Travel Insurance for Japan

Travel insurance for Japan can bring peace of mind in case of trip cancellation, medical emergencies or unplanned events during your trip. It could save you both time and money if you get ill or have an accident, requiring you to cancel your trip or return home early.

We, and the Japan Tourism Agency, strongly recommend getting travel insurance for your trip to Japan. Hopefully, you won’t have to use it, but the peace of mind that it brings makes it worth the extra cost.

Travel insurance plans usually cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, lost luggage, emergency medical and dental expense, and evacuation in the event of an emergency. Let me explain.

Travel Insurance for Japan

Trip Cancellation

Trip Cancellation covers any out-of-pocket expenses if you have to cancel your trip before you leave. There are different acceptable reasons for cancelling, and these reasons depend on the insurance company and the plan you choose.

Cancel for Any Reason

One upgrade is the ability to cancel for any reason. This allows you to cancel your trip 48 hours before departure for any reason, even if it is not covered by your base plan.

For example, if you have a relative with health issues and there is a possibility of needing to cancel your vacation in order to take care of him or her, then you’ll want to have the ability to cancel for any reason.

Trip Interruption

Trip interruption covers any unused, nonrefundable payments in case you have to end your trip early and return home.

Trip Delay

Trip delay covers expenses due to a delay in starting your trip, such as airline cancellations.

Lost Luggage

Lost Luggage and Delay covers your expenses in case your luggage is delayed or lost when you arrive at your destination.

Be sure to read your plan carefully to see the exact amount of coverage and which items may be excluded.

Medical Emergency

The most important is Medical Emergency so that you are covered in case of an unexpected illness or injury.

Medical care in Japan can be expensive. Although health care is subsidized for residents of Japan, tourists are required to pay the full cost of treatment. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, common ailments are broken bones and heatstroke, and treatment for both can cost several thousand dollars.

It’s also a good idea to check if the plan you are buying covers pre-existing conditions.

Medical Evacuation

Medical Evacuation and Repatriation covers medical transportation to the nearest facility or back to your home country, if necessary.

If your trip includes any type of hiking, mountain climbing, rafting, or other adventurous sports, it is advisable that your plan cover evacuation from remote areas.

Natural Disasters

It’s also good to be protected for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and landslides, which occur regularly in Japan.

Getting Started

Most insurance companies require that you purchase a plan within 15 days of initial trip payment, such as booking non-refundable air tickets or paying a non-refundable deposit.

If you’re just looking for medical coverage, then you can usually buy insurance up until a few days before you leave for your trip.

Recommendations

Traveling to Japan is a big ticket trip, so having an insurance plan that will cover your losses is definitely something to consider if there is any chance that you may need to cancel.

Travel Guard and Travelex both have reasonable rates and cover trip cancellations, trip interruptions and delays, lost luggage, medical expenses, and emergency evacuation.

The actual cost depends on your age and the area where you reside. Review the details of each policy to decide which is best for you.

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