A wallet goes missing on a crowded train, or a stomach bug turns serious in a hotel room at midnight, and suddenly the only question is which number to dial. In Japan the answer is short: 110 for the police and 119 for fire or an ambulance. For everything in between, a visitor hotline answers in English around the clock.
What are the emergency numbers in Japan?
Japan uses two emergency numbers: 110 for the police and 119 for fire or an ambulance. Both are written in the same form on government pages for visitors, so they are worth saving in your phone before the trip begins, next to the numbers of your hotel and your insurer.
| Situation | Number |
|---|---|
| Police | 110 |
| Fire or ambulance | 119 |
| JNTO visitor hotline (accident, illness, disaster, tourist information) | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year |
| Lost items (English-speaking staff) | 0570-550-142 |
| General information in English and other languages | (03) 3503-8484 |
110 for the police
Dial 110 for a theft, an assault or any situation where you need the police. Pickpocketing can occur in crowded shopping areas, on trains and at airports, so those are the places where a wallet or phone is most likely to disappear.
Nightlife calls for a little more care. In Tokyo, entertainment districts such as Roppongi, Kabuki-cho, Shibuya and Ikebukuro are the ones the U.S. State Department singles out. Reports there include spiked drinks, thefts of purses, wallets and cards, and assaults.
Some travelers have also described being forced to withdraw cash from an ATM after a bar tab they could not pay. Robberies can follow when someone has been drugged, which is why many travelers keep a hand on their glass and leave a bar the moment something feels off.
119 for fire or an ambulance
The same number, 119, brings fire engines and ambulances. Say which one you need as soon as the call is answered, then give where you are. If you are in a hotel, the front desk can help with the address and with the call itself.
International health insurance is not required to enter Japan, but it is strongly recommended because medical and hospitalization costs are expensive. For a less urgent illness, the Japan Tourism Agency publishes a guide called “Guide for when you feel ill” that helps you find medical institutions accepting foreign visitors. The website is in English, Chinese and Korean.
After the call: reports and paperwork
A police report is needed to get a passport reissued or to claim insurance for theft, loss and similar incidents. You can get one at a local police box, called a koban. Reports must be filed before you leave Japan, because Japanese police will not accept reports filed from overseas.
If a credit card is stolen or used fraudulently, the police usually give a report number rather than a full report. That number is what you hand to the card company. Sexual assaults are not often reported in Japan, but they do occur, and victims of domestic violence who are U.S. citizens are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy.
How do you call for help?
You call for help by dialing 110 or 119 on any phone, then explaining what happened and where you are, or by walking into a koban if you need the police in person. Calls to other help lines work like any Japanese number, from a mobile phone, a hotel phone or a public phone.
From a mobile phone or a rental
If your own phone does not work in Japan, a mobile phone rental service is available on arrival at Narita, Haneda and Kansai airports. Having a working phone from the first day means the emergency numbers are one tap away, along with the hotline and your hotel.
Numbers starting with 0120 are free to call from within Japan through NTT’s Free Dial service. Some information lines use them, so a number that begins that way will not eat into your credit.
From a public phone
Public phones are still found in hotels, tourist facilities and train stations. They accept 10-yen and 100-yen coins, telephone cards, or both, and no change is given for partial use of a 100-yen coin. A local call in the 23 wards of central Tokyo and other metropolitan cities costs about 10 yen for one minute. Prepaid telephone cards cost about 1,000 yen at kiosks in stations and at convenience stores.
There is a good reason to remember them. During large-scale disasters, public phones are known to hold a connection better than mobile phones. To call home, look for a phone marked International and Domestic Telephone, found in airports, hotels and other key facilities. Prepaid international calling cards, sold at convenience stores and airports, work by dialing a call center number and entering a security code.
During an earthquake, tsunami or storm
When the Japan Meteorological Agency expects strong shaking, it issues an Earthquake Early Warning as quickly as possible, with a special sound, on TV, radio, cell phones and smartphones. When you see or hear one, stay calm and secure your safety first, even if you do not feel the vibrations yet. In a building, do not go outside until it is safe, since most buildings in Japan are fairly resistant to earthquakes.
A tsunami warning, if damage is expected, comes approximately three minutes after the quake. Start evacuating when the shaking is strong, or weak but long-lasting, and go to higher ground without judging the danger yourself. Stay in a safe place until the warning is cancelled, because tsunamis strike repeatedly over a long period.
For typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, the sources to consult are the Japan Safe Travel Information website, the Safety tips app, and the NHK WORLD-JAPAN website or app. The agency issues Advisories when heavy rain or strong winds may cause damage, and it provides warnings and forecasts for about 110 active volcanoes.
What help is there in English?
The main help in English is the Japan National Tourism Organization visitor hotline, which answers in English, Chinese and Korean 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It covers accidents, illness, natural disasters and general tourist information, so it is the number to try when the situation is serious but not a 110 or 119 call.
The JNTO visitor hotline
Think of the hotline as a helper for the moment you do not know whom to call: a sudden illness, a disaster that has disrupted your plans, or a question that cannot wait until morning. It can point you toward the right service in your language. It does not replace 110 or 119 when a life or a crime is involved.
Two other numbers are worth saving. For lost items, 0570-550-142 is answered by staff who speak English. For general information, (03) 3503-8484 is available in English and several other languages. Rail travelers can also use the JR East Infoline at (050) 2016-1603, which gives information in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.
Your embassy or consulate
JNTO has a page that helps travelers find the location and contact details of their embassy or consulate in Japan. It is meant for situations such as a lost passport or a natural disaster. It is unlikely you will need to contact them during your stay, but a passport lost on the last day is exactly the kind of moment when the address matters.
A police report is the first step for a lost or stolen passport, since it is required to have a passport reissued. You can get one at a koban. U.S. citizens who are victims of domestic violence are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy for assistance.
Safety information in English
JNTO publishes a Japan Safe Travel Information page with safety tips and government information for travelers, and it is in English. The related Safety tips app and the NHK WORLD-JAPAN website and app carry news and alerts during a typhoon, earthquake, tsunami or volcanic eruption. Downloading the app before you fly means the alerts are already there when a warning comes.
For health problems that are not an emergency, the Japan Tourism Agency’s guide to medical institutions that accept foreign visitors is available in English, Chinese and Korean. Pair it with your travel insurance details so that you can speak to a clinic, and later to your insurer, with the report or receipts in hand.
Good to know before you go
Crime against U.S. citizens in Japan is low and typically involves personal disputes, petty theft or vandalism, so the practical habits are small ones: watch your bag on trains and in crowded shopping streets, keep an eye on your drink in nightlife districts, and agree on prices before you sit down in a bar. Save 110, 119, the hotline and your hotel’s number in your phone before you leave. Keep a little coin money for a public phone, which may still work when mobile networks are overloaded after a disaster.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Japan travel information, safety and security (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Japan.html), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, safety information (https://www.japan.travel/en/japan-safe-travel-information/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, embassies and consulates (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/embassies/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, emergency numbers, police, ambulance, what to do (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/emergencies/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, JNTO tourist information hotline (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/hotline/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, phone calls, mobile phones (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/telephone/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Safety tips for travelers (https://www.jnto.go.jp/safety-tips/eng/index.html), checked October 11, 2026
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit Japan: Cherry Blossoms, Autumn Colors, Weather and Festivals
- Where to Stay in Japan: Ryokan, Temple Stays, Capsule Hotels and the Best Cities to Base In
- Sending Luggage from the Airport in Japan: Hands-Free Travel, Hotel Delivery and Coin Lockers
- Know Before You Go to Japan: Entry, Money, Etiquette and Getting Around