Emergency: How to Call an Ambulance in Japan

Should you get into an accident or suffer a fall resulting in injuries such as a fracture during your cycling trip in Japan, you will need an ambulance.

For such an emergency, Japan’s nationwide emergency telephone number for both fire and ambulance services is “119”. The good news is that most regions across Japan have introduced multi-language interpretation services to assist foreign visitors when they call this number.

To be prepared for any unforeseen event, it’s important to know what information to provide and how to make the call.

Available Languages for Interpretation:

• English: Interpreters are generally available almost nationwide.
• Chinese: Widely available, especially in major tourist areas and metropolitan cities, similar to English.
• Other Languages: An increasing number of municipalities also support other languages such as Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Conditions for Making an Emergency Call (119):

To successfully call 119, your smartphone must meet the following conditions:

Must be connected to a mobile phone network:

• Your smartphone needs to be receiving a signal from a Japanese mobile network provider (e.g., NTT Docomo, KDDI (au), SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile).
• If you are using a Japanese SIM card (physical SIM or eSIM): You can make emergency calls.
• If you are using your home country’s SIM card on international roaming: As long as it is connected to a Japanese network, you can make emergency calls.
• If you are using a data-only SIM/eSIM: Even without a voice call contract, emergency calls (110 for police, 118 for coast guard, 119 for fire/ambulance) can typically be made. However, in very rare cases, it might not be possible depending on your device or contract.
• If there is no SIM card or you are out of network coverage: You cannot dial 119 using a Wi-Fi connection alone. Emergency calls are routed through mobile base stations, so a cellular network connection is essential.

Connecting to the Interpretation Service:

1. When you dial 119, you will initially be connected to a Japanese-speaking operator.
2. At this point, clearly state “English please” or “Chinese please” (or if you can, say “通訳をお願いします – Tsuuyaku o onegai shimasu” in Japanese).
3. The operator will then connect you to a multi-language interpretation service, setting up a three-way call.
4. It may take a short while for the interpreter to connect, so please remain on the line and wait patiently.