Safety & insurance
Ski safely in Japan
Emergency numbers, travel insurance that covers skiing, and the rules on the mountain and the road.
Emergency numbers
Save these before you go. In an emergency on the mountain, call 110 or 119, give your GPS location and tell ski patrol.
110
Police (also mountain rescue)
119
Ambulance and fire
050-3816-2787
Japan Visitor Hotline — 24 hours, English, Chinese, Korean
#7119
Medical advice: Sapporo area only (011-272-7119); Nagano Prefecture nights and holidays (026-231-3021)
03-6233-9266
AMDA medical interpreting — weekdays 10:00–16:00
#9910
Road emergencies on expressways and national roads — 24 hours, free
Travel insurance that covers skiing
Japanese hospitals and mountain rescue can be expensive: backcountry search and rescue in Niseko costs at least ¥100,000, and in Hakuba the rescued person pays. Check that your policy covers skiing or snowboarding, off-piste if you plan it, and rescue.
SafetyWing
On-piste skiing covered; off-piste and helicopter evacuation from the mountain not covered on the Essential plan.
World Nomads
Standard covers off-piste inside resort boundaries; Explorer names backcountry and ski touring. Depends on your country.
Heymondo
Lists search and rescue up to US$10,000; check the ski terms before you buy.
Tokio Marine (via JNTO)
Can be bought only after you arrive in Japan. Medical cover up to ¥10M with interpreting.
This is general information, not advice on a specific product. Compare the full terms with each insurer before you buy. We may receive a fee from some of the links above.
On the mountain
- Stay inside the resort boundary. In Niseko and Hakuba, go out of bounds only through official gates, and never duck under ropes.
- Hakuba backcountry: file a Mountain-Climbing Registration Form first and check the daily avalanche report.
- Niseko avalanche information: niseko.nadare.info.
- Strong wind often stops the upper lifts in January and February. Check lift status before you go up.
- Wear a helmet. Kids' helmets are available at most rental shops.
On the road
- Bring a paper International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention), or an official Japanese translation if your licence is from Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Monaco, Slovenia, Switzerland or Taiwan.
- Ask for winter tyres and 4WD. In Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka winter tyres are not standard.
- Roads can close in heavy snow. Check road information before you drive.