This article was written by the NIPPON VISA & LIFE editorial team based on information from public organizations such as the national government and local governments. Rules and fees may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live.
Japan is a country with many disasters, such as earthquakes and heavy rain. For a sudden illness or a fire, call 119. For an accident or a crime, call 110. To prepare for disasters, check the evacuation sites in the area where you live, and make sure you can receive information in foreign languages. This article summarizes the basics of emergencies and disasters by situation.
What to Remember First
- For a sudden illness, an injury or a fire, call 119. For a traffic accident or a crime, call 110
- If you feel an earthquake while inside a home or building, first protect your head and wait until the shaking stops
- If you feel strong shaking near the sea, escape right away to a high place
- When your city, ward, town or village issues evacuation information because of heavy rain or similar, escape from dangerous places to a safe place
- In everyday life, use a hazard map (a map showing places where disasters may occur) to check your evacuation sites and safe routes
- Install “Safety tips,” an app that gives disaster information in foreign languages, on your smartphone
Overview by Situation
| Situation | What to do | Detailed article |
|---|---|---|
| You need an ambulance for a sudden illness or injury | Call 119 and say “It’s an emergency (medical)” (救急です) | How to Call an Ambulance in Japan: How to Dial 119, What to Say, and Where to Get Advice When You Are Unsure (#7119) |
| A fire has broken out | Call 119 and say “It’s a fire” (火事です) | This article |
| You were in a traffic accident or were the victim of a crime | Call 110 | This article |
| The ground shook in an earthquake | Protect your head → put out fires → evacuate if it is dangerous | What to Do When an Earthquake Hits in Japan: During the Shaking, After the Shaking Stops, and Everyday Preparation |
| There is a risk of a tsunami | Leave the coast and river mouths right away and go to a high place | This article |
| Evacuation information was issued because of heavy rain or a typhoon | Evacuate according to the alert level | This article |
| You want to know where your evacuation site is | Look it up on a hazard map | How to Find Evacuation Sites, Evacuation Shelters and Hazard Maps in Japan: What to Check for Your Address Before a Disaster |
1. Phone Numbers for Emergencies: 119 and 110
119 (Sudden Illness, Injury, Fire)
When you call 119, the operator will ask, “Is it a fire, or a medical emergency?”
| Situation | What to tell them |
|---|---|
| Sudden illness or injury | (1) “It’s an emergency (medical)” (2) The place you want them to come to, or a landmark (3) The symptoms and age of the person who is ill (4) Your name and contact information |
| Fire | (1) “It’s a fire” (2) The place of the fire (3) Your name and contact information |
You can check how to call an ambulance in many languages on the Fire and Disaster Management Agency website.
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 10: Emergencies and Disasters, Fire and Disaster Management Agency “Ambulance Usage Guide for Foreign Visitors to Japan”)
110 (Traffic Accidents, Crimes)
When you need a police officer to come right away, for example after a traffic accident or when you are the victim of a crime, call 110. The operator will mainly ask about the following. Stay calm and answer as accurately as you can.
- When, where and what happened
- Your name, contact information and so on
- The gender, number, age, clothing and so on of the other party in the accident or the offender
- Whether anyone is injured
If you cannot make the call yourself, ask people nearby for help.
You Can Also Call from a Public Phone
From a public phone, you can call 110 (police), 118 (Japan Coast Guard) and 119 (fire and ambulance). You do not need money or a telephone card.
- Public phone with a red emergency call button: lift the receiver, press the button, and then dial the number
- Public phone without the button: lift the receiver and dial the number directly
2. Earthquakes
There are several plates (large slabs of rock that cover the surface of the earth) around Japan, and it is one of the regions in the world with many earthquakes.
What you should do during the shaking depends on where you are. Inside a home or building, get under a sturdy table or similar, and wait until the shaking stops. When the shaking stops, put out any fires in the kitchen, heaters and so on, and if it is dangerous, escape to the evacuation site designated by your city, ward, town or village.
When strong shaking is expected, the Japan Meteorological Agency issues an “Earthquake Early Warning.” When one is broadcast on TV, radio, mobile phones, the municipal disaster radio system (announcements from loudspeakers set up around town) and so on, do not panic, and first make sure you are safe.
For what to do if the shaking starts while you are outside or in a car, the difference between seismic intensity and magnitude, and everyday preparation, see What to Do When an Earthquake Hits in Japan: During the Shaking, After the Shaking Stops, and Everyday Preparation.
3. Tsunami
When a big earthquake occurs under the sea, a tsunami (large waves that surge in from the sea) may come. There is a saying that “the sea always pulls back before a tsunami,” but this does not always happen. If you start to escape only after you see the tsunami coming, you will not make it in time.
- If you feel strong shaking near the sea or a river mouth (where a river flows into the sea), or if you feel weak but long, slow shaking, leave the coast or river mouth right away and escape to a high place such as high ground or an evacuation building
- Even if you do not feel any shaking, escape to a high place right away when the Japan Meteorological Agency issues a tsunami warning or your city, ward, town or village issues an evacuation instruction
- Tsunami come again and again, so do not go near the coast or river mouths until the warnings and advisories are lifted
At beaches and similar places, there is an effort to use the “tsunami flag,” a red and white checkered flag, to let people know that a Major Tsunami Warning, a Tsunami Warning or a Tsunami Advisory has been issued. You can see it with your eyes even when sounds are hard to hear.
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 10: Emergencies and Disasters, Japan Meteorological Agency “Tsunami Flag”)
4. Heavy Rain and Typhoons
In Japan, heavy rain often falls because of typhoons and weather fronts (the boundary between warm air and cold air). When heavy rain makes rivers overflow (floods) or makes mountains or cliffs collapse (landslides), it can cause great damage.
In heavy rain, act as follows.
- Look at the information issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency and others, and if you think it is dangerous, decide for yourself to evacuate
- When your city, ward, town or village issues evacuation information, evacuate from dangerous places to a safe place
Alert Levels
When water-related disasters other than tsunami, or landslides, are likely to occur, cities, wards, towns and villages and the Japan Meteorological Agency issue information with an “alert level” so that you can understand right away what action to take.
| Alert level | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Raise your awareness of disasters (check information on rain and rivers on TV or the internet) |
| 2 | Check whether the place where you are is dangerous, and if it is, where and how you will escape |
| 3 (Evacuation of Elderly People, etc. / 高齢者等避難) | People who need time to escape, such as elderly people, people with disabilities and children, escape from dangerous places |
| 4 (Evacuation Instruction / 避難指示) | Everyone in a dangerous place escapes |
| 5 (Emergency Safety Measures / 緊急安全確保) | A disaster has already occurred or is imminent. Do everything you can to protect your life |
When an Alert Level 4 Evacuation Instruction is issued, everyone in a dangerous place escapes. The place you escape to may be an evacuation site, or also the home of a relative or acquaintance in a safe place, or a hotel or Japanese-style inn (ryokan).
When heavy rain of a kind seen once in several decades is expected, and it would not be surprising if a serious disaster had already occurred, the Japan Meteorological Agency may issue a “Heavy Rain Emergency Warning.” It also publishes “Kikikuru (Risk Distribution Map)” on its website, a map showing places where inundation, floods or landslides are about to occur. Use your smartphone to check the level of danger in the area where you are, and evacuate early.
5. Volcanic Eruptions
There are 111 active volcanoes in Japan. An eruption can become a life-threatening disaster.
- In everyday life, use a hazard map or similar to check the places that may become dangerous in an eruption
- When you climb a mountain, check volcanic warnings and the volcanic alert level, submit a climbing plan (tozan todoke), and bring a communication device such as a smartphone and a helmet
- If an eruption occurs while you are climbing, or you learn of information about an eruption, move away from the crater right away, escape to a mountain hut, a shelter, the shelter of a rock or similar, and protect your head with a helmet or similar
- When your city, ward, town or village issues an evacuation instruction, evacuate to a safe place
Volcanic alert levels are issued for 49 volcanoes.
| Volcanic alert level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | Evacuate (people living in dangerous places evacuate) |
| 4 | Evacuation of elderly people, etc. (people living in dangerous places prepare to evacuate; people who need time to escape and others evacuate) |
| 3 | Do not approach the volcano (do not climb the mountain; elderly people and others prepare to evacuate, etc.) |
| 2 | Do not approach the crater (do not go near the crater) |
| 1 | Be aware that this is an active volcano (do not enter off-limits areas) |
6. How to Evacuate
Evacuation sites are places or facilities where you escape temporarily to protect yourself from a disaster. They differ depending on the area where you live and the type of disaster, so check them in advance. You can check evacuation sites on hazard maps, the website of your city, ward, town or village, and other sources. For how to look them up, please read How to Find Evacuation Sites, Evacuation Shelters and Hazard Maps in Japan: What to Check for Your Address Before a Disaster.
When you escape, be careful about the following.
- Always put out any fires before you escape
- Keep your belongings to a minimum, and carry them on your back or in a similar way so that both hands are free
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 10: Emergencies and Disasters, Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) “Designated Emergency Evacuation Sites and Designated Evacuation Shelters Data”)
7. Contacting Family and Friends
After a big earthquake or similar event, phone calls may be hard to get through. At such times, “disaster message services” are made available so that you can let people know whether you are safe.
| Service | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171) | Call “171” from a landline or mobile phone, and follow the voice guidance to record or play back a message |
| Disaster Emergency Message Board (web171) | Enter a phone number on a computer or smartphone to register or check whether someone is safe (English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese) |
| Mobile phone companies’ disaster message boards | Each mobile phone company also provides a message board service |
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 10: Emergencies and Disasters, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “Disaster Message Services”)
8. Receiving Disaster Information in Foreign Languages
The “Safety tips” App
There is a free app called “Safety tips” for foreign travelers that gives useful information in a disaster. If you install it on your smartphone, you will receive notifications such as the following.
- Earthquake Early Warnings
- Tsunami warnings
- Emergency warnings for weather and other hazards
- Eruption Bulletins
- Typhoon information
- Heatstroke information
You can also use diagrams (flowcharts) that show what to do in a disaster, and communication cards for talking with the Japanese people around you.
Multilingual Information from the Japan Meteorological Agency
The Japan Meteorological Agency publishes information on heavy rain, earthquakes and so on on its website in many languages.
(Sources: Japan Meteorological Agency “Multilingual Information”)
9. Everyday Preparation
- Talk with your family about where to escape to in a disaster
- Take part in local disaster drills
- Prepare food and drinking water for at least 3 days (if possible, about 1 week), and things to treat injuries
- Fix furniture so that it does not fall over. Also be careful where you put it so that it is not dangerous even if it falls
- Use a hazard map to check the dangers around your home, workplace and school, and a safe route to the evacuation site
- If you move, check the evacuation sites for your new address again
Troubles and Common Questions
Can I call 119 even if I cannot speak Japanese well?
Yes, please call. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency is promoting a system in which an interpreter joins 119 calls in foreign languages so that 3 parties can talk together. There are also guides in many languages on how to call an ambulance. For details, please read How to Call an Ambulance in Japan: How to Dial 119, What to Say, and Where to Get Advice When You Are Unsure (#7119).
What if I think going to the evacuation site is more dangerous?
Sometimes, for example when flooding has already started, going to the evacuation site can actually be more dangerous. In that case, escape to a nearby sturdy building, or if that is also difficult, move to a place that is even a little safer, such as the second floor or higher of your home, and take action to protect your life. If you check your evacuation sites and safe routes on a hazard map in everyday life, you will not need to panic.
How should I help my neighbors?
In a disaster, it is important for neighbors to help one another. In particular, speak to elderly people living alone, people with disabilities and others, and work together.
Primary Sources Used for This Article
- Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Guidebook on Living and Working” (8th edition) (Chapter 10: Emergencies and Disasters)
- Fire and Disaster Management Agency “Ambulance Usage Guide for Foreign Visitors to Japan”
- Fire and Disaster Management Agency “Three-Way Simultaneous Interpretation for 119 Calls in Foreign Languages”
- Geospatial Information Authority of Japan “Designated Emergency Evacuation Sites and Designated Evacuation Shelters Data”
- Japan Meteorological Agency “Tsunami Flag”
- Japan Meteorological Agency “Multilingual Information”
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “Disaster Message Services”
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
