Sports Insurance(スポーツ保険) in Japan. A safety coverage player must have| 3 things to know.

In Japan, sports insurance is a MUST if you are planning to play regularly on weekends in open parks or and there is any kind of risk of injury to self or others passing by due to the nature of the sports. Baseball, Football, Futsal, Rugby and all amateur clubs opt for it at the beginning of the season.

Cricket Venues like YC&AC have seen many cases over the years that have caused damage to the own and nearby residential properties, cars on the road, club member getting hit by a hard cricket ball. Whereas Edogawa, it is the people walking by who are stopping right behind the wicketkeeping to watch the game are often the misfortunate ones. Recently during the Indoor tournament, despite the best efforts, softball managed to escape nets and landed on the nearby car park. This incident did not go well with the nearby resident and the tournament had to be moved to another venue for the finals

Recently in the match against MIB vs Sharks, Sharks opening bowler twisted his ankle due to repair done on the field.

1. What is Sports insurance?

General medical insurance or health insurance that is usually provided to employees by companies sometimes do not cover many aspects for example injury due to any kind of sports or winter sports like skiing or extreme sports. Some health insurance schemes are very basic and cover commutation insurance only. Some medical insurance does not include serious illness or injury caused by social activities. There are many insurance schemes available in Travel insurance which covers a wide range and are competitive for a very short period of time. For a year or so it can get quite expensive.

In sports, the probability of risk of injury to self, others, infrastructure is very high. To cover any hospitalization due to injury, damage to property Sports insurance was introduced. Sports insurance covers many risks that are associated with sports subject to various conditions. Companies that offer Sports insurance in Japan:

• １。Sportsanzen スポーツ安全保険
• 2. Yahoo Japan

Considering the fact that sports insurance offered by Sportsanzen is very popular and has received positive feedback from players, here is an overview of it. The general basic plan of Sportsanzen (スポーツ安全保険) cost 1850 yen/ year compared to Yahoo 470/month (5640 yen/year ).

Information we have gathered is of Sportsanzen insurance which is very popular among player in baseball, soccer, futsal and now in the Japan Cricket community. Sports Safety Association created Sportsanzen in cooperation with non-life insurance companies so that anyone can participate.

2. What liabilities are covered in Sports Insurance?

The details are covered in 3 categories mentioned below:

Accident insurance

Compensation for disability, hospitalization, death due to injury (including heat stroke and bacterial/viral food poisoning) insured by the insured due to a sudden and accidental outpatient accident during group activities and round trips in Japan, Surgery and outpatient care shall be covered by sports insurance. 

* If the AW category is subscribed, in addition to the above, accidents other than “during group activities and during the round trip” are also covered. However, heatstroke and bacterial/viral food poisoning are excluded.

image credit : sportsanzen.org

Click here for details on accident insurance (in Japanese)

Liability insurance

Compensation for damages incurred by taking legal liability for injuring another person or destroying another person’s property are covered by sports insurance. Typical case includes,

• When a ball hit by Cricket or baseball damages another person’s car while driving on the road, and the player is liable for damages.
• If you accidentally ride a bicycle and hit a passerby and get injured during a round trip to a group activity
• If you accidentally break the windowpane of a temporarily rented physical education facility during group activities

Click here for details on liability insurance (in Japanese)

Sudden funeral expense insurance

The sports insurance provides compensation for funeral expenses borne by relatives in the event of sudden death (death due to acute heart failure, intracerebral haemorrhage, etc.) Click here for details on Sudden Funeral Expense Insurance

3. What Insurance does not cover ?

Below is again the overview but for the fine prints please refer to the each sports insurance offered by respective companies.

Accident insurance does not cover

1. Injury caused by the following reasons

• Insured or beneficiary’s intentional or gross negligence
• Insured suicide, criminal activity, struggle, unqualified driving, drunk driving
• Insured person’s brain disease, illness ( including heart disease ), loss of mind
• Insured pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage. Surgery and other medical procedures (except when treating injuries for which insurance is paid)
• Earthquakes, eruptions, tsunamis, wars and other disturbances (injuries caused by acts of terrorism are covered), radioactive contamination, etc.
• Injuries caused by earthquakes, eruptions or tsunamis caused by these

2. Whiplash, low back pain, etc. without medical objective findings
3. For injuries to children, students, students or toddlers during activities under the control of schools or nurseries
   (however, for injuries caused during club activities by students of universities, junior colleges, vocational schools, various schools and students Will be paid.)
4. Injuries that occur while carrying out activities that cannot be compensated for by the subscription category
5. Heatstroke and bacterial/viral food poisoning other than “during group activities and round trips” in the AW category
6. The following are not included in the injury and are not covered by insurance.

• Sudden death such as acute heart failure and intracerebral haemorrhage (Sudden funeral expenses insurance is covered)
• Baseball shoulder, baseball elbow, tennis elbow, stress fracture, herniated disk, slippage of shoes, and other sports-specific disorders that do not meet sudden, accidental, or outpatient requirements
• Growth pain, age-related things (osteoarthritis of the knee, lumbar spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis, etc.),  etc.

7. Impact of other disabilities or illnesses If the severity of the injury is aggravated by the effects of an injury or illness that already existed when you were injured, you may be able to reduce your insurance coverage.
8. Accidents outside Japan and accidents that occurred outside the compensation period

Liability Insurance does not cover

1. Damage without legal liability

• When the ball kicked in soccer hits the opponent and causes injury or damages to the glasses worn by the player.
• When a member is injured due to a structural defect or poor management of the physical education facility itself.
• * In this case, it is considered that the management/operator of the facility will be liable for compensation, and the individual members of the group will not be liable for compensation.

2. Liability due to the following reasons

• insured intentionally
• The insured or the insured assault, beatings by order of automobiles, aircraft, ships.

Example: If you rent a tennis racket, volleyball net, etc. and break it by mistake, you will not be paid, but if you accidentally break the window glass of the gymnasium you are temporarily using, you will be paid.

• Damage caused by activities that cannot be compensated for by the subscription category
• Accidents caused by activities conducted outside Japan (AW classification is partially applicable)
• Accidents that occurred outside the compensation period

Reference links

Detail list & pricing plan here ( in Japanese only) . Sports insurance company sites

• https://www.sportsanzen.org/
• https://www.spokyo.jp/spoannet.html

Please note: We have tried to gather as much as precise information about sports insurance and put it forward in the simplest way. For details and clarifications, please visit or consult the company officials