HOME > Emergencies & Disaster Prevention > Emergencies

Emergencies & Disaster Prevention

Emergencies

Police

Should you ever be victim of theft or violence, or should you be involved in a traffic accident, call the police. The number is 110. Dialing 110 is free of charge and it will connect you directly to the police station. After dialing 110, wait until someone answers. Don’t panic, calm down, tell what happened, and give details as to when and where it happened.

Ambulance

Should you ever become very sick or suffer a grave injury, call the Fire Department and request an ambulance. The number is 119. Dialing 119 is also free of charge.

After dialing 119, wait for someone to pick up. You will hear “火事ですか”("kaji desu ka"), “救急ですか”("kyukyu desu ka").

Don’t panic, calm down, and answer “救急です”(kyu kyu desu). Tell what happened, where you are (an address or a landmark is fine), your name and your phone number. Telling your phone number is especially important if you are using a cell phone, like me. If you use a land line, they will know the number automatically.

Please call an ambulance in case of a grave illness or injury only. If you are having just a common cold or suffered only a light injury and if you can go to the hospital by yourself, please use your own car, a bus, a taxi, etc.

Fire

The number to call in case of a fire is the same ? 119. When asked 火事ですか”("kaji desu ka"), “救急ですか”("kyukyu desu ka"), answer “火事です”("kaji desu"), tell where the fire is (give the address or a nearby landmark) and describe what is burning.