An official website of the United States government
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
In case of an emergency in Japan, being able to communicate with the emergency dispatcher can literally be a life-saver.
Throughout Japan, an emergency phone call can be made free of charge from any phone including public pay phones.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government website has information on emergency calls at https://tabunka.tokyo-tsunagari.or.jp/guide_eng/kinkyu/01.html The phone numbers and procedures also apply to other areas in Japan.
Check the following websites for further information. Although these websites are published by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the information contained in them is generally applicable throughout Japan.
The Tokyo fire department emergency operator staff, which can be reached by dialing 119, has English-speaking staff available.
For further information on calling the police, check the following website.
Persons seeking assistance should be able to describe their address/location in Japanese or enlist a friend who can do so, as few police officers and fire department staff speak English.
The Osaka Municipal Fire Department also has useful information in English, including Osaka Municipal Emergency Hospital Information Service, 06-6582-7119.
Here’s how to deal with emergency calls for ambulance in Japan.
First Steps
Dispatcher: SHOU BOU CHOU… KAJI DESU KA? KYUU KYUU DESU KA? (Fire department… Fire or ambulance?)
Caller: KYUU KYUU DESU. (Ambulance)
Dispatcher: DOU SHIMASHITA KA? (What happened?)
Caller: (see vocabulary below)
English | Japanese |
---|---|
Telephone number is… |
DENWA BANGO WA (number)… |
My name is… |
WATASHI NO NAMAE WA (name)… |
Bleeding |
SHUKKETSU DESU |
Broken bone |
KOSSETSU DESU |
Burn |
HIDOI YAKEDO DESU |
Difficulty Breathing |
KOKYUU KONNAN DESU |
Convulsions |
KEIREN DESU |
Chest Pains |
MUNE GA TAIHEN KURUSHII DESU |
High Fever |
KOU NETSU DESU |
Injury |
KEGA DESU |
Poison |
DOKUBUTSU DESU |
Poison Gas |
DOKU GASU DESU |
Sick |
BYOUKI DESU |
Unconscious |
KI FUMEI DESU |
Giving Your Address
The emergency service people need to know how to locate you in order to help. The dispatcher may say JU-SHO WA? (or) NANI-KU, NANI- MACHI, NAN-BAN DESU KA?, asking “What is your address?”
For example, the address of the American Embassy in English is: 10-5 Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo
In Japanese, this is reversed, and best understood, as follows: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Akasaka itt-chome juu no go.
English | Japanese |
---|---|
Front |
MAE |
Behind |
URA |
Diagonally in Front |
NANA ME MAE |
Next to |
TONARI |
Intersection |
KOOSATEN |
Since many Japanese streets do not bear names and house/building numbers are not consecutive, it is very important that you learn how to give adequate directions to your residence in case you need to explain it to a dispatcher, usually guiding them by way of major landmarks.
One of the best tests to determine if you have the capability to guide someone to your residence is being able to order a taxicab, and not from a company which has your information already programmed into its computer.
Japanese neighbors are a great source of information – ask them to tell you, word by word, how they direct people to their residences. Practice these directions on a regular basis and keep a cheat sheet by your telephone for family, babysitters, or friends to use in case of need.
Assuming you are not calling from a cell phone, just stay on the line. Emergency operators at the fire department in most major urban centers have the ability to trace calls to your location.
Other Important Points
You can call an ambulance anytime and anywhere in Japan by simply dialing 119. Ambulances as a part of municipal fire departments, do not charge for transportation to hospitals. However, patients are responsible for medical expenses.
Ambulance personnel transfer the patient to the nearest, most suitable medical center depending on the symptoms and condition of the patient as well as on the situation and location. The patient may not therefore be taken to the hospital of his or her choice.
To call an ambulance from a public phone, no coins nor telephone cards are needed if the public phone has an emergency call button (exceptions include red and pink phones, which operate only with 10 yen coins). Pick up the receiver, press the red emergency call button and dial 119. Newer public phones do not have an emergency call button, but do allow you to call for help by simply dialing 119.
International Telephone Dialing Instructions
Dialing direct to the U.S. from Japan:
Example: dial 010 +1+202-555-1234
Intl Access Code + U.S. Country Code + U.S. Phone Number
Dialing Japan from the U.S.:
Example (a): the phone number in Tokyo is 03-3224-9999; from a phone in the U.S., dial 011 + 81 (Japan Country Code) + 3 (City Code) + 3224-9999 (local phone number). Do not dial the “0” in the “03” when dialing internationally.
Example (b): the cell phone number in Tokyo is 080-1234-5678; from a phone in the U.S., dial 011 + 81 (Japan Country Code) + 80-1234-5678. All Japanese cell phones have 090 or 080 as the first three digits, when dialing internationally do not dial the first “0”.
Please call your nearest Consulate or Embassy:
Emergency Contact – All Locations Enroll in STEP International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial Assistance