Car Insurance

Car Insurance

Car insurance is very important because, in addition to protection from the unpredictable costs associated with an accident, you are simply not allowed to drive a vehicle that is not covered by car insurance.

Below are some pros and cons of car insurance in Japan; which is followed by a discussion about some particular car insurance companies.

General Pros and Cons

First, here are some general pros and cons of car insurance in Japan:

Pros:

• The comprehensive cover here does seem to be pretty comprehensive.

Cons:

• Some insurance companies in Japan have a policy of not auto-renewing your policy, which is valid for 1 year. In the event that you do not recognize the renewal notice in your post, your insurance policy may EXPIRE; turning you into a criminal (since it is illegal to drive without protection)!

List of Car Insurers

Tokio Marine Nichido

Link: Tokio Marine Nichido.

• Call Center: 0120-119-110 (Toll Free)
• English Support Line: 0120-921-911 (Toll Free)

Pros:

• They have a more-or-less 24 hour support line in English. This is very useful if you have any queries or want to make changes to your policy.
• In the event of a breakdown, they have provided transport to a service station for our car, for free.
• In the event of a breakdown, they have also reimbursed us for taxi fare or train fare to get back home.
• They have also provided us with a courtesy car while our car is in for repairs.
• I think that this is for a reasonable (about) 3000 yen per month.

Cons:

• This company subscribes to the insanity of not auto-renewing your insurance policy at the end of your contract period (1 year). (To avoid this fate, there is an optional product you can buy from the company which will automatically renew your insurance in the event that your renewal notice is not received.)

Other

If your car insurance company is not listed here, please add if for the benefit of the community.