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Japan Campers' Orientation

german language
German Version

Welcome to Japan and Japan Campers !

Thank you for renting from our company. To make sure your journey  is without major issues and that you return home safely, please make sure you familiarise yourself with the following very important points which you are required to observe while driving in Japan.
​
Japan Campers is in no way responsible for your lack of knowledge.
Please remember that "Ignorantia juris non excusal" (latin) which means "ignorance of the law excuses not". 


1. RULE NUMBER 1 IN JAPAN

Pedestrians, Bicycles and Motorbikes have absolute priority and a right of way in any situation! Injuring an innocent person will definitely result in you facing severe consequences!
Please be especially careful with bicycles, because they travel fast and may come from any direction without watching out for you. You are always at fault if you are involved in such an accident.
​

2. STOP SIGN

stop sign in japan
Whenever you see the STOP sign you need to make a complete stop and give way. The STOP sign is usually placed well before the intersection, so if required you need to stop twice.


3. RAILWAY CROSSINGS

There are no STOP signs in front of railway crossings, yet you are required  to make a complete stop before each railway crossing even when the barriers are opened. Make sure the car in front of you has already cleared the crossing before you enter the crossing.

4. SPEED LIMITS  ​

speed limits in japan
The Signs in Japan show the speed limit in kilometres per hour - not miles per hour.
The speed limits (unless limited by the traffic signs) are as follows:
-  50 km/hr - in Cities
-  60 km/hr - outside Cities
-  100 km/hr - on Highways
Note! Most Japanese Drivers drive well above the allowed speed limit risking heavy fines. We strongly recommend that you keep your speed within the limit.


​5. PARKING in JAPAN

parking sign in japan
Parking in places which are not clearly marked as Public Parkings is strictly prohibited. Illegal parking fine is approx. 15,000 JPY.
If you ignore our warning and still get one (usually a yellow tag-sticker on the front window), please go to the nearest Police Station and make sure you pay it by yourself. Unpaid fines will be sent quickly to our office. If we need to pay for the fine on your behalf, we are required to go to a Police Station, make a report and pass your personal information. This will be charged 10,000 JPY extra. 

If you see a place that looks like a parking with many cars already parked (but no signs) - it is probably a private parking.If you leave the van there you may end up paying 50,000 JPY as the van will probably be towed away.

Be extremely careful when parking next to another van, because even the slightest damage (or even a small paint scratch) to it will result in insurance claim and you may lose a lot of $$$. 


6. ZERO ALCOHOL POLICY

zero alcohol policy
The legal alcohol limit in Japan is 0%. This means, unlike most countries, you cannot drive after having the smallest drink. Japan uses "Shared Responsibility law" which means that penalty for drinking and driving is 300,000 JPY for each adult in the car.


7. DRIVING UP and DOWN HILLS

All Japan Campers’ vans are equipped with an automatic gearbox include parking gear (P), reverse (R), neutral (N), drive (D) and additionally 2nd gear (S or 2), 1st gear (L or 1) and overdrive gear button (O/D)

Japan is a very mountainous country with over 70% of the country being mountains, that’s why always make sure you use "Engine Breaking Technique” - 2nd and 1st gear to reduce speed when driving down hills. Using the brakes constantly to slow down will definitely overheat the wheel rotors and you may not be able to stop the van when really required. Please inform our staff if you do not know the "Engine Braking technique"

Make sure you do not drive with "overdrive" switched off, because this can cause a much greater fuel consumption (when it’s off you will see “O/D off" or “HOLD” light on the dash).
gears box toyota
gears box nissan

8. GASOLINE or DIESEL

Make sure you know the type of fuel your van uses. Pouring the wrong fuel into the tank will result in engine damage and you will be fully liable for the damages. Damages resulting from pouring the wrong fuel are NOT COVERED by any insurance and must be covered by you.
fuel types in japan

9. SAFE CLEARANCE

Make sure you know your vehicle hight. Most major roads have a maximum clearance of 4,0 meters and the vans are OK to drive on them. There are however, some tunnels and especially parking places where you will not be able to drive.

Safe clearance is as follows:
◆ 2,0 meters - Miniature Campervan Wink
◆ 2,3 meters - Miniature Campervan with Roof Box
◆ 2,1 meters - Mid-Size Mazda Bongo (flat roof) & Nissan Nova 
◆ 2,3 meters - Mid-Size Mazda Bongo (pop-up roof)
◆ 2,5 meters - Big Campervans
◆ 3,2 meters - Motorhomes

10. INSURANCE COVERAGE

A Standard Third Party Insurance is included in your rental fee. In case of a first accident (reported to the Police) you will be required to pay deductible 100,000 JPY (150,000 JPY Nissan Nova, 200,000 JPY Motorhomes) to the insurance company. Each additional accident will require 150% of the previous Access Fee. Please understand that even the smallest scratch caused to a third party vehicle / property is usually classified as an accident.

Damages (due to your own fault) made to Japan Campers' vehicles, are not covered by our standard insurance and depending on the damage you may be charged maximum 300,000 JPY for the repair costs.
TYPE OF DAMAGE
DESCRIPTION
MAX CHARGE
COMMENT
DAMAGES WITH ​LOW CHARGES
Damages that are easy to be repaired/ painted will be charged at the possible minimum rate. For example light scratches and dents. Damages to interior and equipment.
30,000 JPY
Assessed by JC staff
SLIGHT AND MEDIUM DAMAGES
Slight and Medium damages will be charged when they need some time (and /or parts) to be repaired. This category includes scratches or dents on external and internal car elements (i.e. doors, bumpers, wheels, mirrors etc)
100,000 JPY
Charge depends on the damage based on the actual repair cost
​
SERIOUS DAMAGES
Serious Damages will be charged when they involve an element replacement (i.e. Bumper) or when the restoration requires a number of days, or when a replacement is needed due to regulations, safety or appearance reasons. This category includes bodywork, lights, tires and windscreen damages
300,000 JPY
Charge depends on the damage based on the actual repair cost
DAMAGES DUE TO NEGLIGENCE
Broad category of damages assessed by our insurance company on "case by case" basis
Up to the Vehicle price
​Charge depends on the damage based on the actual repair cost
Insurance coverage will not be provided in case of an accident caused by the following conditions or driving habits:
  • Driving while intoxicated or driving without a license
  • Failure to notify the police from the scene of the accident (if an accident certificate from the police cannot be obtained)
  • Failure to notify Japan Campers from the scene of the accident
  • When not wearing a seat belt while driving
  • When operating the vehicle off of normal roads, such as on the beach, river bank or forest
  • Loss of the key
  • Damages caused by misusage or mishandling of the vehicle
  • Driving with more than the maximum number of occupants allowed
  • An accident caused by someone other than the driver or co-driver on the rental car agreement
  • Damage to the interior of the vehicle
  • When using the vehicle in violation of the conditions stated in the rental car agreement
  • Careless driving or other incidences of serious driver negligence (speeding or running a red light, etc.)

11. PROCEDURES IN A CASE OF ANY ACCIDENT

Japanese Insurance companies require all accidents to be reported to the police. Japan Campers cannot claim insurance coverage without a police report. It is absolutely necessary to contact our office in case of any damage / accident.
accidents
  1. Help the Injured and provide first aid as much as possible until help arrive

  2. ​Call the Emergency Services (or ask somebody to call for you)
    - Police number ->  110  
    - Ambulance number ->  119 

  3. Gather Informations:
    - Take as many pictures as possible from the scene of the accident,
    - Note the place, time, and situation in which accident happened,
    - Collect and exchange the third party details (name, address, tel number, car registration number),
    - Collect information about Policeman in charge (name, tel. number, Police Station address).
    ​
  4. Contact Japan Campers and follow the instructions
    - use iPad’s Viber app or call us directly:
        - Narita office: (+81)-476-85-4433 (0476-85-4433 calling from Japan)
        - Tokyo office: (+81) 3-6802-7280  (03-6802-7280 calling from Japan)

Important!
  1. Regardless of who was at fault, if an insurance claim is made you need to deposit a new Excess Fee (150% of amount written on the contract) into Japan Campers Bank account within 24 hrs. Please ask for banking details when needed. If Excess Fee is not paid, we may reposes the vehicle and cancel your rental contract without further notice.
  2. Unless the accident caused any personal injury, Police will not decide who was at fault. This job is left for the insurance companies, so make sure the Police writes down your side of the story.
  3. 10,000 JPY is charged for processing each insurance claim made on your behalf.
  4.  If you do not receive a police report, you will be responsible for the total cost of repairs and any additional claims.

12. HOW TO ENTER and EXIT HIGHWAYS

Japanese Highways are always toll roads and are quite expensive (average 2,000 JPY for 100km). You may pay for the tolls with Cash. Some Credit Cards are also accepted. Please make sure you always have cash on you in case your Credit Card is not working.

​Do not use the ETC Toll Gate. Please enter green gate, pick up a ticket and keep it until you exit the motorway. At the final gate pass the ticket to the attendant and pay the required amount.
highway gates in Japan

13. ROOF VENTS AND POP-UP ROOFS

- Please make sure the roof vents are fully closed when driving.
- Never open the roof vents if there is a high wind, heavy rain or snow as it may collapse, because of the weight of snow.
- Roof top must be closed before driving (obvious but often overlooked).
- Do not open the roof-top if there is high wind or if it snows, as the roof may collapse because of the weight of the accumulating snow.

14. PARKING HEATER

Please see separate section dedicated to parking heater:
Heater Instruction
parking heater

15. VAN DROP OFF (9am - 5:30 pm)

Check out procedure
Please return the van to the same place as the pick-up (​Narita office). You can easily find it on Google Maps by entering ‘’Japan Campers’’. Remember about extra cleaning fees and follow the drop off procedure:
  1. Please inform us in advance (1 day before if possible) about the estimated drop off time. Use iPad’s messenger app (VIBER) to do this.
  2. Please fill up the van with fuel in Narita before returning.
  3. Throw away all the rubbish. You can do it at any convenient store, highway parking area and at some gas station, but don’t forget to segregate your waste.
  4. Make sure to log out of your private accounts (emails, social accounts etc.) before returning the iPad. ​
Check-out charges: 
  1. Van cleaning fee: up to 8,000 JPY (motorhome up to 15,000 JPY), the fee may be lower if the van comes back clean
  2. Bedding cleaning fee: 1,000 JPY / person
  3. Additional data charge: 1,000 JPY / 1 GB (if use more then the limit)
  4. Additional mileage fee: 10 JPY / 1 km (winter time only)

16. iPAD USAGE

ipad instruction
When using the iPad please observe the following points:
  1. Always connect to a charger while driving, because GPS uses a lot of power while in use.
  2. Never let the iPad to discharge to less than 5%. Once the iPad is discharged, it may take up to 30 minutes before it re-starts.
  3. Never try to complete Software Updates as it requires lots of mobile data and passwords which we do not share.
  4. iPads have no  Screen Lock passwords enabled. Please do not enable them.
  5. iPads will use some mobile data when in idle mode. Please always switch the iPad off at night to avoid unnecessary data usage. ​

Please let us know if you are not familiar with the iPad, including various buttons, how to "kill" running applications, how to reboot the iPad and how to take a screenshot, etc.

​17. USING GOOGLE MAPS for NAVIGATION:

google maps
  1. Do not follow blindly the GPS. It will always try to direct you through the shortest way (often too narrow road) which is sometimes not suitable for campervans. Here in Japan there are plenty of very narrow streets that Google Maps considers as a normal public roads. Always stay on the main roads (national roads with numbers) instead of saving a few minutes and suffer in the narrow, sneaky, rural streets.
  2. ​GPS does not work in tunnels so you need to relay on road signs (common in Tokyo)
  3. GPS gets very confused if the roads are multilayered (for example highway is above the normal road) and it may give you contradicting information.
  4. Do not use Satellite View for navigation as it uses enormous amounts of data.​


18. IPAD'S APPLICATIONS:

viber logo
VIBER

​Viber is a free messaging application that works just like Skype or WhatsApp. Use it to contact JC staff if you have questions or issues.

michi application
MICHI
Easy app in english by which you can find: 
- Michi no Eki - road stations with a free parking and toilets, perfect for overnight
- Hot springs (onsen),
- Camping grounds,
- Coin laundries, 
- Ryokan (Japanese hotels).
Michi Map

JC MAP
JC MAP
Our own map full of travel recommendations created by Japan Campers’ staff and our valued customers. Thanks to the map you can discover places not available anywhere else, such as overnight spots, hiking trails, tattoo-friendly onsen, the cheapest city parking lots and much more. ​
JC Map is available in the Google Maps app on your travel iPad. Go to:
Your places
➤ Maps ➤ JC Map
How to open JC Map
JC Map view

⬇ Please see separate section dedicated to iPad usage ⬇
IPad Instruction

19. ADVICE POINTS BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE (sometimes a sad one) - how to save $$$
Stop Sign
1. This is what may happen if you do not STOP at the "STOP" sign.
​ALWAYS STOP THE CAR !

Accident Hokkaido
Accident Hokkaido 2

2.  During winter time, roads inside tunnels are usually covered with invisible black ICE. Drive really slowly because no tires will help you control the van on ice.
Due to tunnel accidents, we have already lost 2 vans in Hokkaido.
Causing an accident on ice is usually categorised as "Careless Driving" and you may not be covered by our insurance. 
Black Ice in Tunnel
Mazda Bongo Damage


3. 90% of accidents, damages and small scratches happen when moving or parking the van backwards. Is is our strong recommendation to use your partner to help you every time you drive back!
Mazda Bongo damage (back side)
Back door damage
Nissan Damage

4. When using the GPS navigation please do not follow blindly the guide, because a lot of roads are too narrow and some tunnels could be too low to allow a safe passage. To be safe drive on roads which have a National Road numbers.
National Road Number
National Road sign
Nissan Offroad
Nissan Side Damage

5. Most mountain roads have unmarked trenches for the water access to be removed from the roads. Be careful not to drive into them as this will probably result in damage to the undercarriage.
Driving into a trench is categorised as "careless driving" and you are responsible for the repair costs.​
Tranche off road toyota
Tranche Mazda Bongo

6. Trenches and ditches are also there in the winter and pose a great threat too.
Ditch Accident Mazda
Ditch Accident Nissan

7. Winter tires do not make magic. They will only help you driving on SNOW. Please remember that there could be ice under the snow. Watch out for black ice.
NO TIRES will stop the van on ICE.
Front Damage Mazda Bongo

8. What may seem like a small damage usually costs a lot of money to fix in Japan.
This moment of inattention, has cost over 180,000 JPY to fix and the driver was required to pay the insurance full excess fee (100,000 JPY).
Nissan Damage Front

9. Unfortunately, even though we have been trying hard to warn about the hidden dangers, some people just want to learn the hard way.....
 - Cost of this mistake:
35,000 JPY - towing truck,
10,000 JPY - undercarriage inspection,
24,000 JPY - damaged bumper,
15,000 JPY - wheel adjustment
(towing truck helped out but pulling the van changed the wheel alignment).
 - 1 day out of the trip.
 - a ton of unnecessary stress.
Winter Accident Nissan

And for the end...
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INSTAGRAM Photo Challenge

Take a photo from your trip, upload it to your INSTAGRAM account, tag @japancampers and get an instant 10% discount on the van cleaning fee.




Japan Campers Instagram Photo


Thank you for your time!
Have a safe trip!
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