Two phone numbers you should know if you live in Japan 

There are two phone numbers that every Japanese person knows.  It’s a phone number that can call ambulances & fire trucks and the police. I have had the experience of calling an ambulance when I had an accident on my motorcycle and couldn’t walk. 
This topic will tell you when and how to use these two phone numbers in emergency. Of course, it is a service that can be used in multiple languages ​​other than English (English, Tagalog, Korean, Spanish, Malay, Indonesian, etc.) and in 24/7, so please be sure to know it in case of emergency.

When can I use it?

Ambulance / Fire engine

Ambulances(救急車 / きゅうきゅうしゃ) and fire trucks(消防車 / しょうぼうしゃ) can be used with the same phone number.  For example, you can use this service when you get stuck in an accident while driving, when you suddenly get stuck at home and wants to go to the hospital, or when a fire breaks out.

Police

It can also be used when you are violent or assaulted, when you see them, or when you are molested by a robber. Even if you have a traffic accident, the police will need to handle the accident in order to claim insurance premiums, so please contact the police(警察 / けいさつ) when you call an ambulance.

How to use

Ambulance / Fire engine

Dial <119> from your smartphone. Dial 119 will connect you to the command center that has jurisdiction over the area.  The operator will respond in Japanese at first, but please be assured that if you tell only the language you want to speak in Japanese, you can have a conversation with a simultaneous interpreter.

The operator will ask you the following questions, so be prepared to reply and call.
※Of course, it doesn’t matter what language you want.

Operator
Operator

This is the command center. Is it a fire or an emergency?


火事(かじ)ですか救急(きゅうきゅう)ですか?

Operator
Operator

What happened?


どうしましたか?

Operator
Operator

Please tell me the address you are calling. It doesn’t matter as far as you can understand.


電話(でんわ)をしている住所(じゅうしょ)と電話番号(でんわばんごう)を教(お)えてください。分(わ)かる範囲(はんい)で構(かま)いません。

Operator
Operator

Please tell me your name and contact information.

あなたの名前(なまえ)と連絡先(れんらくさき)を教(おし)えてください。

Police

Make a call to <110> from your smartphone. Just like an ambulance, calling 110 will connect you to the command center that has jurisdiction over the area.  The operator will respond in Japanese at first, but if you tell only the language you want to speak in Japanese, you can have a conversation with a simultaneous interpreter, so please feel free to use it.
The operator asks you the same as in an emergency.

Please tell us the language you would like to request an interpreter in Japanese for the first word.
ex.)
 English…英語(えいご)でお願(ねが)いします。
 Spanish…スペイン語(ご)でお願(ねが)いします。
 French…フランス語(ご)でお願(ね)いします。
 Tagalog…タガログ語(ご)でお願(ね)いします。
 Portuguese…ポルトガル語(ご)でお願いします。

Cost

Both 119 and 110 can be used free of charge with no charges other than call charges. Medical expenses treated in the ambulance are also no pay.

Notes on use

Basically, there is no usage fee. However, ambulance use is limited to urgent or severe cases, so you may be charged for other uses. In addition, there are many mischievous calls, but let’s stop using them.  Since they can get the GPS of your smartphone, you may be punished if it is judged to be malicious.



Support this blog

This blog is run with your donations. If this article helps you, I would be grateful if you could support this blog in the form of a cup of coffee.



Conclusion

I don’t think there are many emergency calls, but it’s a phone number that you’ll want to know in case of emergency, so if you have friends who plan to live in Japan, please share this topic.

How to dial

If you have any other problems living in Japan, you can ask questions in the free Online Community “useJapan. You only need to download the app, but please feel free to download it as there are no advertisements.

Introduction and usage of the online community “useJapan”



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Translate »