Daily Life

• Classification and Disposal of Trash and Recyclable Materialskeyboard_arrow_down
• Traffic Safety Guidelineskeyboard_arrow_down
• To ride a bicyclekeyboard_arrow_down
• To drive a carkeyboard_arrow_down
• Otherkeyboard_arrow_down

Classification and Disposal of Trash and Recyclable Materials

• The multilingual versions of Nagaoka City, A Guide to Classification and Disposal of Trash and Recyclable Materials

Traffic Safety Guidelines

• Traffic Safety Guidelines for Pedestrians and Cyclists

To ride a bicycle

• To all bicycle users in Niigata Prefecture

Bicycle Liability Insurance

Enrollment in a bicycle liability insurance is mandatory in Niigata Prefecture since October 2022. There have been cases of bicycle accidents in which the perpetrator has been required to pay nearly 100 million yen in damages. Bicycle riders are advised to purchase the liability insurance in case of an accident.

Comprehensive Insurance for Students Lives Coupled with "Gakkensai"

• Comprehensive Insurance for Students Lives Coupled with”gakkensai” for international students, (“Inbound Futai-gakuso”)

Comprehensive Insurance for Students Lives Coupled with "Gakkensai" （Inbound futai-gakuso） is optional for international students who are enrolled in "Gakkensai", which covers accidents during private activities. Especially, those who ride a bicycle are strongly recommended to purchase this isurance.Insurance applications are available in English. English support is available in the event of accident.
Please contact the Section of Int'l Student Affairs for more details.

 Wearing a helmet

From April 2023, people who ride bicycles must wear helmets. It is very important to protect your head by wearing a helmet to reduce the damage caused by bicycle accidents. 

To drive a car

For driving in Japan

To drive in Japan, you must either convert your foreign driver's license to a Japanese one or obtain a new Japanese driver's license. Additionally, please ensure that you purchase voluntary insurance and remember to renew the insurance annually. Parking on the university campus requires parking registration. Please note that an international driving license is not acceptable for university parking registration.

• How do I switch from a foreign license?

Car Insurance

There are two type of car insurances.

Liability Insurance

• Compulsory insurance
• Primarily to protect third parties from injury by any vehicle in an accident
• Required to be renewed at the timing of a compulsory automobile inspection every 2 years

Not applicable for the following cases:

• Any repair or replacement for damage to the car itself (third parties and driver’s own car)
• Driver’s own injuries
• Exceeding the payment limit of the liability insurance even for personal injury accidents

Voluntary Insurance

Please ensure that you purchase voluntary insurance, as liability insurance alone is NOT sufficient to cover potential accidents. Remember that this insurance must be renewed annually. Additionally, the coverage amount should be "unlimited" for both bodily injury and property damage. (Purchasing voluntary insurance is mandatory to register your car at NUT.)

Required Procedures at NUT

Parking on the university campus requires parking registration.
Note) Residents of the student dormitories are not allowed to commute by car. Parking registration is required to use the parking lot (in front of the student dormitories) in the campus.

Required Documents

• Japanese Driver’s license (copy)
• Voluntary insurance policy (copy, The amount of coverage should be unlimited for bodily injury and property damage.)
• Inspection certificate (copy)

For information on parking registration for family members (spouse) of students living in the International House and 30th Anniversary Student House, please contact the Section of Student Affairs.

• Parking Registration (on-campus page)

Driving Precautions

It's important to always obey traffic laws to stay safe.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Traffic rules in Japan may differ from those in your country.
Driving without a license and driving without a car inspection are serious violation of law and are subject to penalties and fines.
Never drink and drive!

Driving in Winter

Be extra careful when driving a car on winter roads. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nagaoka City experiences snowfall from December to March every year.