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Zagdim Reader Desk · Japan home insurance

Home insurance in JapanFire, earthquake and what to insure

Whether your home in Japan is owner-occupied, let out or an apartment, what needs insuring differs, and earthquake cover has to be looked at separately. The Zagdim Reader Desk first establishes how the property is used, then shortlists suitable professionals in Japan.

Book a free 20-minute callSee what the service covers
Interior of a Japanese apartment
Who it is forOwner-occupiers, landlords, apartment owners and tenants
Handled byRegistered insurance agencies and lawyers in Japan
LanguagesEnglish or Japanese; other languages on request
Reader Desk feeFree of charge

Information checked: 29 October 2026

01 · ABOUT

Insuring a home in Japan: start with how it is used and what is insured

Home insurance requires you to distinguish the building from household contents, the exclusive-use part from the common areas, and owner-occupation from letting. What fire insurance (火災保険) covers and excludes is confirmed from the policy. Damage caused by earthquake, volcanic eruption and resulting tsunami is a separate matter, for which you look to earthquake insurance (地震保険).

Before you take out cover, a suitably qualified insurance professional explains the sum insured, the excess and how to notify an incident.

JapanJapan

  • Check earthquake cover separatelyEarthquake insurance is attached to fire insurance and should be read separately from general fire cover.
  • Sums insured follow rulesThe earthquake sum insured is not the full rebuilding cost; a set proportion and caps apply.
  • Check qualifications firstInsurance is explained and arranged by registered insurance professionals.

How is the home used now?

Start with the closest situation:

Owner-occupied

  • What to insureThe building and household contents, each confirmed separately.
  • EarthquakeEarthquake insurance under the national scheme covers residential buildings and everyday household contents, and is attached to fire insurance.
  • What the budget consists ofFire insurance and earthquake insurance premiums, as quoted by the insurer.

Next steps

  1. Gather the building address, construction type and existing policies

Let out

  • What to insureThe owner insures the building. The tenant’s household contents are a separate insured item, and the owner’s building policy should not be assumed to cover them.
  • What to look at firstThe tenancy agreement, the building’s use and the letting arrangement.
  • What the budget consists ofBuilding insurance premium as quoted by the insurer; the tenant’s household contents are a separate policy.

Next steps

  1. Check what the tenancy agreement says about responsibility for insurance

Apartment owner

  • What to insureThe owner insures the exclusive-use part and household contents; for the common areas, check the policy held by the management association (管理組合) separately.
  • What to knowThe management association insuring the common areas does not mean your own unit and household contents are covered.
  • What the budget consists ofYour own premium as quoted by the insurer; for the common areas, check the management association’s policy separately.

Next steps

  1. Obtain a summary of the common-area policy from the management association
  2. Confirm the exclusive-use floor area

Tenant

  • What to insureYour own household contents; the landlord’s building policy should not be assumed to cover a tenant’s contents.
  • What the budget consists ofContents insurance premium as quoted by the insurer.

Next steps

  1. List the household contents you want covered

Sources: Ministry of Finance – overview of the earthquake insurance system (地震保険制度の概要) / Ministry of Finance public relations magazine, September 2025 issue – explanation of earthquake insurance. Checked 29 October 2026.

02 · SERVICE

What do the insurance professionals do?

Who charges what

What the Reader Desk does at no charge

Establishes how the property is used and which policies you hold, sets it out in a written brief, introduces an insurance professional and follows up.

Premiums and professional fees

Premiums are quoted by the insurer; legal services are quoted by a lawyer (弁護士, bengoshi). You contract with and pay each of them directly.

How payments flow

Zagdim does not charge readers a matching fee and does not handle payments for professional services. Providers quote case by case, and you contract with and pay the provider directly.

  1. 01Review of needs and existing policies

    The insurance professional checks the building, its use and existing cover.

  2. 02Explanation of products and terms

    The scope of cover, exclusions and excess are explained item by item.

  3. 03Preparing the application details

    Building and policyholder details are confirmed as the insurer requires.

  4. 04Explanation of claim documents

    The information needed for notification and a claim is set out according to the policy.

03 · CASES

Which situations need extra care?

In every caseActual acceptance of cover, exclusions and claims are decided by the policy and the insurer’s assessment.

This service may not suit you if: the building is purely an office or factory, which falls outside residential earthquake insurance and calls for commercial insurance products; or a claim is already in dispute, in which case a lawyer is engaged to handle it.

Apartment blocks and a pedestrian crossing on a residential street in Japan
A residential neighbourhood in Japan
Documents sorted with coloured clips beside a pair of glasses on a desk
Tenancy and management documents

04 · SERVICE PROCESS

From reviewing policies to taking out cover: who does each step?

The use and existing policies are confirmed first; an insurance professional then explains the terms, and documents are prepared as the insurer requires.

English or JapaneseOther languages on request

  1. Review what is insured and how it is used

    You provide the building details, its use and existing policies.

  2. Check products and terms

    The insurance professional explains the cover, exclusions and excess.

  3. Confirm the quote and application details

    The insurer underwrites and quotes; you decide whether to take out cover.

  4. Keep the policy and the incident notification details

    You keep the policy and the contact point for notification.

Not included

  • The insurer’s underwriting decision
  • Advance determination of a claim amount
  • Building repair works
  • Representation in disputes that has not been agreed

What you need to prepare

  • Building address and construction details
  • How the property is used and let
  • Existing fire and earthquake policies
  • Summary of the common-area policy
  • Details of the household contents to be covered

05 · TIME

How long does it take to arrange cover?

The time needed to arrange cover depends on the building details, the cover chosen and the insurer’s underwriting. Incident reports and the progress of claims must be confirmed separately.

06 · FEES

How are premiums and professional fees separated?

Professional and service fees

  • Additional legal servicesQuoted once your situation is understood(Engaged separately if a dispute arises.)
  • Zagdim Reader DeskFree of charge(Consultation, clarifying what you need and shortlisting professionals)

Premiums, including the attached earthquake insurance premium, are formally quoted by the insurer according to the insured property, its location, construction and cover, and are paid directly to the insurer. They are not a service fee.

07 · EXPERTS & PROFESSIONALS

Who helps?

Depending on the case, different Japanese professionals are involved.

Insurance agency

損害保険代理店 ·

Explains policy terms and the scope of cover, and handles the application.

Lawyer

弁護士 · bengoshi

Engaged to handle legal disputes over policy interpretation and claims.

MATCHING

How Zagdim shortlists the right professionals

What you need
Zagdim Reader Desk
  • Clarifying the need
  • Matching providers
  • Follow-up at key points
The right professional

Zagdim Reader Desk

Sets out a written brief · introduces the right insurance professional · follows up

No charge to readers

Professionals in Japan

Professional advice and handling

Quote · contract · payment · receipt

Whether an insurance professional can be arranged

  1. You tell the Reader DeskWhere the property is and how it is used
  2. The Reader Desk checksWhether a registered insurance agency can be arranged. Professionals work in English or Japanese; other languages on request
  3. The Reader Desk repliesWe say which kind of professional will take it on. If no suitable provider is available for now, we say so plainly

08 · CONSULTATION

What happens next?

Zagdim Reader DeskFirst understand the situation, then shortlist the right professionals

Four steps after you get in touch

  1. Contact the Reader DeskExplain the property and its use by WhatsApp or email.
  2. A written briefThe Reader Desk sets out your policies and what is to be insured; you confirm it.
  3. Introduction to an insurance professionalBefore the introduction, the quotation method and the process are confirmed with the provider.
  4. Quote and coverThe insurer quotes; you decide whether to take out cover, and contract and pay directly.

Have the points below ready before you get in touch, so it is clear straight away what needs insuring.

  • Where the property is and whether it is owner-occupied or let
  • Which fire or earthquake policies you already hold
  • Whether it is an apartment, and whether the management association insures the common areas
WhatsAppEmail the Reader Desk

The Zagdim Reader Desk handles contact and follow-up.

Send us your details

The more you tell us, the better the Zagdim Reader Desk understands your situation before we speak.

09 · FAQ

Home insurance in Japan: common questions

Does fire insurance already include earthquake damage?

Not necessarily. Check whether earthquake insurance is attached to the fire policy, and which damage it covers.

Can the earthquake sum insured equal the fire sum insured?

No. Under Japan’s earthquake insurance scheme, the earthquake sum insured is 30% to 50% of the fire sum insured, capped at ¥50 million (about US$310,000) for the building and ¥10 million (about US$63,000) for household contents.

Can a purely office building use residential earthquake insurance?

No. Residential earthquake insurance covers residential buildings and everyday household contents; a purely office building falls outside it.

Once the management association is insured, can you do without your own policy?

Not necessarily. The management association’s common-area policy cannot simply be taken to cover your own unit and household contents.

Does the landlord’s policy cover a tenant’s household contents?

Not necessarily. The landlord’s building and the tenant’s household contents are separate insured items, and each policy must be checked.

Can a real estate broker arrange insurance directly?

Not necessarily. The registration or notification required by law for insurance agency or solicitation must be completed separately; a real estate qualification alone is not enough.

Check the home’s use and existing cover first, then confirm what to insure.

Book a free 20-minute call

Official fees follow the current notices of the Japanese authorities. Quotes, contracts, payments and receipts for professional services are handled by the professional concerned; neither the Zagdim Reader Desk nor the professionals guarantee that any application or review will succeed. This page is general information and is not legal or tax advice. Information checked to 29 October 2026.

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