Car Accident in Japan: What to Do First, What to Photograph, and What If It Was a Hit-and-Run

Last reviewed October 16, 2026 · 17 min read · By the PEA team (Lumina Spark)

日本語版 (Japanese version)

Short answer: First help anyone injured, prevent further danger (warn following traffic, move to safety), and report to the police (110); take photos only after that, from somewhere safe. Photograph both vehicles' damage (wide and close) and license plates, where the cars stopped, skid marks and debris, traffic lights and signs, and the whole junction. Where it's dangerous, moving and getting clear comes before any photo. Save your dashcam footage before it's overwritten. For property-damage-only accidents, the police usually don't make the detailed record they make for injury accidents, and the police don't decide who was at fault, so your own records are what the discussion runs on. Even after a hit-and-run with little evidence, always report it to the police. If you're driving a rental car or car share, also contact the company (see renting a car in Japan). This article is general information about Japan, not legal advice.

Safety and your legal duties come first

In Japan, a "traffic accident" includes accidents where only property is damaged, not just injury accidents (Road Traffic Act Article 67(2)). Under Article 72, drivers involved must:

  1. Stop immediately.
  2. Help anyone injured. Call 119 for an ambulance if anyone is hurt.
  3. Prevent danger on the road: warn following traffic, move vehicles somewhere safe.
  4. Report to a police officer. If no officer is present, report immediately to the nearest police station (including a kōban police box): the date, time and place, the number of casualties and their injuries, what was damaged and how badly, and what you have done. Calling 110 is fine.

This applies to property-damage accidents too. Leaving without taking measures to prevent danger can bring up to 1 year's imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥100,000 even for a property-damage accident (Article 117-5), and failing to report up to 3 months' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥50,000 (Article 119(1)(xvii)). Failing to help the injured carries heavier penalties (Article 117).

Take photos after these steps. The General Insurance Association of Japan says recording the scene is recommended, but that depending on the location it can obstruct traffic or cause a second accident, so move the vehicle somewhere safe and warn others with flares or a warning triangle as needed.

Don't step into the road or stand behind your car to take photos. If you can't shoot safely, don't. Dashcam footage, notes made after you're safe, and photos taken later can fill the gap.

Only if it's safe: a few shots before moving the cars

JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) says that even when moving damaged cars to safety, you should make sure the accident scene can still be understood later. If traffic is light and it's clearly safe, a few photos showing the two cars' positions before you move them help later. If it's dangerous, skip them.

On an expressway

  • Don't stand on the carriageway or the shoulder. The National Police Agency strongly urges drivers, after taking safety measures for following traffic, to get off the road to a safe place such as behind the guardrail, and not to return to the car for belongings.
  • Set out a warning triangle. If your vehicle can't move on an expressway carriageway or its shoulder, you are legally required to display a stopped-vehicle warning device (Road Traffic Act Article 75-11; Enforcement Order Article 27-6), and turn on your hazard lights.
  • Get clear, then call by mobile phone or roadside emergency phone, and leave towing to professionals.
  • Don't walk the carriageway or shoulder to take photos. Rely on dashcam footage and notes made once you're safe.

Why your own photos matter

After an accident, the compensation discussion usually turns on who was more at fault (the fault ratio). The police don't decide this. As law firms explain, the police don't intervene in civil matters, and where both drivers have voluntary insurance, the two insurers negotiate the ratio with reference to past court cases.

Those talks happen days or weeks later. The General Insurance Association of Japan says that to avoid conflicting accounts, it's useful to record the situation while memories are fresh, including photos right after the accident.

Property-damage accidents vs injury accidents

For injury accidents, the police record the scene in an on-site inspection report (jikkyō kenbun chōsho): where the cars stopped, the point of impact, skid-mark lengths, signal colors and so on. For property-damage-only accidents, law firms explain that the police tend to make only a simple property accident report, without an on-site inspection.

TypeWhenMain police recordCompulsory (jibaiseki) insurance
Property-damage accidentNo one injuredSimple property accident report (law firm explanation)Not covered (it covers personal injury only)
Injury accidentSomeone injured and a medical certificate submitted to the policeOn-site inspection reportCovered

If you feel fine at first but symptoms appear later, see a doctor early and submit the medical certificate to the police, and the accident will be treated as an injury accident. The General Insurance Association of Japan also stresses switching to injury-accident handling if you need treatment.

Accident certificates are only issued for reported accidents

A traffic accident certificate (kōtsū jiko shōmeisho) is issued by the Japan Safe Driving Center, based on police records, confirming the fact of the accident. You'll need it for insurance claims.

  • It isn't issued for accidents not reported to the police. The General Insurance Association of Japan advises reporting even minor accidents.
  • In principle it isn't issued more than 5 years after an injury accident or 3 years after a property-damage accident.
  • The fee is ¥1,000 per copy, plus payment charges; you can apply at a post office, at a Center office, or online.

The certificate confirms that an accident happened. How it happened has to come from photos, dashcam footage and similar records.

What to photograph at the scene

Based on guidance from insurers, the General Insurance Association of Japan and JAF. Shoot things that move or disappear first (where the cars stopped, debris, the other car), then things you can shoot later (lights, the junction).

WhereWhatTips
Where the cars stoppedFinal positions and the two cars' relative positionsOnly if safe, a few shots from front, back and sides before moving; if dangerous, move first
Road surfaceSkid marks, scattered glass, parts, paint chips, oilA wide shot for position, plus shots with the car's width or a tape measure for length
The other carOverall damage and close-ups, license plate, make and colorA full shot from behind including the plate, then three angles centered on the damage, close-ups of anything unclear
Your carOverall damage and close-ups, license plate, paint transferred from the other carThe same way; include a wide shot from ground level so the height of dents is clear
Lights, signs, road markingsTraffic lights, stop signs and stop lines, crossings, speed limits, lane markings and arrowsFrom the direction each car approached; video helps where lights change
The whole junction or roadLayout, number of lanes, sight lines (buildings, hedges, parked cars), address signs, landmarksFrom each car's approach, at driver's eye level, to show whether the other car was visible
Weather and lightRain or snow, wet road, street lights, glare, roadworksInclude the sky and surroundings; at night show the lighting
The other driver's documentsID such as a driving license, vehicle inspection certificate, insurance certificatesOnly with their consent; otherwise write down the details
Witnesses and camerasWitness names and contacts, nearby security camerasNote names and contacts; photograph where cameras are so you can ask later
DashcamFootage before and after the accidentNot a photo: save the footage before it's overwritten (see below)

How to shoot

  1. From a safe place, quickly: a pavement or beyond the shoulder, away from traffic. Don't push it at night or in rain.
  2. Shoot pairs: wide and close. A close-up can't show which car, or which part of it. Tokio Marine & Nichido suggests, for a car before repair: a full shot from behind including the plate, three angles centered on the damage, then close-ups of anything hard to see.
  3. Show size and height with a tape measure or ruler.
  4. Shoot from both directions of approach at driver's eye level, which helps explain whether the other car could be seen.
  5. Check your phone's clock is automatic, or the recorded time will be off (see how to prove when a photo was taken).
  6. Don't edit the originals; edit copies only.
  7. Draw a sketch and write notes. The General Insurance Association of Japan suggests recording the date, time and place, what happened leading up to the accident, and a sketch of the scene (weather, road surface, visibility, traffic, signals, roadworks). Write photo numbers on the sketch.
  8. Keep the original files in two or more places, such as a computer and a cloud service that keeps original quality.

The other driver, and witnesses

The General Insurance Association of Japan suggests noting the other driver's name, address and contact details, their compulsory and voluntary insurers and certificate numbers, their employer if they were driving for work, and the vehicle's registration number. If you can't take notes, ask for a business card, or with their consent, photograph their ID on your phone.

If there are witnesses, get their names and contact details and ask whether they would be willing to give an account later. A third party's account carries weight in settlement talks.

Images of someone's license contain their personal information. Share them only with those who need them, such as your insurer, and never post them online.

Don't settle on the spot. The General Insurance Association of Japan advises against negotiating or handing over money at the scene: a settlement can be made verbally and can't be changed once made, and promising or settling without your insurer's approval can mean some or all of the insurance payment isn't made.

Saving dashcam footage

Most dashcams record continuously, overwriting the oldest footage. The General Insurance Association of Japan reminds drivers to stop the accident footage being overwritten, for example by removing the SD card.

  1. Save the accident clip using the device's own function (methods vary; check the manual).
  2. Remove the SD card somewhere safe and don't record on it again.
  3. Copy it to a computer, including a few minutes before and after, and footage from every camera (front, rear, interior).
  4. Don't edit the originals; make clips from copies, and send them as your insurer instructs.
  5. Ask the other driver and witnesses to save their dashcam footage too.

PEA can't check video. Keep dashcam footage as original files.

If you didn't take photos

  • Check your dashcam first and save the footage before it's overwritten.
  • Photograph your car's damage before repair. Tokio Marine & Nichido recommends this before leaving the car at a garage, and always contact your insurer before having it repaired. Keep the garage's estimate too.
  • Go back and photograph the scene later: road layout, lights and signs, sight lines, at the same time of day, from somewhere safe, and note when you took them.
  • Ask about nearby security cameras quickly. A Japan Security Systems Association survey gives typical retention of about 1 week for retail, 2 weeks for services and 3 weeks for apartment buildings (interview-based estimates). Whether you can view the footage is up to the facility; if refused, consult the police.
  • Look for witnesses.
  • Write notes and a sketch while your memory is fresh: time, place, direction, speed, signal colors and the other car's movements, in order.
  • If you haven't reported it to the police, do so now. Without a report, no accident certificate is issued.

Hit-and-run

A hit-and-run (ate-nige) is leaving the scene of a property-damage accident without taking measures to prevent danger or reporting to the police (leaving after injuring someone is hiki-nige). The driver who leaves breaches Article 72.

  1. Stay safe. Don't chase the other car.
  2. Record the other car: make, color, license plate, the driver; photograph or write down even part of the plate.
  3. Photograph your car and the surroundings before moving: where you were parked, the parking bay number, the damage wide and close, its height from the ground, paint transferred from the other car (its color), and debris.
  4. Report it to the police as soon as you notice, however small the damage; insurance claims need an accident certificate. For a rental car or car share, also contact the company.
  5. Contact your insurer and check whether vehicle insurance covers it.

The Road Traffic Act's "road" covers roads under the Road Act and also places used for general traffic (Article 2(1)(i)); whether a car park counts can depend on the circumstances. Wherever it happened, report it to the police first and ask.

If there's no evidence

  • Report it anyway. You can then apply for an accident certificate and use it for insurance.
  • Narrow down the time: note when you parked and when you noticed the damage, and keep parking tickets or receipts with times.
  • Check your dashcam: models with parking mode may have recorded it if the setting and power were on.
  • Ask nearby shops or car-park managers about security footage quickly, because retention is short.
  • Photograph the damage closely: height, shape, direction of scraping and transferred paint color are clues to what hit you and from where.

Japan's Government Guarantee Program doesn't cover property damage from hit-and-runs. It compensates victims of hit-and-run or uninsured-vehicle accidents to the level of compulsory insurance, which covers personal injury only. If someone was injured in a hit-and-run, call 119 and 110, and ask an insurer's counter about the program.

Is it covered by vehicle insurance?

  • The General Insurance Association of Japan explains that some vehicle insurance plans are limited and don't cover damage where the other vehicle can't be identified, such as hit-and-runs; with such a plan, nothing is paid. Plan types and coverage differ by insurer.
  • Check your policy and terms, and ask your insurer if unsure.
  • Using vehicle insurance can lower your no-claims grade and raise premiums, so compare the repair estimate with the premium increase before deciding.

Fixing the date of your photos

Accident photos may later face questions like "were these really taken that day?" or "is this the damage before repair?" A phone's recorded date comes from its clock and can be changed later, so on its own it's weak evidence. PEA's photo date and location checker (Japanese page) shows the recorded date, device and file hash without uploading the image.

  • Send the photos to your insurer the same day, by the method it specifies, which leaves a dated record on its side. Keep the originals.
  • Fix the file with a third-party timestamp (RFC 3161), which shows the file existed by that time and hasn't changed since, not when it was taken. Do it as soon as possible after shooting.
RecordWhat it showsLimits
Original phone photosThe image as taken and the date the phone recordedThe date can be changed via the photo app or clock; sending can strip it
Dashcam footageHow the cars moved, signal colors, before and afterLost if overwritten; wrong clock means wrong time stamps
Photos sent to your insurerThe photos existed by the time you sent them, with a dated record on their sideSending may resize or recompress them
Traffic accident certificateThe accident reported to the police happenedNot issued without a police report; doesn't show how it happened
Third-party timestamp (e.g., a certificate)The file existed by that time and hasn't changedDoesn't show when or by whom it was taken, or who was at fault; costs money

Don'ts

  • Don't put photos before safety. Stepping into traffic, walking an expressway carriageway or shoulder, or standing where cars are coming is dangerous.
  • Don't skip the police and sort it out on the spot. Reporting is required even for property-damage accidents, and without it there's no accident certificate. Don't settle or exchange money at the scene.
  • Don't repair before contacting your insurer.
  • Don't post accident photos or videos on social media. Plates, faces or witnesses in the images can lead to privacy and defamation trouble.
  • Don't edit photos or footage before handing them over; keep the originals.
  • Don't leave your dashcam running over the accident footage.

Where to get help

  • Police: call 110 or go to the nearest police station to report, including hit-and-runs you discover later.
  • Your insurer's accident desk or agent, as soon as possible. If you're driving a rental car, also the rental company.
  • Sonpo ADR Center (General Insurance Association of Japan): consultations on non-life insurance and traffic accidents, generally free. 03-4332-5241 (Monday–Friday 9:15–17:00, except public holidays and New Year), in Japanese.
  • Nichibenren Traffic Accident Consultation Center: free consultations with lawyers on traffic accidents.
  • Houterasu Multilingual Information Service: 0570-078377 (weekdays 9:00–17:00, English and nine other languages): free information on the legal system and where to consult; call charges apply.

What PEA can and can't do

PEA (Professional Evidence Authenticator), from Lumina Spark in Japan, checks an image for signs of AI generation or editing with several independent analyses and shows a grade from 1 to 10. It doesn't decide the cause of an accident, the fault ratio, or which car hit which.

Start with the free steps: safety, the police report, photos with originals kept, saved dashcam footage, photos sent to your insurer. A certificate is an extra step for the photos that matter most.

  • Fix a photo's existence in a form others can verify. When you run a check, PEA records the file's SHA-256 hash and seals it with an Ed25519 digital signature and an RFC 3161 timestamp from a third-party authority. The timestamp is the time of the check, so checking on the day of the accident, before repairs, supports "this photo existed by that day".
  • Turn it into a certificate within 7 days (¥1,000 per image, charged in yen; international cards accepted). Your insurer or lawyer can check the issue time, file hash and timestamp by certificate number on PEA's public verification page.
  • Pick one or a few photos likely to be disputed, such as damage close-ups, stopping positions or the signal.
  • Photos only (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, up to 25 MB); dashcam video can't be checked.
  • Don't upload other people's license images unless needed; accident and damage photos are enough.

PEA can't prove the cause of the accident, the fault ratio, who hit the car, or when a photo was taken. It shows that the file existed at the time of the check and hasn't changed since, plus the analysis results. The timestamp is not one accredited by Japan's Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and we can't promise how an insurer or court will weigh it. The account and certificate screens are in Japanese; browser translation works on them.

This article is general information about Japan, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What should I photograph after a minor car accident in Japan?

After helping anyone injured, preventing danger and calling the police, and once it's safe: both cars' damage (a full shot including the plate, three angles around the damage, close-ups), where the cars stopped, skid marks and debris, traffic lights, signs and stop lines, the whole junction and sight lines, and the weather and light. Photograph the other car and its plate first, before it can leave, and save your dashcam footage before it's overwritten.

Do I have to call the police for a small accident with no injuries?

Yes. In Japan, property-damage-only accidents are traffic accidents, and Road Traffic Act Article 72 requires drivers to report them to the police. Not reporting can bring up to 3 months' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥50,000, and without a police report you can't get the traffic accident certificate needed for insurance claims.

Will the police photograph a property-damage accident for me?

Don't count on it. For injury accidents the police make a detailed on-site inspection report, but for property-damage accidents law firms explain they tend to make only a simple report. The fault ratio is decided by the parties, usually the two insurers, not the police. Report the accident, but keep your own photos, dashcam footage and notes.

I didn't take photos at the scene. What can I do?

Save your dashcam footage, photograph your car's damage before repair (contacting your insurer first), photograph the road, signs and sight lines later with a note of when, ask about nearby security cameras quickly, look for witnesses, and write notes and a sketch while your memory is fresh. If you didn't report to the police, do it now.

What should I do after a hit-and-run in Japan?

Report it to the police even if you have little evidence, so you can get an accident certificate for insurance. Note the time window, check parking-mode dashcam footage and nearby security cameras quickly, and photograph the damage's height, shape and transferred paint color. Whether vehicle insurance covers it depends on your plan; the Government Guarantee Program doesn't cover property damage.

Sources