
Gross Unrealized Losses | 532 | 261
Fair Value | 42,398 | 37,149
Yen-denominated | Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 555 | 624
Gross Unrealized Gains | 95 | 83
Gross Unrealized Losses | 2 | 2
Fair Value | 648 | 705
Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 34,465 | 33,904
Gross Unrealized Gains | 4,055 | 3,481
Gross Unrealized Losses | 503 | 774
Fair Value | 38,017 | 36,611
Dollar-denominated | Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 256 | 579
Gross Unrealized Gains | 30 | 31
Gross Unrealized Losses | 6 | 6
Fair Value | 280 | 604
Japan government and agencies | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 27,027 | 22,857
Gross Unrealized Gains | 3,272 | 3,359
Gross Unrealized Losses | 423 | 160
Fair Value | 29,876 | 26,056
Municipalities | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 1,292 | 1,295
Municipalities | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 315 | 246
Gross Unrealized Gains | 26 | 29
Gross Unrealized Losses | 15 | 8
Fair Value | 326 | 267
Municipalities | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 818 | 894
Gross Unrealized Gains | 148 | 142
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 8
Fair Value | 966 | 1,028
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 456 | 1,337
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 248 | 1,096
Gross Unrealized Gains | 29 | 33
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 8
Fair Value | 277 | 1,121
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 166 | 196
Gross Unrealized Gains | 13 | 20
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | 179 | 216
Public utilities | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 8,015 | 7,683
Public utilities | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 1,643 | 1,533
Gross Unrealized Gains | 369 | 318
Gross Unrealized Losses | 7 | 3
Fair Value | 2,005 | 1,848
Public utilities | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 5,231 | 5,205
Gross Unrealized Gains | 813 | 690
Gross Unrealized Losses | 34 | 60
Fair Value | 6,010 | 5,835
Sovereign and supranational | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 2,029 | 1,469
Sovereign and supranational | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 1,428 | 862
Gross Unrealized Gains | 190 | 186
Gross Unrealized Losses | 3 | 5
Fair Value | 1,615 | 1,043
Sovereign and supranational | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 325 | 335
Gross Unrealized Gains | 89 | 91
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | 414 | 426
Banks/financial institutions | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 7,010 | 6,063
Banks/financial institutions | Perpetual securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 1,627 | 1,420
Banks/financial institutions | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 3,307 | 2,673
Gross Unrealized Gains | 494 | 403
Gross Unrealized Losses | 59 | 74
Fair Value | 3,742 | 3,002
Banks/financial institutions | Yen-denominated | Perpetual securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 1,308 | 1,266
Gross Unrealized Gains | 277 | 128
Gross Unrealized Losses | 32 | 49
Fair Value | 1,553 | 1,345
Banks/financial institutions | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 2,683 | 2,570
Gross Unrealized Gains | 592 | 507
Gross Unrealized Losses | 7 | 16
Fair Value | 3,268 | 3,061
Banks/financial institutions | Dollar-denominated | Perpetual securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 46 | 51
Gross Unrealized Gains | 28 | 24
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | 74 | 75
Other corporate | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 31,575 | 29,699
Other corporate | Perpetual securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Fair Value | 236 | 213
Other corporate | Yen-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 3,811 | 3,192
Gross Unrealized Gains | 771 | 623
Gross Unrealized Losses | 25 | 3
Fair Value | 4,557 | 3,812
Other corporate | Yen-denominated | Perpetual securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 195 | 189
Gross Unrealized Gains | 41 | 24
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | 236 | 213
Other corporate | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 25,092 | 24,556
Gross Unrealized Gains | 2,388 | 2,021
Gross Unrealized Losses | 462 | 690
Fair Value | 27,018 | 25,887
U.S. government and agencies | Dollar-denominated | Fixed maturities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Cost or Amortized Cost | 150 | 148
Gross Unrealized Gains | 12 | 10
Gross Unrealized Losses | 0 | 0
Fair Value | $ 162 | $ 158

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- 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=82897076&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=82897076&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=75030427&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=82897076&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=82896770&loc=d3e26610-111562 + Details
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