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Big trouble, bogus car accident!

Thanks everyone, I'm currently checking out every available option you sent me. Also I'm thinking of doing Helpx or Wwoof if I can find position.
Then I will go home and write the book. o_O
 
EDIT

SAW ONLY THE FIRST PAGE POSTS - first time to use this site on a smartphone and I guess my eyes are getting bad. Anyway, my post is not really helpful in this situation, but will leave it as it may be useful in some other case.


You have not been charged with anything. The police have NO say in the matter. This is a civil issue.

No one was injured and the police cannot arbitrarily decide you are at fault.

Insurance agents can decide liability (which you can dispute through an insurance mediator for- there is a free one way binding arbitration system that is available)

公益財団法人 交通事故紛争処理センター

But this is not a factor unless the owner of the car you were driving has extra coverage (任意保険).

So basicall in practice, , you are probably looking at no responsibly, except for any response will you personally feel to the owner of the car. It is very hard for someone to sue you to get this money and it would cost more than the $600, that the owner of the damaged car would get from you if they could win in court.

They however will probably bother the owner of the car expecting them to pay it, and asking them to put pressure on you. In my opinion, since you borrowed the car, it is your responsibility to resolve this matter, but that is probably quite different from your legal responsibility.

For me the long and short of it, I would eat the $600. Then I would not drive someone else's car unless I was properly insured. This is a relatively inexpensive lesson on traffic practice in Japan. If it was my car, I would tell the owner of the truck that I supposedly hit to get a lawyer and sue me. That would be the end of it.

However putting the owner of the car in the position to be harassed by someone, when you borrow the car, in my opinion is not a fair stance to take.

However be aware that the police have very little interest in this case, nor do they have any authority to order you to pay anyone any money.

Hope that helps
 
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You have not been charged with anything. The police have NO say in the matter. This is a civil issue.

No one was injured and the police cannot arbitrarily decide you are at fault.

Insurance agents can decide liability (which you can dispute through an insurance mediator for- there is a free one way binding arbitration system that is available)

公益財団法人 交通事故紛争処理センター

But this is not a factor unless the owner of the car you were driving has extra coverage (任意保険).

So basicall in practice, , you are probably looking at no responsibly, except for any response will you personally feel to the owner of the car. It is very hard for someone to sue you to get this money and it would cost more than the $600, that the owner of the damaged car would get from you if they could win in court.

They however will probably bother the owner of the car expecting them to pay it, and asking them to put pressure on you. In my opinion, since you borrowed the car, it is your responsibility to resolve this matter, but that is probably quite different from your legal responsibility.

For me the long and short of it, I would eat the $600. Then I would not drive someone else's car unless I was properly insured. This is a relatively inexpensive lesson on traffic practice in Japan. If it was my car, I would tell the owner of the truck that I supposedly hit to get a lawyer and sue me. That would be the end of it.

However putting the owner of the car in the position to be harassed by someone, when you borrow the car, in my opinion is not a fair stance to take.

However be aware that the police have very little interest in this case, nor do they have any authority to order you to pay anyone any money.

Hope that helps

Hi Tomoni,
Thank you for your contribution, to be honest I'm confused where the truth lies.
The vehicle I was driving belongs to my friend's brother. (NOTE. I didn't borrow the vehicle, I was driving for them!) Before she threw me out of her house I had planned to speak to her brother when he returned from Tokyo. He was away on business there. My plan had been to speak to him to find out the truth of what she had told me. (he being a reasonable man) What I got from her was, her brother's vehicle insurance would increase next time around if money wasn't paid to replace the guys front bumper.
The policeman who were on the scene at the time were accident assessors as is my understanding.
My friend says, that's how it's done here, the police assess the accident decide what's happened, and pass on the conclusions to the insurance company. The insurance company take the word of the police in the matter. She says that's what they did. She also said that guy who I allegedly hit had been calling the police to ask why he hadn't heard back from us, a little after two days of the accident happening. Also I was not that I was charged for anything.
She also told me something that was pretty shocking to me actually. I mentioned to her an idea I had, that we should have a chat with the owner of the other vehicle. In a nice way you understand, to kind of see if we can mediate something to our mutual satisfaction. Her response to this was that was the worst thing we could do. Apparently in Japan you owe the money and that's that and in this kind of situation, if you annoy the person even more in any way, they might add on other things like, time off from work to take car to be mended, had to get a hire car while the car was in the garage getting mended, pain and suffering. etc etc. And she says that legally in Japan the other driver will be quite entitled to do this, the law would support him, and I would be expected to pay all that other money as well. no if's no buts! shut up and pay! as I said I don't know where the truth lies in all of this. I certainly feel aggrieved though I'm trying not to let it bother me.
 
Thank you to everyone who helped me on this post. Just to let you know I am now in a place called Hakone, after spending a week in a Zen Buddhist temple / monastery. I'm staying in a hostel where I get free accommodation for four hours a day work and if I stay a month I get 8000 yen. It's worked out pretty well. A few days away from my friend made me realise that we are completely different people. her and I completely do not resonate with each other and I feel much happier now I'm out of her company.
 
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Your friend is one of the more clueless people in Japan, as well as being a tremendous liar.

This is, quite strictly speaking, a matter for either the owner of the car or his insurance company to make right with the other guy. It sounds like they have not notified the insurance company.

If you want to reimburse the brother for any losses he may have, that is between you and him to work out.

Every time she contacts you, ask her what the license number of her brother`s illegal travel agency is.... and why she knows so much about the law and traffic accidents but nothing whatsoever about the law and the travel agency business.

Glad to hear you have your room and board worked out and I hope you manage to have some very positive experiences of Japan during your remaining time here.
 
much appreciated, I feel more positive about being in Japan every day that passes. Right now I feel like I can't for the life of me understand why I didn't watch how I was feeling more closely. I should never have accepted the offer to come here in the first place. but somewhere along the line my brain just started hearing "free trip to Japan" I have a strong feeling she wanted to jump my bones, and then got upset and it didn't happen. You live and learn :)
 
Oh, she wanted to use you alright. Just not in the way you wanted to be used!
 
You live and learn :)
I think the final step would be to tell your friend that you are not responsible for any damage and that the onus is on them to pay it (since I think that is what you have concluded). Then don't contact them or receive contact from them anymore.

It sounds like they have an unusual way of doing business/ treating people.
 
She told me it is not a business vehicle, it is a private registration. ( although of course they do use it for their customers) I don't know how they get around that?
They get around that by not following the law. It's easy to do. The only problem is when something happens and they get caught. But they might be fine indefinitely. Who knows. Better if you're not around to find out.
 
The policeman who were on the scene at the time were accident assessors as is my understanding.
Since there wasn't any accident, and your car was long gone by the time the police showed up, and the pics you showed were damage free, what exactly did they assess?

The insurance company take the word of the police in the matter. She says that's what they did. She also said that guy who I allegedly hit had been calling the police to ask why he hadn't heard back from us
Why wasn't he calling the insurance company? They are the ones who should be handling things? In fact, they should be the ones calling you or your friend.

She also told me something that was pretty shocking to me actually. I mentioned to her an idea I had, that we should have a chat with the owner of the other vehicle. In a nice way you understand, to kind of see if we can mediate something to our mutual satisfaction. Her response to this was that was the worst thing we could do. Apparently in Japan you owe the money and that's that and in this kind of situation, if you annoy the person even more in any way
Then please ask her to explain why the person I hit in a parking lot did precisely what you suggested!

I'm staying in a hostel where I get free accommodation for four hours a day work and if I stay a month I get 8000 yen.
So, we're back to this working without a work visa thing again?

She told me it is not a business vehicle, it is a private registration. ( although of course they do use it for their customers) I don't know how they get around that?
Oh, very easily. Lying. I mean, seriously, man! Look at the wording in your sentence alone! It's so contradictory.
 
So, we're back to this working without a work visa thing again?

Under the circumstances, I think this is probably the most benign outcome that could have been hoped for. Working a few hours a day in exchange for room and board on a tourist visa is S.O.P. for the WWOOF voluntary slave labor program, for example. And given how broke he is and that he'll be in need of transportation costs back to the airport a few thousand yen pocket money from the hostel is a blessing. It certainly isn't wages. Taken all around, he's found a situation where he can lay low, endanger no one (unlike hauling tourists around), and save the taxpayers the expense of his food, shelter, and deportation. I would only consider his current arrangement objectionable if it turned into an overstay situation.
 
Mike,
WWOOFing is different. From their site:
Q. Can I get work as a WWOOFer?
A. No. WWOOFing is a means to travel, learn and experience. WWOOFing is NOT a means to work.

Q. Can I get paid some income as a WWOOFer?
A. No.

Q. Is WWOOFing work?
A. No. WWOOFing is travel, learning, experiencing.
 
Mike,
WWOOFing is different. From their site:
Q. Can I get work as a WWOOFer?
A. No. WWOOFing is a means to travel, learn and experience. WWOOFing is NOT a means to work.

Q. Can I get paid some income as a WWOOFer?
A. No.

Q. Is WWOOFing work?
A. No. WWOOFing is travel, learning, experiencing.

Read some of the individual listings from some of the hosts and see what a honking huge lie that is.
 
Still at the place in Hakone, it's very nice here, made friends with a very nice Japanese girl!! thanks everyone for all your help best wishes to you all 💋
 
Bumping the thread hoping the OP may receive an e-mail notification. I wish he would come back and let us know how things went for him.
 
All is well, I left Japan for Austria, happy. That fiasco never really did get resolved, as I left Japan. My 'friend', Skyped me much later on and said it had gone to court and that the plaintiff, or whatever you call them, had been awarded something like 90,000 yen. She got her ex-boyfriend to call me on her behalf. I felt just about gracious enough to say that I would pay for half of it. I said it was on the proviso that I didn't have to speak to her directly. Soon after that, she Skyped me directly and was abusive. That made me feel disinclined to do anything else.

Social media links were severed, and that was it.
 
Thanks for all your help by the way, it was a riot! a bit stressful, but I guess it could have been worse! :emoji_blush:
 
Thanks for all your help by the way, it was a riot! a bit stressful, but I guess it could have been worse! :emoji_blush:

Thanks for getting back to us! I'm very glad to hear that you made it back home safe and sound. Maybe you can come back and visit Japan again under better circumstances sometime. If you do, please be sure to let us know!
 
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