# Emergency numbers in Japan: 110, 119, #7119 and help in English

URL: https://japanhow.com/life/safety/emergency-numbers-japan/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 24, 2026

## Summary

The emergency number in Japan is 119 for an ambulance or fire and 110 for police; 118 is for emergencies at sea. 110 and 119 are free to call. The latest survey shows 93.5% of fire departments connect foreign callers to a phone interpreter in at least English, Chinese and Korean; Tokyo has English-speaking staff and interpreters. The ambulance ride is free, but some hospitals, as in Matsusaka, charge ¥7,700 if you arrive by ambulance and aren't admitted. Unsure? Call #7119 (adults, 42 areas) or #8000 (children).

## Key facts

- Ambulance and fire: 119
- Police: 110 (non-urgent: #9110)
- Should I call an ambulance?: #7119 (42 areas), #8000 for children
- Ambulance ride: Free; hospital bills are not

The emergency number in Japan is **119** for an ambulance or a fire, and **110** for the police, free from any phone. As of October 2026, the latest national survey shows **93.5%** of fire departments can add a phone interpreter in at least English, Chinese and Korean, and Tokyo has English-speaking staff on duty. The ambulance ride is free.

## Which emergency numbers should I save in Japan?

| Number | What for | English? |
|---|---|---|
| **119** | Ambulance (救急, kyūkyū) and fire (火事, kaji) | Interpreter at most fire departments; English staff in Tokyo |
| **110** | Police: crime, traffic accident, danger | Police connect an interpreter |
| **118** | Accidents and incidents at sea (Japan Coast Guard) | Not stated |
| **#7119** | Adults: "Do I need an ambulance or a hospital now?" (42 areas) | Japanese (no English found) |
| **#8000** | Children: sudden illness at night and on holidays (all 47 prefectures) | Japanese (no English found) |
| **#9110** | Police advice, not urgent | Tokyo: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean at 03-3501-0110 |
| **171** | Disaster message dial: leave a voice message for family | Not stated |

119 and 110 work from mobile phones, landlines and public phones. Osaka police note that a phone on **global roaming** may not be able to call 110, so get a Japanese SIM if you live here.

## Can I call 119 or 110 in English?

Usually, yes. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency (総務省消防庁) reports that as of 1 January 2025, **673 of 720** fire departments use three-way interpretation (三者間同時通訳): you, the dispatcher and a phone interpreter on one call. All of them cover **English, Chinese and Korean**, and choose other languages locally.

In Tokyo, the Tokyo Fire Department (東京消防庁) keeps **English-speaking staff** at both of its 119 centers at all times. Since July 2017 it also uses an interpreter center for English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. For other languages, the interpreter company helps where it can.

For 110, prefectural police connect an interpreter if they can't understand you. Osaka and Kagoshima police both ask the same thing: **don't hang up** while the interpreter joins. Connecting can take several tens of seconds, so stay on the line.

## What do I say when I call 119?

The dispatcher answers: 「119、消防です。火事ですか、救急ですか？」 ("119, fire department. Fire or ambulance?"). Then they ask questions in a fixed order, and in serious cases the ambulance leaves before they finish.

Three more tips from the fire agency's ambulance guide:

- **Ask a Japanese speaker nearby to help** with the call if one is there.
- **Send someone outside** to meet the ambulance and guide the crew in.
- **Have ready:** your passport, cash or a credit card for the hospital, and the medicine you take.

The agency's [Guide for Ambulance Services](https://www.fdma.go.jp/publication/portal/post1.html) is free in **16 languages**, including Vietnamese, Nepali, Indonesian, Tagalog, Burmese and Portuguese. It also lists signs that need an ambulance at once, such as sudden severe headache, a drooping face, slurred speech, chest pain, trouble breathing or unconsciousness.

## What do I say when I call 110?

Tell the police whether it is a **crime or a traffic accident**, what happened and where you are. With a smartphone contracted in Japan, your GPS location is sent to the police automatically. Indoors, give your building name and room number.

On a road, look for the **blue sticker marked "OPP" on a traffic signpost**: Osaka police may ask for its number to find you. For a lost wallet or other non-urgent matter, go to a police box (交番, kōban) instead of calling 110.

Traffic accidents are one of the reasons Osaka police give for calling 110. Our guide to [what to do after a car accident in Japan](/driving/cars/car-accident-japan-what-to-do/) covers the next steps.

## How much does an ambulance cost in Japan?

**The ambulance ride is free.** The fire agency's guide says the service is available to anyone in Japan, and city fire departments such as Tokushima state there is no cost for an ambulance or fire truck. What you pay is the **hospital bill**, with your normal copay if you have [Japanese health insurance](/money/insurance/national-health-insurance-japan-foreigners/).

There is one exception to know about. Some large hospitals charge a **special fee (選定療養費, sentei ryōyōhi)** when an ambulance patient turns out to be a mild case.

**Matsusaka: ¥7,700 for mild ambulance cases:** Since 1 June 2024, three core hospitals in Matsusaka (Mie) charge **¥7,700** (tax included) to patients who arrive without a referral letter and are not admitted, **even if they came by ambulance** with a mild problem. Each case is decided by the hospital and doctor. It doesn't apply if you have a referral letter, are admitted, were in a traffic accident or work accident, or the doctor decides it shouldn't. The city says the program continues.

This fee is charged by the hospital, not by the fire department. Sakai City notes that the national fire agency has said ambulance charges need careful national debate.

As of October 2026, ambulance rides are not charged nationwide. Never let the fee stop you calling 119 in a real emergency.

## What if I'm not sure I need an ambulance?

Call **#7119** (救急安心センター事業). Doctors, nurses and paramedics advise you whether to call an ambulance, go to a hospital now or wait. If they think it is urgent, they transfer you to 119.

As of July 2026, #7119 runs in **42 areas**. Most prefectures are covered, with these gaps:

- **Only part of the prefecture:** Hokkaido (Sapporo and nearby towns), Aichi (Nagoya only), Wakayama (Tanabe area).
- **Not listed:** Mie, Shimane, Saga, Miyazaki, Kagoshima. Some areas run a similar line under a different number, so check your city's website.
- **Hours differ:** Tokyo, Osaka and many others are 24 hours. Some, such as Yamagata, Niigata and Kagawa, answer mainly in the evening and at night.

Many prefectures serve people around 15 and older at #7119.

For a younger child, call **#8000**, the children's medical phone line (こども医療電話相談). It runs in all 47 prefectures, with hours set by each one. In Tokyo it is 18:00 to 8:00 on weekdays and 24 hours on Saturdays and holidays.

**#7119 and #8000 are in Japanese:** We found no official page offering English at #7119 or #8000. If you can't explain in Japanese and someone may be in danger, call 119, where an interpreter is available. For finding a clinic in English, see our guide to [English-speaking hospitals in Japan](/life/health/english-speaking-hospital-japan/).

## Where do I call the police if it's not an emergency?

Dial **#9110**, the police advice line, for worries about safety in daily life that aren't urgent. It connects to your prefecture's police.

In Tokyo, the General Advisory Center also answers on **03-3501-0110** in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. It can refer you to specialist help, for example for stalking or domestic violence.

If you've just been a victim or seen a crime, call 110 instead. For fraud and fake-official calls, see [scams in Japan](/life/safety/scams-japan-foreigners/).

## Is the JNTO Visitor Hotline for residents?

The Japan Visitor Hotline (**050-3816-2787**) runs 24 hours a day in English, Chinese and Korean. It is set up for tourists, and helps with illness, accidents and disasters.

As a resident, call 119 or 110 in an emergency. Use the advice lines above for anything else.

## Which app should I install for earthquakes and disasters?

**Safety Tips**, from the Japan Tourism Agency (観光庁), sends earthquake early warnings, tsunami warnings and weather warnings. Its own page says it is useful for residents as well as tourists. It works in **15 languages**, including Vietnamese, Nepali, Indonesian, Tagalog, Burmese and Khmer.

After a big disaster, phone lines get busy. Dial **171** to leave a voice message of up to 30 seconds under your phone number, and family can play it back. You can try it on the 1st and 15th of each month, on 1 to 3 January, and during the disaster prevention weeks (15 to 21 January and 30 August to 5 September).

More on getting ready: [earthquake and disaster preparedness for foreigners](/life/safety/earthquake-disaster-preparedness-foreigners/).

This page is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 119 or 110.

## More guides

- [English-speaking hospitals and clinics in Japan](/life/health/english-speaking-hospital-japan/)
- [Earthquake and disaster preparedness](/life/safety/earthquake-disaster-preparedness-foreigners/)
- [What to do after a car accident](/driving/cars/car-accident-japan-what-to-do/)
- [Lost your residence card?](/visa/visas/lost-residence-card-japan/)

## Questions people ask

### What is the emergency number in Japan?

Dial 119 for an ambulance or a fire, and 110 for the police. Dial 118 for an accident at sea. Calls to 119 and 110 are free, from mobile phones, landlines and public phones.

### Can I call 119 or 110 in English?

Usually yes. Most fire departments add a phone interpreter to the call in at least English, Chinese and Korean, and Tokyo's fire department has English-speaking staff on duty plus an interpreter center. Police also connect an interpreter. Stay on the line while they connect, which can take several tens of seconds.

### How much does an ambulance cost in Japan?

The ambulance ride is free. You pay the hospital for treatment, with your insurance copay. Some hospitals, such as three in Matsusaka (Mie), charge ¥7,700 if you came by ambulance with a mild problem and weren't admitted.

### What number do I call if I'm not sure I need an ambulance?

Call #7119 where it exists (42 areas as of July 2026) to speak to a nurse or doctor in Japanese. For a child, call #8000, which runs in all 47 prefectures. If someone may be in danger, call 119.

### Is the JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline for residents too?

It is built for tourists: 050-3816-2787, 24 hours, in English, Chinese and Korean. Residents are better served by 119 and 110 in an emergency, and by the medical and police advice lines in this guide.

## Sources

- [119番通報](https://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/lfe/119/119.html), Tokyo Fire Department (東京消防庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [災害救急情報センター](https://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/ts/sa/info_center.html), Tokyo Fire Department (東京消防庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [電話通訳センターを介した三者間同時通訳 ～119番多言語対応の導入状況～ (2025)](https://www.fdma.go.jp/mission/enrichment/gaikokujin_syougaisya_torikumi/items/torikumi_shiryou1.pdf), Fire and Disaster Management Agency (総務省消防庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [Guide for Ambulance Services (English)](https://www.fdma.go.jp/publication/portal/items/portal001_pamphiet_english.pdf), Fire and Disaster Management Agency (総務省消防庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [訪日外国人のための救急車利用ガイド (16 languages)](https://www.fdma.go.jp/publication/portal/post1.html), Fire and Disaster Management Agency (総務省消防庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [救急安心センター事業（♯7119）ってナニ？](https://www.fdma.go.jp/mission/enrichment/appropriate/appropriate007.html), Fire and Disaster Management Agency (総務省消防庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [子ども医療電話相談事業（♯8000）について](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/2006/10/tp1010-3.html), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [How to call an ambulance](https://www.hokeniryo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/iryo/iryo_hoken/medical_info_eng/emergency_call), Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Public Health (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [警察に対する相談・ご意見](https://www.npa.go.jp/goiken/index.html), National Police Agency (警察庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [General Advisory Center](https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/finding_services/help_desk/hotline_info.html), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [Calling 110](https://www.police.pref.osaka.lg.jp/foreign_languag_selection/english/3898.html), Osaka Prefectural Police (大阪府警察) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [緊急通報用電話番号「118番」](https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/doc/tel118.html), Japan Coast Guard (海上保安庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [災害用伝言サービス](https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kurashi/saigai/jishin/message_service.html), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [119 Multi-language Interpretation Call Service](https://www.city.tokushima.tokushima.jp/multilingual/english_portal/everydaylife_proc/disaster_preparedne/callservice.html), Tokushima City (徳島市) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [市民の声: 救急車の有料化について](https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/shisei/koho/kocho/shiminnokoe/R07/r070829/3.html), Sakai City (堺市) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [三基幹病院 選定療養費](https://www.city.matsusaka.mie.jp/soshiki/24/sennteiryouyouhi.html), Matsusaka City (松阪市) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [福祉保健医療委員会視察報告](https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/e1601/gikai-committe/houkoku/e0805.html), Saitama Prefectural Assembly (埼玉県議会) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [Japan Visitor Hotline](https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/hotline/), Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
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