Emergencies and Essentials

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. Emergencies, medical needs, and communication gaps still happen, so it helps to know a few basics before you need them. This page covers emergency numbers, phrases for police and medical situations, lost-item procedures, communication tools, earthquake basics, and vocabulary that may matter during your trip.

Emergency numbers

Number	Service	Notes
110	Police	Reversed from many countries (where 911 or 999)
119	Fire / Ambulance	Also reversed. Remember: 110 = police, 119 = rescue

Both numbers have English support at major city call centers. From a mobile phone, you can dial these numbers without a SIM card.

To tell them apart: 110 for police (“1-1-0, someone stole”), 119 for fire and ambulance (“1-1-9, I need help”). The two 1s in 110 resemble a badge; 119 ends in 9.

Your friend collapses at a train station and needs an ambulance. Which number do you dial?

Emergency phrases

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
助(たす)けてください	tasukete kudasai	Help!
警察(けいさつ)を呼(よ)んでください	keisatsu o yonde kudasai	Please call the police
救急車(きゅうきゅうしゃ)を呼(よ)んでください	kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai	Please call an ambulance
火事(かじ)です	kaji desu	Fire!
危(あぶ)ない	abunai	Dangerous!
盗(ぬす)まれた	nusumareta	(Something) was stolen
怪我(けが)をしました	kega o shimashita	I was injured
道(みち)に迷(まよ)いました	michi ni mayoimashita	I’m lost

Listen: help!

Listen: please call an ambulance

Medical situations

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
病院(びょういん)はどこですか	byōin wa doko desu ka	Where is a hospital?
薬局(やっきょく)はどこですか	yakkyoku wa doko desu ka	Where is a pharmacy?
気分(きぶん)が悪(わる)いです	kibun ga warui desu	I feel sick
～が痛(いた)いです	~ ga itai desu	My ~ hurts
アレルギーがあります	arerugī ga arimasu	I have allergies
薬(くすり)をください	kusuri o kudasai	Medicine, please
熱(ねつ)があります	netsu ga arimasu	I have a fever
保険証(ほけんしょう)	hokenshō	Insurance card

Body parts for “My ~ hurts”

Japanese	Reading	Meaning	Mandarin
頭(あたま)	atama	Head	头
お腹(おなか)	onaka	Stomach	肚子
歯(は)	ha	Tooth	牙
喉(のど)	nodo	Throat	喉咙
目(め)	me	Eye	眼
手(て)	te	Hand	手 (same)
足(あし)	ashi	Foot / leg	足
背中(せなか)	senaka	Back	背

Use [body part] + が痛いです. Example: 頭が痛いです (atama ga itai desu, “my head hurts”).

Your stomach hurts at a clinic. How do you say 'My stomach hurts' in Japanese?

Hint: お腹 = stomach; 痛い = hurts.

Lost items

Japan’s lost-and-found system is effective. People regularly get wallets, phones, and passports back.

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
落(お)とし物(もの)	otoshimono	Lost item / lost and found
～をなくしました	~ o nakushimashita	I lost ~
パスポートをなくしました	pasupōto o nakushimashita	I lost my passport
財布(さいふ)をなくしました	saifu o nakushimashita	I lost my wallet
交番(こうばん)	kōban	Police box (small neighborhood station)
忘(わす)れ物(もの)	wasuremono	Forgotten item

If something is missing, retrace your steps and ask at the last shop or station you visited: 「落とし物はありませんか？」. If it is not there, go to the nearest 交番. For items lost on trains, call that railway’s lost-and-found line (each company has one). Items are often returned within 24–48 hours.

Communication essentials

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
英語(えいご)を話(はな)せますか	eigo o hanasemasu ka	Do you speak English?
中国語(ちゅうごくご)を話(はな)せますか	chūgokugo o hanasemasu ka	Do you speak Chinese?
わかりません	wakarimasen	I don’t understand
もう一(いち)度(ど)お願(ねが)いします	mō ichido onegai shimasu	One more time, please
ゆっくりお願(ねが)いします	yukkuri onegai shimasu	Slowly, please
書(か)いてください	kaite kudasai	Please write it down
見(み)せてください	misete kudasai	Please show me
大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です	daijōbu desu	It’s okay / I’m fine
困(こま)りました	komarimashita	I’m in trouble / I need help

When spoken Japanese is hard to follow, three phrases cover most gaps: 「ゆっくりお願いします」 (slowly, please), 「書いてください」 (write it down), and 「わかりません」 (I don’t understand). Written kanji is often easier for Mandarin speakers to read than spoken Japanese.

Listen: do you speak English?

You cannot understand what someone is saying. Which three phrases should you try first?

Practical essentials

Wi-Fi and SIM cards

Option	Where to get	Notes
Pocket Wi-Fi	Airport rental counters	Share among devices; return at airport
SIM card	Airport, Bic Camera, Yodobashi	Data-only or voice+data
eSIM	Online before departure	Instant activation, no physical card
Free Wi-Fi	Konbini, stations, cafes	Look for FREE Wi-Fi signs

Charging

Japan uses Type A plugs (two flat pins, 100V). Same as US/Canada plugs, so most US devices need no adapter. Voltage is 100V (vs 120V US), so high-draw appliances may run slightly slower.

Toilets

Type	Japanese	Notes
Western	洋式(ようしき)	Standard sit-down toilet
Squat	和式(わしき)	Squat toilet; face the hood/cover
Washlet	ウォシュレット	Heated seat, bidet; buttons may be in Japanese

On washlet panels: 大 (large flush), 小 (small flush), 音 (privacy sound), 止 (stop bidet). When unsure, use the manual flush handle rather than pressing buttons at random.

Earthquake basics

Japan is earthquake-prone. Most earthquakes are small and harmless, but knowing what to do still matters.

Situation	What to do
Indoors	Drop, cover, hold. Get under a table; stay away from windows
Outdoors	Move to open area; away from buildings, signs, power lines
On train	Hold on; train will stop; follow staff instructions
Near coast	After strong shaking, move to higher ground (tsunami risk)

Japan’s Emergency Alert System sends earthquake early warnings to phones in the affected area. The alarm is loud and hard to disable. It means “prepare,” not “it’s over.”

Japanese	Reading	Meaning
地震(じしん)	jishin	Earthquake
避難(ひなん)	hinan	Evacuation
津波(つなみ)	tsunami	Tsunami
安全(あんぜん)	anzen	Safety

Emergency and essential vocabulary

Japanese	Reading	Meaning	Mandarin
警察(けいさつ)	keisatsu	Police	警察 (same)
病院(びょういん)	byōin	Hospital	医院 (same characters)
救急(きゅうきゅう)	kyūkyū	Emergency	急救 (same)
救急車(きゅうきゅうしゃ)	kyūkyūsha	Ambulance	急救车
薬局(やっきょく)	yakkyoku	Pharmacy	药局
薬(くすり)	kusuri	Medicine	药
医者(いしゃ)	isha	Doctor	医生
看護師(かんごし)	kangoshi	Nurse	护士
怪我(けが)	kega	Injury	怪我
痛(いた)い	itai	Painful / hurts	痛 (same)
熱(ねつ)	netsu	Fever / heat	热 (same)
保険(ほけん)	hoken	Insurance	保险 (same)
交番(こうばん)	kōban	Police box	交番 (unique to Japan)
落(お)とし物(もの)	otoshimono	Lost item	落物
盗(ぬす)む	nusumu	To steal	盗 (same)
危(あぶ)ない	abunai	Dangerous	危险
安全(あんぜん)	anzen	Safe / safety	安全 (same)
助(たす)ける	tasukeru	To help / save	助 (same)
火事(かじ)	kaji	Fire	火事 (same)
地震(じしん)	jishin	Earthquake	地震 (same)
避難(ひなん)	hinan	Evacuation	避难 (same)
英語(えいご)	eigo	English	英语
中国語(ちゅうごくご)	chūgokugo	Chinese	中国语
大使館(たいしかん)	taishikan	Embassy	大使馆
領事館(りょうじかん)	ryōjikan	Consulate	领事馆
充電(じゅうでん)	jūden	Charging (battery)	充电 (same)
化粧室(けしょうしつ)	keshōshitsu	Restroom	化妆室
男(おとこ)	otoko	Men (restroom sign)	男 (same)
女(おんな)	onna	Women (restroom sign)	女 (same)

Violent crime is rare in Japan, and lost wallets are often returned with cash intact. That does not remove the need for a plan. Knowing 110, 119, and 交番 covers the situations most travelers actually face.

Emergency quick reference

Save or screenshot this for offline access:

POLICE:     110  /  警察を呼んでください
AMBULANCE:  119  /  救急車を呼んでください
LOST:       ～をなくしました  /  I lost ~
SICK:       気分が悪いです  /  I feel sick
HURTS:      ～が痛いです  /  My ~ hurts
HELP:       助けてください  /  Help!
ENGLISH:    英語を話せますか  /  Do you speak English?
CHINESE:    中国語を話せますか  /  Do you speak Chinese?
SLOW:       ゆっくりお願いします  /  Slowly, please
WRITE:      書いてください  /  Please write it down

Keep this card on your phone. If something goes wrong, you already have the numbers and phrases in one place.