Travel Insurance for Japan
From the slopes of Hokkaido to the streets of Tokyo, learn how travel insurance helps Americans safely navigate Japan.
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For information relating to policies purchased prior to October 23 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For plans purchased after October 23 2024, please see below.
- Do I need travel insurance for Japan?
- Travel insurance for activities in Japan
- Travel insurance for medical emergencies in Japan
- Travel insurance for lost bags in Japan
- Travel insurance for stolen items in Japan
- Travel insurance for canceled, interrupted, or delayed trips to Japan
- Tips for traveling to Japan from the United States
Japan is a great destination to wander around historic temples, hit the ski slopes, relax in steaming onsens, and enjoy delicious cuisine.
Experience the bustling markets and nightlife in Tokyo and explore the imperial palaces in Kyoto. Ski some of the deepest snow in the world in the Japanese Alps or be amazed at Japan’s famous landmarks like Mount Fuji.
A trip to Japan is full of amazing adventures, but there are always some less exciting things that can happen. Our nomads visiting Japan have dealt with everything from lost luggage to earthquakes. Because of those unwelcome situations you can encounter on your travels, you may want to consider getting a quote for travel insurance* in Japan.
Do I need travel insurance for Japan?
No matter how rigorous your trip planning is, there’s a possibility of unplanned circumstances that are out of your control. If your flight is delayed for a day and you miss out on the bike tour you had planned in Osaka, or if an immediate family member unexpectedly gets sick and you need to stay home to care for them, travel insurance for Japan may help you get reimbursed for prepaid, non-refundable expenses.
If that Sumo wrestling match gets a little rowdy and you’re injured in the crowd, if the airline loses your bag on the way to Sapporo, or if a volcano erupts and causes you to cut your trip short, at that time you may think travel insurance for Japan is a good idea. It will be too late to get travel insurance after something happens, so you’ll want to get a quote and be covered beforehand. World Nomads offers four plans to choose from.
Travel insurance for activities in Japan
While many head to Japan for its cuisine and culture, there are plenty of sports and outdoor adventures to be had as well. Those seeking fresh powder flock to Japan each winter to hit the slopes. Whether you’re visiting Hokkaido, Kyushu, or Honshu, you’ll find that there are great ski resorts in Japan.
Even if your adventures take you to the ocean floor instead of the mountain tops and you go scuba diving in Japan, you could still be covered with travel insurance. World Nomads covers more than 250 activities for Americans traveling to Japan.
When you get a quote for your travel insurance for Japan, have an idea in mind of your planned activities and adventures. Not everything is covered in each plan, so if you know your adventures ahead of time, you can get the best insurance plan for your vacation. For example, snowboarders hitting up the slopes in a Hokkaido resort will be covered under all plans. However, if you’re interested in snowboarding in the backcountry, you’ll want to choose the Explorer or Epic Plan for full coverage. Freediving in Okinawa will also require an Explorer or Epic Plan.
Travel insurance for medical emergencies in Japan
Your health insurance back home likely doesn’t include coverage in Japan. So, in case you get sick or injured, you may consider travel insurance for Japan that covers overseas emergency medical costs.
Say you had a serious skiing accident while shredding Japan’s fresh powder and you’re so injured that your medical team (plus the 24/7 emergency assistance team) thinks it’s best for you to travel back home to the United States for treatment. Travel insurance that covers emergency evacuation and repatriation could also help cover the costs of getting you there.
Japanese is not the easiest language for American travelers to master - and if you have a medical emergency, it’s not the time to struggle through language barriers. If you can’t find a doctor that speaks English, you can call the 24/7 Emergency Assistance team and they can help translate so that you can get the care you need.
To streamline your experience seeking medical treatment in Japan, we recommend signing up for FootprintID before your trip. This non-insurance service is a portable personal health record where your documents, prescriptions, test results, and emergency contacts are accessible in one place anywhere in the world. Whether you need to refill a prescription or deal with a more serious injury, FootprintID expedites the process.
Travel insurance for lost bags in Japan
A common insurance claim that we get from Americans traveling to Japan is for lost luggage. If you are left waiting at the airport carousel in Tokyo and your bag is at least 12 hours delayed, your travel insurance for Japan may reimburse you for a change of clothes and toiletries until your bag makes its way to you.
The first step when you realize your luggage hasn’t arrived at the same time you have is to contact the airline. The second step is to contact Blue Ribbon Bags, which all plans include. Blue Ribbon Bags is a non-insurance service that will track and expedite the return of your undelivered baggage by the airline. Make sure to have the file reference or record locator number and Property Irregularity Report on hand when you call Blue Ribbon Bags so you can file a lost luggage claim.
Travel insurance for stolen items in Japan
Japan is a safe country, but in busy, touristy areas, petty theft can still happen. If you’re at the crowded Cherry Blossom Festival and are stopping to smell the flowers, you could be distracted and end up becoming a victim of pickpocketing. If something like this happens, make sure you file a police report. You’ll need that if you make a claim.
Just make sure you’re also doing your part to try to avoid lost and stolen items. If you overindulge in Sake and leave your expensive jacket in a bar, we won’t be able to cover that.
Travel insurance for canceled, interrupted, or delayed trips to Japan
Japan is a country of many wonders, but there’s also a plethora of natural disasters that can happen there. This island nation is in an active seismic zone, so earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, and volcanic eruptions may occur. Depending on where you are and the time of year, typhoons and snowstorms are also situations you may face.
A good travel insurance for Japan may reimburse you for unused, prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses if your trip is canceled, delayed, or interrupted for a covered reason. For example, if your trip to Okinawa gets canceled because a typhoon makes your destination residence uninhabitable you may be reimbursed for non-refundable tours and hotel accommodations you paid for in advance. Just make sure you keep all receipts and documentation in case you need to make a claim.
The Explorer and Epic Plan also covers various travel inconveniences that you may encounter on your Japan vacation, if you purchased your plan within the time sensitive period. For example, if you planned a winter ski vacation to Niseko, but the resort closed due to a lack of snow, you may get compensated.
Or let’s say you get delayed leaving Japan because an earthquake hits, and you arrive home a few days later than anticipated. Your dog is in the kennel, and you have now accrued additional fees. Your insurance with the Explorer or Epic Plan also covers pet kenneling.
Tips for traveling to Japan from the United States
Many Americans visiting Japan love the unique cultural experiences, outdoor adventures, and delicious food. Direct flights from the US make it easy to visit, and the Shinkansen Bullet Trains make it simple to get around much of the country.
If you purchase travel insurance for Japan, it’s a good idea to save the 24/7 Emergency Assistance phone number and your plan number in your cell phone so you don’t have to search for that if an emergency happens.
While Japan is welcoming to Americans, you may find it helpful to review the US government’s safety warnings for Japan to keep updated on potential travel alerts. To help you further plan, we invite you to check out more of our travel tips for Japan and read up on some destination inspiration.
*All information we provided here is a brief summary. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions of the plans described. Please carefully read your state specific plan documents for a full description of coverage. Travel insurance is included as part of your travel protection plan which contains both insurance benefits and non-insurance assistance services. Material included on this page does not represent, nor is it specific to, United States Fire Insurance Company or travel insurance benefits provided on United States Fire Insurance Company’s travel protection plans.Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Protection
Protect your hard earned vacation from unexpected cancellation.
- Standard Plan: $2,500
- Explorer Plan: $10,000
- Epic Plan: $15,000
- Annual Plan: $5,000
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalised?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Close relative suddenly dies?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Insurance
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
- Standard Plan: $125,500
- Explorer Plan: $150,000
- Epic Plan: $250,000
- Annual Plan: $100,000
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need meds quick?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Evacuation
We'll provide assistance to get you to the hospital or home quickly.
- Standard Plan: $400,000
- Explorer Plan: $500,000
- Epic Plan: $700,000
- Annual Plan: $100,000
Emergency Evacuation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medivac home?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Covers the loss, theft or damage of your bags, tech and gear.
- Standard Plan: $1,000
- Explorer Plan: $2,000
- Epic Plan: $3,000
- Annual Plan: $2,000
Protect your gear
- Passport stolen?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Bags delayed?
Help starts here.
The amounts listed represent the maximum benefit amount.
Protect your health
- 24/7 Emergency Assistance Help Line
- Emergency Medical & Dental Expenses
- Emergency Evacuations
- Bedside Companion Travel
- Emergency Medications
Protect Your Trip
- Trip Cancellation
- Optional Cancel for Any Reason (Explorer or Epic)
- Trip Delay & Trip Interruption
- Missed Connection (Explorer or Epic)
- Rental Car Damage (Explorer, Epic or Annual)
Protect Your Stuff
- Baggage Delay
- Passport and Visa Loss
- Lost or Stolen Bags
- Personal Tech, Equipment & Gear
- Baggage Return After Evacuation
Non-Insurance Services
- Medical & Non-Medical 24/7 Emergency Assistance Line
- Translators Available
- Runway Health
- FootprintID
- Blue Ribbon Bags
24/7 emergency assistance
Whether you need medical or dental assistance or advice, emergency evacuation or travel assistance, our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Wherever you are, we’re here 24/7 to help you in any emergency.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact Generali Global Assistance:
Telephone:
+1 954-334-8143 (Collect outside the US)
+1 877-289-0968 (Toll-free in the US and Canada
Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.