🛡️ Insurance & damage waivers for Japan car rental
Complete guide: the four compulsory coverage types, CDW (damage waiver), NOC (non-operation charge), OlaChill's extended TAS/TWS plans, and the situations where insurance is void.
1. Base coverage — four required types
| Coverage | Scope | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 🧑Personal injury liability | Death or injury to third parties | Unlimited (includes 3rd-party liability) |
| 🏠Property damage liability | Other vehicles or property | ¥30,000,000 per incident (deductible ¥50,000) |
| 🚗Rental-car damage | Damage to the rented vehicle | Actual value (deductible ¥50,000 · larger/commercial: ¥100,000) |
| 👥Occupant coverage | Injury / death of driver & passengers | Up to ¥30,000,000 per person |
Limits above are industry norms. Actual amounts may vary by operator.
2. CDW — Collision Damage Waiver
- Waives the deductible you would otherwise pay when the car is damaged.
- Price: ~¥1,100 / day (industry standard).
- Without CDW: you pay ¥50,000–¥100,000 per incident.
- With CDW: deductible = ¥0.
⚠️ Always buy CDW — just ¥1,100/day saves ¥50,000+ if anything happens.
3. NOC — Non-Operation Charge
NOC compensates the rental company for lost revenue while the car is being repaired. CDW does NOT cover NOC — buy it separately or pick the Full Coverage plan.
| Situation | NOC fee |
|---|---|
| Car is drivable, returned to the shop | ¥20,000 |
| Car is not drivable, towed back | ¥50,000 |
4. TAS / TWS — OlaChill extended protection
⭐ TAS (OlaChill Additional Support)
- Includes NOC + towing fee.
- Bundled automatically with every OlaChill booking.
- Price: already included in the rental total.
💎 TWS (OlaChill Wide Support)
- Includes TAS + extended coverage (tyres, windows, key loss).
- Optional add-on at booking time.
- Price: ~¥500–¥800 / day.
5. When insurance is void
⛔ Damage exceeds the policy cap
- Anything above the operator's limit is paid by the renter.
⛔ Failure to notify the police
- An accident without a 110 police report → insurance is fully void.
⛔ Not covered by policy
- Intentional damage.
- Flat or burst tyres.
- Lost wheel caps.
- Interior damage.
- Lost equipment / accessories (GPS, ETC card, cables).
⛔ Rental contract violations
- Driving under the influence of alcohol.
- Reckless driving or racing.
- Driving under drugs.
- Extending the rental without notifying the operator.
- Hit-and-run.
- Letting an unregistered driver drive.
- Sub-letting the car to a third party.
⛔ Irresponsible behaviour
- Vandalising the interior.
- Theft due to unlocked doors.
- Illegal parking (fines paid by renter).
- Harassing rental-company staff.
- Filling the wrong fuel at a self-service pump.
- Losing the car keys.
6. Compare the three plans
| Basic | + CDW | Full Coverage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-party liability | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Property liability | ✅ ¥50k deductible | ✅ ¥0 | ✅ ¥0 |
| Rental-car damage | ✅ ¥50–100k deductible | ✅ ¥0 | ✅ ¥0 |
| NOC | ❌ ¥20–50k | ❌ ¥20–50k | ✅ ¥0 |
| Towing | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Extra / day | ¥0 | ¥1,100 | ~¥2,200 |
| Recommendation | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
✅ Full Coverage = total peace of mind, only ~¥1,100/day more than CDW.
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