Numbers to call in emergency situations in Japan

If you are new in Japan and need some assistance in case of emergency, this article is a must-read. If you have fallen sick or met with an accident or stuck in the fire, you must know some numbers and basic information to make your stay in Japan hassle free.

General Useful Numbers

An emergency call can be made from any phone or a public booth without any charge.

• Dial 110 for Police
• Dial 118 for Coast guard
• Dial 119 for Fire or Ambulance
• Dial #7119 for Medical assistance

If you are a foreigner and need English speaking assistance for any emergency, be it medical or general, here are a few numbers which you might not find anywhere even on the internet:

• 03-5774-0992 9:00am-11:00pm, Daily
• 03-3501-0110 (8:30 am-5:00 pm/ Only on weekdays)

You can use even some vending machines to call emergency.

Earthquake Emergency

When you feel big tremors and in case of any other disaster emergency, you need to inform the authorities or family about your situation immediately. You can set your earthquake early warning call on your mobile through your operator to let you know when there is a disaster coming. Generally, they send you a warning a minute before the earthquake. And after the disaster, most of the emergency dial links, both mobile and internet based, will be open for you to contact anyone or just to leave your whereabouts. You should check the website of your Japanese mobile operator to know more about their Disaster Message Board Systems.

Google Person Finder

Emergency preparedness in Japan is very advanced when compared to other countries and generally there is no need to worry about. Most of the buildings in Japan apart from some old ones have evacuation exits and are properly designed to be anti-seismic. So, there is no need to panic unless if its a really big one which occurs once in 30 to 50 years according to Scientists. Google and Facebook play a great role during such calamities. Many Facebook groups become active during emergencies to let you connect with your loved ones. Also, Google has “Person Finder” service to find any lost one or to let others know about your or someone’s information.