Police

An earthquake at 2 a.m., a hospital visit where no one speaks English, a typhoon warning you can’t read. Emergencies don’t wait until you’ve learned the language. Here’s the practical playbook every foreigner in Japan needs to have ready before anything goes wrong. The Numbers You Need Situation Number Notes Police 110 Free, 24/7 Fire / Ambulance 119 Free, 24/7 Coast Guard 118 Ocean emergencies Medical advice (non-emergency) #7119 Free, 24/7 in major cities; English in Tokyo Children’s medical advice #8000 Nights & weekends, all prefectures These are free calls from any phone in Japan. ...

In an emergency, the last thing you want to be doing is searching for phone numbers. Japan’s emergency services work well — but they operate in Japanese, and the system has quirks foreigners often don’t know about. Bookmark this before you need it. Essential Emergency Numbers Number Service Notes 110 Police (警察) Crime, accidents, lost persons 119 Fire and Ambulance (消防/救急) Fires, medical emergencies 118 Coast Guard (海上保安庁) Maritime emergencies #7119 Medical consultation hotline Available in some regions; advice on whether to go to ER Calling 110 (Police) Call 110 for: ...