Joe Tomei here with something that our intrepid Atsuko Kumabe found, which is the upcoming mandatory bicycle insurance for the prefecture! https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/soshiki/54/85371.html
Unfortunately, the page is in Japanese, but to briefly summarize, bicyclists will be required to be insured from 1 Oct of this year. The website uses automatic web translation or you can paste the link into google translate. A second page here (unfortunately also only in Japanese) https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/soshiki/54/51723.html
lists insurance providers as well.
This is rather important, if you don’t have insurance and have an accident where someone is hurt, you will be liable for damages. My wife tells me that the insurance was recommended for both my daughters when they started JHS.
At this point, as I am not a bicycle rider, so I need to crowdsource from all of you recommendations and help to get such insurance.
I recall when I first came to Gakuen, one of the exchange students had an accident on a bicycle that was not covered by insurance. I don’t remember the details, but I do recall appeals made to the faculty for donations because of the amount the student would have been liable. The webpage gives two incidents that required 95 and 92 million yen respectively. So if you have any information, please drop it in the comments or send it as a DM to the page. Thanks in advance.
