Is #7119 Nationwide? Japan Emergency Numbers: 110, 119 and 118

Emergency numbers: the cheat sheet#

If something is happening right now, here are the numbers to call in Japan. The main emergency numbers are free and answer 24 hours. Dial the digits directly, with no area or country code (as of September 2026).

Number	Use it for	Notes
110	Police: crime, theft, accidents, danger	Free, 24 hours; use a phone with a usable connection
119	Fire and ambulance/medical emergency	Free, 24 hours; ambulances are free to use
118	Sea/coast emergency (Japan Coast Guard)	Free, 24 hours; boating, drowning at sea
#7119	Urgent medical advice (“do I need an ambulance?”)	Coverage and hours vary by area
#8000	Child health advice after hours	Pediatric line; hours vary by prefecture

For a life-threatening situation — someone unconscious, serious bleeding, chest pain, a fire — call 119 (medical/fire) or 110 (police/crime) immediately. When in doubt between hospital now or wait, #7119 can help you decide where it is available.

What is #7119, and is it available nationwide?#

#7119 is an urgent medical consultation line in participating areas. Call it when someone feels unwell and you are unsure whether an ambulance or prompt hospital visit is necessary. A medical professional or trained operator can help with that decision. It is not available everywhere in Japan and it is not a replacement for 119. As of September 2026, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency’s English guidance still lists participating areas rather than presenting #7119 as universal, so do not rely on an old travel-blog map.

Your situation	What to do
Clear emergency — chest pain, trouble breathing, unconsciousness, heavy bleeding	Call 119 now (do not wait for #7119)
Unwell and unsure whether it is an emergency	Call #7119 for advice, where available
Sick child after clinic hours	Call #8000 (pediatric advice), where available
#7119 not available in your area	Ask your accommodation or a clinic, or call 119 if it may be serious

The key point: #7119 is for advice when you are unsure, not for clear emergencies. For anything life-threatening — especially chest pain — call 119 straight away.

If #7119 does not connect, do not keep redialing while symptoms worsen. Check the website of the prefecture or city where you are, not your home address, because local coverage and hours control the service. Your hotel or station staff can help find a local after-hours line. For breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding, or other severe symptoms, skip that search and call 119.

Can #7119 help in English, or should I call the visitor hotline?#

#7119 and the Japan Visitor Hotline do different jobs. Regional #7119 services provide medical urgency advice, but their hours, coverage and foreign-language arrangements are not uniform. JNTO’s visitor hotline is explicitly available in English, Chinese and Korean 24 hours a day, but it is travel assistance rather than an ambulance-triage replacement.

You need	Best first contact as of September 2026
Ambulance for severe symptoms	119 immediately
Medical urgency advice and #7119 works locally	#7119; ask whether English support is available
#7119 does not connect	Local prefecture/city service, accommodation staff, or 119 if symptoms may be severe
English help with illness, accident or travel disruption that is not a clear emergency	JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline: 050-3816-2787
Help from overseas	+81-50-3816-2787 for JNTO; Japan’s three-digit emergency numbers are for calls within Japan

Do not call the visitor hotline and wait for translation when someone is unconscious, cannot breathe normally or is bleeding heavily. Call 119, say “English,” give the location first and stay on the line.

How do I make the call and get understood?#

The numbers are simple; staying calm and clear matters most. Follow these steps.

1. Dial the number directly while in Japan. No area code. 110, 119, and 118 are free emergency numbers.
2. Say what you need first. For police, say “police”. For an ambulance, say “kyukyu” (ambulance/emergency) or “ambulance”. For a fire, say “kaji” (fire).
3. Give your location clearly. A street address, a building name, a station, or a nearby landmark. This is the most important detail.
4. Ask for English and speak slowly. As of September 2026, interpreter arrangements vary by area and may take a moment to connect.
5. Stay on the line. Do not hang up until told to. The operator may give instructions while help is on the way.
6. If you cannot speak clearly, show your location to a nearby person and ask them to call 119. Do not rely on text-based help unless local officials confirm that it is available.

Knowing your current location before you call saves precious time. If you are unsure, check a map app or read a sign or the nearest building’s name.

What should I have ready before I call?#

The operator needs your location before a long explanation. Save the address of your accommodation, or take a screenshot of the map pin when you leave it. This matters especially when a #7119 call fails and you must switch to a local service or to 119.

Have ready	Why it helps	If you do not know it
Current location or landmark	Lets help reach you	Read the nearest station, shop or building sign
What happened	Distinguishes ambulance, fire and police calls	Use a short phrase: “ambulance”, “fire” or “police”
Number of people affected	Helps the operator assess the response	Count only the people who need help now
Symptoms or immediate danger	Identifies a clear emergency	Say if someone is unconscious, bleeding heavily or cannot breathe normally
Your callback number	Lets staff call back if the line drops	Hand the phone to a nearby person if needed

For #7119, first confirm that the service covers the place you are calling from. If it does not connect, do not keep trying while a condition worsens: ask accommodation staff for the local medical line, or call 119 for severe symptoms. The JNTO visitor hotline can help with non-emergency travel trouble, but it is not a substitute for emergency dispatch.

Which number for which situation?#

Picking the right number speeds up help. Use this guide.

Situation	Call
Crime, theft, assault, suspicious person	110 (police)
Traffic accident with injuries	119 first for injuries, 110 for the accident
Someone collapses, severe pain, hard to breathe	119 (ambulance)
Fire or smoke	119 (fire)
Trouble at sea, drowning, boating accident	118 (coast guard)
Sick but unsure if it is an emergency	#7119 where available
Child unwell after clinic hours	#8000 where available

If two things apply at once (for example an accident with injuries), call 119 for the medical emergency first, then 110. Operators can coordinate.

What about non-life-threatening problems?#

Not every problem is a 110 or 119 emergency. For these, other channels are better and keep emergency lines free for true emergencies.

Need	Where to go
Lost item, minor theft report	Nearest police box (koban) in person
Lost passport	Police report, then your embassy
Feeling unwell, not urgent	Pharmacy, clinic, or #7119 for advice
Travel or disaster information	Official apps and JNTO safety pages
Language help in a crisis	Some areas offer multilingual hotlines via local government
General travel trouble, not an emergency	Japan Visitor Hotline (JNTO), 24 hours, multilingual

A koban (small neighborhood police box) is a good first stop for lost items, directions, and minor matters. Officers are used to helping visitors. For non-emergency travel trouble — a transport problem, a question about what to do, or anything you are unsure how to handle — the Japan Visitor Hotline run by JNTO answers by phone 24 hours a day in English and other languages (as of September 2026: 050-3816-2787 within Japan, +81-50-3816-2787 from overseas). It is not a substitute for 110 or 119 in a real emergency, but it is a useful first call when you just need guidance.

Quick reference: emergency numbers at a glance#

Topic	Detail (as of September 2026)
Police	110
Fire and ambulance	119
Sea/coast guard	118
Urgent medical advice	#7119 (area-dependent)
Child health advice	#8000 (area-dependent)
Cost	Free; ambulances free to use
Availability	110/119/118 answer 24 hours; a usable phone connection is required
Dialing	Direct digits, no area code

Save 110 and 119 in your phone before you need them, and note your hotel’s address in case you must give a location fast. In a serious situation, call straight away — it is better to call and be reassured than to wait. For the latest safety information and multilingual support options, check the official Japan National Tourism Organization emergency pages.