What Would You Do? Emergencies in Japan

Sep 26

8 min read

Lost your wallet? Feeling sick? Passport gone?

Here’s what you need to know before an emergency happens.

Japan is generally an easy country to travel around. Trains are reliable, cities are walkable, and help is usually not far away.

But travel never goes perfectly.

According to the Japan Tourism Agency’s latest survey of 4,110 international visitors, only 43.7% said they experienced no difficulties during their trip.

Communication with staff was one of the most common problems, reported by 15.4% of travelers.

Most travel problems are small. But what would you do if your wallet disappeared?

What if you lost your passport the day before your flight?

What if you suddenly needed a doctor—or saw a fire?

Hopefully, you’ll never need this guide.

But save it just in case.

🔥 Situation 1: You See a Fire

Imagine you wake up in your Tokyo hotel and smell smoke.

What would you do?

① If You’re in a Hotel

If it’s safe, immediately alert hotel staff.

However, if you can already see smoke or flames, or an evacuation alarm is sounding, getting to safety comes first.

Don’t stay in a dangerous area waiting for instructions from the front desk.

Follow the hotel’s evacuation instructions and use the designated emergency exits.

② If You See a Fire Outside

Move somewhere safe and call: 119

This connects you to the fire and ambulance emergency service.

Tell the operator that there is a fire and where you are.

If you don’t know the address, give them a nearby station, store, intersection, building, or other landmark.

“But I Don’t Speak Japanese!”

Call anyway.

Japan has been expanding a three-way telephone interpretation system for foreign-language 119 calls.

Through the system, the emergency operator can connect a telephone interpreter to the call.

As of January 2025, the system had been introduced by 673 of Japan’s 720 fire departments, with 24/7 support in major languages where implemented.

What If Your Phone Can’t Call 119?

Ask someone nearby to make the call for you.

Hotel staff, station staff, convenience-store employees, restaurant staff, or someone nearby may be able to help. A public telephone is another option.

If you need additional assistance as an international traveler, you can also contact the JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline.

Remember:

Immediate danger → 119
Phone not working → Ask someone nearby / use a public phone
Need additional travel assistance → JNTO Visitor Hotline\

👛 Situation 2: Your Wallet Is Gone

You’re walking through Shibuya when you reach into your pocket.

No wallet.

First, think about what actually happened.

Did you simply lose it?

Or did you just see someone steal it?

If a Theft Just Happened

If a crime has just occurred or you are in danger:

Call: 110

Tokyo Metropolitan Police specifically tells international visitors to dial 110 in the event of an accident or crime.

For a non-emergency police consultation in Tokyo, #9110 is also available, with English support.

But if you’re safe and simply discover that your wallet has disappeared, there’s something every visitor to Japan should know about.

Meet the Koban

You’ve probably walked past one without realizing what it was.

A Koban (交番) is a small neighborhood police box.

You don’t always need to search for a large police station in Japan.

Koban officers can help with lost belongings, theft, directions, and other problems.

Tokyo police specifically directs visitors who lose something, get lost, or become victims of theft to their nearest Koban.

And they’re everywhere in Tokyo.

So if your wallet disappears:

Go to the nearest Koban or police station.
Explain whether the wallet was lost or stolen and file the appropriate report.
Contact your bank/card issuer immediately and freeze your cards.
Keep your police documentation in case you need it for insurance or other procedures.

JNTO also lists 0570-550-142 as the Tokyo Police Lost & Found number.

Learn It. Use It. Experience Japan.

Hopefully, you'll never need to call 110 or 119 during your trip.

But Japanese isn't only useful when something goes wrong.

It's also what can turn a simple trip into a real connection.

At Japanguin, we want you to do more than just see Japan.

Learn Japanese before your trip with our online lessons.

Practice useful Japanese in Tokyo with our Survival Japanese lessons.

And then use it in the real world through our local Tokyo experiences and tours — from exploring neighborhoods to eating, drinking, and talking with locals.

You don't need to speak perfect Japanese.

Even a few words can change the way you experience Japan.

Learn it before you come.

Use it while you're here.Connect with Japan.

→ Online Japanese Lessons→ Survival Japanese in Tokyo→ Explore Our Tokyo Tours & Experiences

Speak Local. Experience Local. Connect Local.

🛂 Situation 3: You Lost Your Passport

Now we’re getting serious.

You’re flying home tomorrow.

You open your bag.

Your passport isn’t there.

First: losing a passport does not automatically mean you should call 110.

If you simply lost it and there is no immediate crime or danger, start with the police.

Step 1 — Go to a Koban or Police Station

Report the missing passport and get the relevant police documentation.

If it was stolen rather than lost—and particularly if the crime has just occurred—contact the police appropriately.

Step 2 — Find Your Embassy or Consulate

Your next call should be to your own country’s embassy or consulate in Japan.

There isn’t one universal Japanese number for replacing foreign passports because every country has its own procedures.

Fortunately, JNTO maintains a directory of foreign embassies and consulates in Japan, including their contact information.

Find Your Embassy or Consulate in Japan — JNTO

Tell them:

Your passport has been lost or stolen.
Where you are in Japan.
Exactly when your flight leaves Japan.

That last point is important.

How Long Does a Replacement Passport Take?

There is no universal answer.

It depends on your nationality, your embassy or consulate, the documents you can provide, weekends and holidays, and whether emergency travel documentation is available.

Some countries can issue temporary or emergency documents much faster than a standard replacement passport.

For example, the U.S. State Department says a replacement U.S. passport abroad is issued by the next business day in most cases, although procedures differ depending on the situation.

Do not assume that timeline applies to your country.

My Flight Is Tomorrow. Can I Still Go Home?

Possibly—but contact your embassy immediately.

Tell them when you are scheduled to leave Japan and ask whether they can issue a replacement passport or emergency travel document in time.

Depending on your nationality and circumstances, you may need to change your flight.

And don’t assume that a photocopy of your passport or a police report will be enough to board an international flight.

Lost Passport Checklist

Koban / Police → Get the required documentation → Find your embassy through JNTO → Tell them your departure date → Apply for a replacement/emergency document → Confirm when you can travel

Before Your Trip

Keep a secure digital copy of your passport somewhere separate from the actual passport.

It won’t replace your passport, but it may make things much easier if the original disappears.

🏥 Situation 4: You Suddenly Get Sick in Tokyo

You wake up with a high fever.

Or your stomach hurts so much that you can’t continue sightseeing.

Where do you go?

First, determine whether it’s an emergency.

If someone has a potentially life-threatening condition or serious injury:

Call 119

If it isn’t an emergency, an English-speaking clinic may be easier for an international visitor.

Here are several options around areas where tourists commonly stay in Tokyo.

English-Speaking Clinics in Tokyo

GLOBE Clinic	Shinjuku	About 2 minutes from Shinjuku Station. English support is available, including general consultations and hotel visits.
EMISHIA CLINIC	Shibuya	About 3 minutes from Shibuya Station. English-speaking care for common illnesses such as fever, stomach problems, headaches, and skin problems.
Ikebukuro Nagomi Clinic	Ikebukuro	English support is available for internal medicine, pediatrics, and pediatric surgery.
Tokyo Station International Clinic	Tokyo Station	Located at Tokyo Station. English support is available for general medicine, dermatology, pediatrics, and more.

Tip: Always check the clinic's website or call before visiting, as opening hours and language availability can change.

⚠️ English-Speaking Doesn’t Mean “Full Hospital”

This is important.

A clinic may have an English-speaking doctor or interpreter but still be a small outpatient clinic.

It might be perfect for a fever, stomach problem, rash, minor injury, or prescription.

But it may not have the specialists, imaging equipment, operating facilities, or emergency capabilities required for a serious medical condition.

Language support and medical capability are two different things.

If your condition is serious, don’t choose a clinic simply because “English-speaking” appears on its website.

Also, always check or call the clinic before visiting. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government specifically warns that information can change and recommends contacting medical institutions in advance.

Medical Care Can Be Expensive

International visitors can face substantial medical bills if they require serious treatment, hospitalization, or transportation.

JNTO strongly encourages travelers to have private medical insurance with adequate coverage.

Its visitor guidance gives real-world examples in which treatment, hospitalization, and transportation resulted in costs of ¥7.5 million and ¥10 million.

So before traveling to Japan, consider travel insurance that covers medical treatment.

And don't rely only on the clinics listed above.

JNTO provides an official guide for international visitors who need medical care in Japan.

JNTO — Guide for Medical Care in Japan

Prepare Before You Arrive in Japan

Knowing what to do in an emergency is important.

But even outside emergencies, knowing a little Japanese can make your trip much easier — and much more fun.

At Japanguin, we help travelers experience Japan through language, local culture, and real interaction.

Planning your trip from overseas?Join one of our online Japanese lessons and learn useful Japanese before you arrive.

Already in Tokyo?Try our Survival Japanese lesson and practice the Japanese you'll actually use during your trip — at restaurants, train stations, shops, and everyday situations.

Because sometimes, knowing just one sentence can make a big difference.

Learn before you land. Use it when you arrive.

→ Explore Japanguin Japanese Lessons

🇯🇵 Japanese That Could Help When Something Goes Wrong

Hopefully, you’ll never need most of these.

But when something goes wrong, you don’t need perfect Japanese. You just need to make yourself understood.

Japanese		English
Tasukete kudasai!	助けてください！	Help me, please!
Kaji desu!	火事です！	There’s a fire!
Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai.	救急車を呼んでください。	Please call an ambulance.
Keisatsu o yonde kudasai.	警察を呼んでください。	Please call the police.
Saifu o nakushimashita.	財布をなくしました。	I lost my wallet.
Saifu o nusumaremashita.	財布を盗まれました。	My wallet was stolen.
Pasupōto o nakushimashita.	パスポートをなくしました。	I lost my passport.
Kibun ga warui desu.	気分が悪いです。	I feel sick.
Koko ga itai desu.	ここが痛いです。	It hurts here.
Byōin ni ikitai desu.	病院に行きたいです。	I want to go to a hospital.
Eigo o hanasemasu ka?	英語を話せますか？	Do you speak English?
Yukkuri hanashite kudasai.	ゆっくり話してください。	Please speak slowly.
Mō ichido onegaishimasu.	もう一度お願いします。	One more time, please.

You Don’t Need Perfect Japanese

Hopefully, your trip to Japan will be nothing but great food, new places, and good memories.

But travel is unpredictable.

And when something does go wrong, knowing who to call, where to go, and how to say one simple sentence in Japanese can make the situation much easier.

That’s also why we don’t believe travel Japanese should only be about memorizing grammar.

At Japanguin, our Survival Japanese lessons focus on Japanese you can actually use while you’re in Japan—from restaurants and transportation to conversations with locals and unexpected situations.

Because you don’t need to speak perfect Japanese to connect with people here.

You just need the confidence to use what you know.