JapanInsurance.net offers English language car insurance services to the foreign community in Japan.
Why create a car insurance business specializing in services for the foreign community?
It had been my dream to create a car insurance service for foreigners living in Japan ever since I entered this industry back in 1998. I originally began my career working for AIU, and then decided to venture out with my own agency specializing in AIU insurance in 2003. Even though AIU is an American company, most of the services offered in Japan cater only to the Japanese-speaking population. Seeing red tape and the obvious language barrier for foreigners made me realize how difficult it must be for foreigners to live and work in Japan comfortably. In essence, that experience formed the beginning of my plan to bridge the communication gap, and relieve some of the stress that most foreigners go through when looking for insurance services.There is a large and cosmopolitan community of foreigners living in Japan, but in stark contrast to this why do so few Japanese speak English? Whether asking for directions or catching the train, ordering food in a restaurant or applying for any kind of service, everything becomes so much more difficult if you can’t speak Japanese. I’m sure many people have been frustrated with mountains of red tape when dealing with real estate agents or when registering at the local ward office. Trying to arrange insurance is no exception - even most Japanese receive only the minimum explanation about the important conditions in their insurance policy. Now, however, you don’t have to give up if you can’t speak Japanese.
The best rule of thumb: Don’t sign an insurance policy that you don’t understand
Do you know the details of your insurance policy? You are probably aware from experience in your own country that it is easy to apply for insurance, but it can be much harder to get an insurance payout. If you don’t know the conditions of your policy, you may run into unforeseen trouble.Let’s say that you find an insurer who speaks English, but…
What exactly do you do if you have an accident…
Can you comfortably answer the following questions?- Are you able to communicate with the other party?
- Can you contact the police to inform them of the accident?
- What must you do if the other party is injured?
- What should you do if you or one of your family members is injured?
- What happens when your car is a write-off?
- How do you arrange repairs for your car?
- How do you communicate with your insurance company to begin the claim process?
Being Japanese myself, and having a great love of traveling overseas, I would sincerely hope that the foreigners living in Japan have a positive experience and fond memories of their time here. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, if you are involved in an accident in a foreign country and find that the people there are unfriendly or don’t treat you with respect, it can cloud the entire image of that country with negative images. In this respect it is unfortunate that Japan’s image isn’t entirely unblemished. The majority of Japanese people shy away from foreigners when asked for help in English. This is from an ingrained shyness and lack of cultural understanding.
We understand how hard it can be to get things done in Japan
We take our work and the services we offer very seriously. We are equally serious about protecting our customers and giving them peace of mind. To achieve this, we have built our business on some simple yet powerful promises.- Before signing any contracts, we will explain exactly what your insurance policy will and won’t cover. If you have any questions about your policy, we are always happy to provide you with an answer.
- In the event of an accident, we will be happy to assist you through the claims process, helping to communicate with the insurance company or the auto repair shop on your behalf.
- Our business is built on the satisfaction of our customers. Without this, we have nothing to offer.
After 7 years of development, “Japan Insurance.net” finally came to fruition in 2005. The reaction from the media has been phenomenal
In addition to our existing team, the Japan Insurance.net project started with the addition of three new staff dedicated to helping foreign drivers with their car insurance needs. All three of our staff is bilingual; one being a native English speaker and the others are Japanese with experience living abroad. In addition to these three there are also two English-speaking AIU adjusters located in the same building who assess insurance claims. Finally, AIU offers excellent back-up services to help you whenever you need it.- AIU 24 hour accident hotline
- AIU drive-in service centers
- AIU Roadside Service
The AIU drive-in service is there to help you in the unfortunate event of an accident. This is a free service that offers a tow-truck, a replacement vehicle and vehicle repairs.
The AIU Roadside Service can be used if your car breaks down. The mechanics who arrive to help you will be from an AIU accredited service center located as close to your breakdown as possible. If they cannot speak English and you need help communicating with them, please feel free to contact us for interpreting assistance.
Please now take the time to think about what is truly important when choosing car insurance. If you are happy with the cheapest policy possible, and are not concerned with the conditions, then you will find many companies willing to take your hard-earned money. The thing that separates Japan Insurance.net from other agencies is that we offer the safety net to help you if you have an accident in Japan in English. Not only does this cut so much of the hassle of getting car insurance, it’s also offered at exactly the same price as Japanese language policies. You won’t be disappointed!
We are looking forward to serving you as a valued client.
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Atsushi Kato, President