Driving in Japan as a foreigner comes with challenges — unfamiliar traffic tickets, driving on the left and language barriers. Recently, more tourists have been involved in car crashes, often due to misreading road signs or misjudging road conditions. Japan also has the highest elderly driving population in the world, leading to a high number of accidents among drivers over 65. So, what should you do if you get into a car accident in Japan? This guide walks you through the steps, from handling the immediate aftermath to dealing with legal and insurance matters, especially if you’re at fault.
- What to Do After a Minor Accident
- What to Do Immediately After a Serious Accident
- After the Accident: Legal Steps and Follow-Up
- What Happens If I Get Into a Bicycle Accident?
- Foreigners’ Car Insurance and Accident Handling
What to Do After a Minor Accident
If the accident is minor—meaning no injuries and only minor vehicle damage—follow these steps:
Move Your Vehicle to a Safe Place
- Turn on your hazard lights.
- Move to the side of the road or a safe location if possible.
Call the Police (Dial 110)
- Reporting even minor accidents is legally required in Japan.
- If the other party refuses to share information or disputes fault, involving the police ensures an official record.
Exchange Information
- Swap details with the other driver, including:
- Name, address, and phone number
- Driver’s license number
- Vehicle license plate number
- Insurance provider and policy number
- If there are witnesses, try to get their contact information.
Take Photos and Document the Scene
- Capture vehicle damage, the accident location, and any relevant road signs or signals.
- Note the date, time, and weather conditions.
Contact Your Insurance or Rental Car Company
- Report the accident and follow their instructions.
- If you’re in a rental car, inform the rental company immediately.
What to Do Immediately After a Serious Accident
Preventing secondary accidents is the top priority. According to Article 72 of the Road Traffic Act, drivers involved in an accident must stop their vehicle, assist the injured and take measures to prevent further hazards.
1. Move Your Vehicle to a Safe Place
If an accident occurs on a highway, the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) recommends the following:
- Turn on your hazard lights.
- Park on a wide shoulder or roadside if possible.
- If there is no safe space, move the vehicle as far away from traffic as possible.
On general roads, the principle remains the same: after stopping your car, do not stay inside—move to a safe location.
2. Call the Police (Dial 110)
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- External Link
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9 Comments
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Desert Tortoise
Use a dash cam. Bring one with you if you are going to rent a car while on vacation. It will put an end to the he-said, she-said nonsense.
GuruMick
Learn the Japanese for..."No Officer, I haven't been drinking "
Brian Nicholls
This article ignores one vital point for foreign visitors to Japan. Because of the difficulty (and additional cost) of getting a SIM card that allows voice calls, most overseas tourists in Japan travel using data only SIMs. This means that in the event of an accident you can't make calls. One way around this used to be add credit to your Skype account so that you could make calls using Skype. This was my preferred option. However, with Microsoft axing Skype in May that option will disappear. I have been looking into this for my own next trip to Japan in May. Some sites have suggested it may be possible to call landlines from WhatsApp, but others have said this doesn't work in Japan. I very much doubt that overseas tourists even consider this issue when they travel in Japan with data only SIMs and then rent cars. I suspect that if they have an accident they may have to rely on borrowing a phone to make the necessary calls.
OssanAmerica
Just don't sit there squatting and screaming like in the photo.
Brian Nicholls
Additional to my previous comment. Yesi k ow you can make 110 or 119 calls even with a data SIM, but you won't be able to call the car rental company or anyone else you may need to notify.
browny1
As Desert Tortoise said - get a dash-cam.
My close friend - also my insurance agent - advised me years ago to get one, even a ￥5,000 el cheapo one.
He said with claims, the clients with dash-cam footage almost always are the winners. Even if they're not 100% clear on the causes, they are a big plus in the eyes of police and insurance companies.
I finally got a front and rear cam 2 years ago and thankfully haven't had to use it as evidence - altho I've recorded plenty of dumb acts by drivers.
I guess the only -ive would be if you're the one doing the dumb act - lol.
falseflagsteve
Been in three accidents in Japan as a passenger all caused by other drivers distracted and breaking the rules.
Never driven myself and never intend to, you see.
Chico3
I got into an accident a few years ago. It was a side swipe by the other party (Japanese) who was trying to move in quickly. My wife (Japanese) was with me and I was driving. I had to swerve to directly hit the guy, and I had the right of way. Luckily it was a swipe dent to the car and no one was hurt. However, the other party was really stunned. My wife and I checked both us and the other party if we were okay. We also had the dashcam on our car to prove the accident. It was also helpful that the other party admitted fault, too.
The police came and got the info. Luckily for the other party, the car was a rental. In the end, the fault was 10/90 our favor. The other party's insurance company paid our damage costs.
However, we were in the middle of looking for a new car and it would have cost more to fix our car than what the car was worth. So, we used that money, along with our car as a trade-in. It was more than well drivable and didn't lose anything on the trade-in.
We didn't have much damage to our insurance rating, and both the other party and us followed the law and reporting procedures.
Chico3
The attached articles didn't mention anything about bicycle accidents if there's more than one person riding illegally (ie. one person riding while the passenger is riding on the rack behind the cyclist's seat). It happens in my neighborhood a lot.