Japan is one of the safest places to live and study, but accidents sometimes are inevitable no matter how safe a place is. In situations like that it can be very tough for foreign students who is away from friends and family and living on their own to cope. This is the reason why even as foreign students we need to take the issue of insurance serious. This was particularly important for me as I had an accident on my bicycle about 3 months after I had arrived in Japan. My bike crashed with that of a female Japanese student and although I sustained no injuries she did and her bike was also damaged. She had to be taken to the hospital. Although the crash was not the fault of either of us, I had to bear her hospital cost and the repair of her bicycle because she had gotten injured. Fortunately for me I had subscribed to the Insurance Policy of my University COOP and they were able to step in and pay the cost of both the medical bills and a new bike for the girl so that in the end I did not have to pay anything. This experience made me see the relevance of insurance in our daily living. I will advice that we as foreign students should pay particular attention to it especially those of us living in private apartment because in case of an accident , your family might be too far away to come to your aid.
Eric Ofosu-Twum,
Hokkaido University
Country: Ghana.