Japanese Emergency Phrases for Police, Ambulance and Disasters
Japanese emergency phrases you can use for police, ambulances, and disasters in Japan, plus the exact numbers to call and what to say if you cannot explain the.
Japanese emergency phrases for police, ambulances, and disasters in Japan are short, direct, and worth memorizing before you travel. The most important numbers are 110 for police and 119 for ambulance/fire, and if you cannot explain clearly, show a bystander a simple sentence such as "Kyuukyuusha o onegai shimasu" or "Keisatsu o yonde kudasai". (japan.travel)
Key takeaways
- Use 110 for police and 119 for ambulance or fire service in Japan. (japan.travel)
- In an accident or disaster, speak first about safety, injuries, and location, then call for help. (npa.go.jp)
- If your Japanese is limited, show written phrases to someone nearby; official Japanese travel guidance explicitly recommends this. (npa.go.jp)
- For disasters, official Japanese guidance points travelers to disaster-information sites and apps from the Japan Meteorological Agency, Cabinet Office, and MLIT. (bousai.go.jp)
In this guide: Emergency numbers and the first sentence to say | Police phrases | Ambulance phrases | Disaster phrases | What to say in a real emergency | How we researched
Emergency numbers and the first sentence to say
If the situation is urgent, do not waste time trying to make perfect Japanese. Call 110 for police and 119 for ambulance or fire, then say the location, what happened, and whether anyone is injured. Japan National Tourism Organization's hotline page also lists 110 as police and 119 as fire/ambulance, while the National Police Agency's traveler safety page says to call police and ambulance in an accident and to contact police even if no one is injured. (japan.travel)
A good first sentence is:
Tasukete kudasai. Keisatsu / kyuukyuusha onegaishimasu.
Please help. Police / an ambulance, please.
If you are at the scene with other people, the official NPA accident guidance says to show the page to someone nearby if communication is difficult. That is a practical move when you are shocked, injured, or unsure of vocabulary. (npa.go.jp)
Police phrases
Use police phrases for theft, assault, harassment, traffic accidents, or any situation where you need police help. Japan's official guidance says to call 110 for urgent police matters, and the National Police Agency also says to use #9110 only for police consultation, not emergencies. (gov-online.go.jp)
| Japanese | Romaji | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| 警察を呼んでください。 | Keisatsu o yonde kudasai. | Please call the police. |
| 110番に電話してください。 | Hyakutouban ni denwa shite kudasai. | Please call 110. |
| 事件です。 | Jiken desu. | It is a crime / incident. |
| 盗まれました。 | Nusumaremashita. | I was robbed / something was stolen. |
| 追いかけられています。 | Oikakerarete imasu. | I am being followed. |
| 助けてください。 | Tasukete kudasai. | Please help me. |
For accidents, the official traffic-safety guide says to stay calm, give first aid to anyone injured, call 119 for ambulance and 110 for police, and call police even if nobody appears injured. (npa.go.jp)
Ambulance phrases
Use these when someone may need medical help now. JNTO's emergency page says its hotline can help with accidents and emergencies, and the official visitor hotline page lists emergency support in cases such as accident and illness. The Cabinet Office disaster guide also points travelers to the Japan Meteorological Agency and disaster-support information when danger is broader than a single injury. (japan.travel)
| Japanese | Romaji | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| 救急車をお願いします。 | Kyuukyuusha o onegaishimasu. | Please send an ambulance. |
| 119番に電話してください。 | Hyakutouban ni denwa shite kudasai. | Please call 119. |
| 意識がありません。 | Ishiki ga arimasen. | They are unconscious. |
| けがをしています。 | Kega o shite imasu. | There is an injury. |
| 出血しています。 | Shukketsu shite imasu. | There is bleeding. |
| 息をしていません。 | Iki o shite imasen. | They are not breathing. |
| 胸が痛いです。 | Mune ga itai desu. | My chest hurts. |
If you are asking a passerby for help, a very usable phrase is:
Kyuukyuusha o yonde moraemasu ka?
Could you call an ambulance for me?
That is the kind of simple sentence that works better than a long explanation when you are panicked. The traffic-safety guide's own emergency panel is built around this same principle: call quickly, and if you cannot communicate well, show the text to someone nearby. (npa.go.jp)
Disaster phrases
For earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, volcano alerts, or evacuation orders, the priority is not perfect language. The Cabinet Office's disaster guide points travelers to official information sources, including the Japan Meteorological Agency disaster-information site, tsunami warnings/advisories, and disaster apps such as Safety tips. (bousai.go.jp)
| Japanese | Romaji | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| 地震です。 | Jishin desu. | It is an earthquake. |
| 津波はありますか。 | Tsunami wa arimasu ka. | Is there a tsunami? |
| 避難所はどこですか。 | Hinanjyo wa doko desu ka. | Where is the evacuation shelter? |
| ここは危ないですか。 | Koko wa abunai desu ka. | Is this place dangerous? |
| 逃げましょう。 | Nigemashou. | Let's evacuate / run to safety. |
| ここを離れてください。 | Koko o hanarete kudasai. | Please leave this area. |
| 日本語がよく話せません。 | Nihongo ga yoku hanasemasen. | I do not speak Japanese well. |
For disaster scenes, it helps to combine one phrase with one action. For example: "Jishin desu. Hinanjyo wa doko desu ka?" after an earthquake, or "Tsunami wa arimasu ka? Nigemashou." if you hear a warning. The official Cabinet Office material emphasizes gathering information first, then moving to a safe location. (bousai.go.jp)
What to say in a real emergency
Use this sequence so you do not freeze up:
- State the emergency. Say "Keisatsu desu", "Kyuukyuusha onegaishimasu", or "Jishin desu". (npa.go.jp)
- Give the location. Use landmarks, station names, hotel names, or cross streets. JNTO and NPA both focus on urgent contact and scene-based help rather than long explanations. (japan.travel)
- Say whether anyone is hurt. Use "Kega ga arimasu" or "Ishiki ga arimasen". (npa.go.jp)
- Ask for help from one nearby person. Show your phone or this phrase: "Watashi no kawari ni yonde moraemasu ka?" / Could you call for me? The NPA accident guide explicitly advises showing the text to someone nearby if you cannot communicate. (npa.go.jp)
- Follow official disaster updates. For broader emergencies, use Japan Meteorological Agency information, the Cabinet Office's disaster guide, or the Japan Visitor Hotline, which operates 24 hours a day in English, Chinese, and Korean. (japan.travel)
Practical phrase pack to memorize
If you only memorize six lines, make them these:
- Tasukete kudasai. - Please help.
- Keisatsu o yonde kudasai. - Please call the police.
- Kyuukyuusha o onegaishimasu. - Please send an ambulance.
- 110 / 119 - Police / ambulance-fire. (japan.travel)
- Nihongo ga yoku hanasemasen. - I do not speak Japanese well.
- Hinanjyo wa doko desu ka. - Where is the evacuation shelter?
If you want to build speed before a trip, short spoken drills are more useful than passive memorization. SoraSpeak is designed for spoken practice, and we recommend using emergency phrases out loud until they feel automatic. Start free Japanese speaking practice (japan.travel)
Prepare for adjacent situations
Medical emergencies often continue into a clinic or pharmacy, so keep the Japanese doctor-visit phrases and Japanese pharmacy phrases nearby. Travellers should also review the broader Japanese travel phrase guide.
How we researched
We checked current official sources on September 17, 2026, and used primary guidance from the Japan National Tourism Organization, the National Police Agency, and the Cabinet Office's disaster-preparedness materials. We treated the emergency-number guidance as the authoritative baseline and then selected phrases that match those scenarios without inventing any features, claims, or firsthand testing. For that reason, this article is a source-based practical comparison of usable emergency language, not a live field test. (japan.travel)
Sources
- Japan Visitor Hotline - JNTO
- Traffic Rules in Japan - National Police Agency
- Safety tips for travelers - JNTO
- Disaster guidebook - Cabinet Office
- National Police Agency emergency consultation page
- Japan Tourism Agency / JNTO safety card PDF
About SoraSpeak: SoraSpeak is an AI Japanese speaking-practice web app at https://soraspeak.com. It offers 3 free spoken sessions a day with no credit card. Support: soraspeaksupport@gmail.com.
FAQ
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