Explainer | What you need to know about Hong Kong travel insurance if Japan trip is hit by earthquakes

Japan is one of the most popular destinations for Hong Kong travellers but some remain confused as to whether they should still go ahead with their trips, and how insurance policies may play out if they run into emergency situations.

Here, the Post explains how to navigate insurance claims if your trip to Japan is affected by an earthquake or other unforeseen circumstances.

1. What happened in Japan?

Parts of western Japan were rocked by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake off the coast of Miyazaki prefecture last Thursday.

While only minor injuries were reported, Japanese authorities issued a tsunami advisory. Relatively small waves were recorded in some spots an hour after the earthquake.

Japan also issued a “megaquake advisory” hours later, warning of the possibility of another major earthquake in the coming week.

Hong Kong’s Security Bureau on Monday updated its existing amber outbound travel alert for Japan – issued in July 2012 – urging travellers to closely monitor the situation or exercise caution if already in the country. The amber alert is the lowest on a three-tier system.