Emergencies in Japan: How to Call 119, When to Use #7119, What Happens at the ER and What It Costs

The three numbers to remember

119 is the number for an ambulance or the fire service anywhere in Japan. It works from any phone, and the ambulance ride itself is free of charge. ^[2] #7119 is an emergency consultation line staffed by doctors, nurses and paramedics, for when you are not sure whether you need an ambulance or which hospital to go to. It exists in many, but not all, areas, and its hours vary. ^[4] 110 is the police, for crime and traffic accidents; if someone is seriously hurt, call 119 first.

How to call 119 when you do not speak Japanese

The dispatcher will first ask whether it is a fire or a medical emergency. Answer "Kyūkyū desu" (救急です, "It's a medical emergency"). Then give your location: the address if you know it, otherwise a nearby station, convenience store, hotel or intersection. Next, say what the symptoms are and when they started, the patient's approximate age, and your name and phone number, so the crew can call you back if they cannot find you. In a serious case the ambulance is dispatched before the questions are finished. ^[1][2]

If you cannot manage in Japanese, say "No Japanese" and stay on the line. Most fire departments can add a telephone interpreter for a three-way call, 24 hours a day, in major languages including English, Chinese and Korean. As of January 2025, 673 of Japan's 720 fire headquarters had this system. ^[2][3] If a Japanese speaker is nearby, ask them to call for you; the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) suggests showing them the sentence 救急車を呼んでください ("Please call an ambulance"). ^[6]

Call 119 now if you see any of these signs

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency lists signs that should never wait. ^[1] For adults:

• Stroke signs: the face droops on one side or the smile is crooked, speech is slurred, one arm or leg is suddenly weak or numb, or the person suddenly sees double. Use the FAST check (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) and note the time the symptoms began.
• Heart and breathing: squeezing or pressing pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, sudden shortness of breath, or pain that moves to the back.
• Sudden severe headache, unresponsiveness or confusion, a seizure, sudden severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood or passing black stools.
• Choking, near-drowning, a fall from height, a serious traffic accident, or a large or very painful burn.

For children aged 15 or under: blue lips, weak or labored breathing, a seizure that does not stop, or not regaining consciousness after a seizure, a head injury with bleeding that will not stop, repeated vomiting and being unable to drink, a whole-body rash with pallor after an insect sting, or any baby under three months who simply does not seem right. A parent's sense that something is unusual is reason enough to call. ^[1]

Not sure? Dial #7119, or #8000 for a child

#7119 connects you to a consultation center where medical staff help you decide whether to call an ambulance, go to a hospital tonight, or wait until morning. They can also tell you which hospitals are open. If they judge the situation to be urgent, they transfer you to 119. The service runs in 41 areas covering most large cities. Hours differ: Tokyo answers around the clock, while some prefectures cover evenings only. ^[4] Language support also varies, so if possible ask a Japanese speaker to call with you. For children, #8000 offers telephone advice in every prefecture, mainly in the evening and on holidays. ^[1] When the problem can wait, use our hospital finder to locate a clinic that speaks your language.

What happens when the ambulance arrives

The crew checks the patient, gives first aid, and chooses a hospital that can accept the case. You cannot pick the hospital yourself. Send someone out to wave the ambulance in, and have the patient's passport, My Number card or eligibility certificate (資格確認書), cash or a credit card, and current medication ready. Tell the crew what happened, how the patient's condition changed while you were waiting, and about any chronic illnesses or regular medicines. ^[1] At the hospital you go through the emergency department (救急外来, kyūkyū gairai). Patients are seen in order of severity, not arrival, so a long wait usually means you are not the sickest person there. You pay at reception before leaving; most large hospitals take credit cards, but some smaller ones are cash only.

Where can you see a doctor at night or on a holiday?

Not every problem needs an ambulance. Most cities run a nighttime emergency clinic (夜間急病センター, yakan kyūbyō sentā) and holiday clinics (休日診療所, kyūjitsu shinryōjo) for fever, stomach upsets and minor injuries, usually with shorter waits and lower fees than a university hospital. Large hospitals also accept walk-ins after hours through a night entrance, but they triage and may charge the extra fee described below. Find one through the hospital finder; for seasonal flu see our influenza guide.

How much does emergency care cost?

The ambulance is free, but the hospital visit is not. ^[2] Residents with Japanese health insurance usually pay 30% of the national fee schedule; visitors without it are charged the full amount at the hospital and pharmacy. ^[6] As a rough guide, a straightforward nighttime consultation with basic tests comes to the low tens of thousands of yen without insurance, plus night and holiday surcharges; imaging, observation or admission raises the bill quickly. Hospitals set their own prices for patients without Japanese insurance, and these can be higher than the insured fee schedule. ^[7] The JNTO cites real hospital stays that cost ¥7.5 million and ¥10 million. ^[6]

Since October 2022, designated large hospitals (advanced treatment hospitals such as university hospitals, and regional support hospitals and referral-focused hospitals with 200 or more general beds) must charge a special fee of at least ¥7,000 on top of the consultation when you come without a referral letter. Genuine emergencies are exempt, but you may be charged if you bring a minor complaint to a university hospital at night. ^[5] Travelers should carry insurance that covers medical care in Japan; the JNTO notes that policies can be bought after arrival, and that visitors who leave bills unpaid may be refused entry in the future. ^[6]

If you have travel insurance, collect the paperwork before you leave the hospital. Insurers usually ask for a medical certificate (shindansho) and the original receipts, both for the treatment and for anything else you paid for yourself, such as medicines. Tell the cashier that you need a certificate for an insurance claim: it is issued for a fee and is sometimes not ready the same day. Keep every original, and check with your insurer which documents it requires, since this differs by company.

What to bring

• Passport (visitors) or residence card (residents).
• Your My Number card registered as a health insurance card or your eligibility certificate (資格確認書), or your travel insurance policy and the insurer's assistance number.
• A list of your medicines (generic names) and any allergies, written in advance.
• Cash or a credit card, and a charged phone. ^[1]

What not to do

• Do not drive yourself or the patient to the hospital if a stroke or heart attack is possible. Symptoms can worsen on the way; the crew can start treatment and alert the hospital.
• Do not wait to "see if it passes" when stroke signs appear; treatment is time-critical.
• Do not give food or drink to someone who is drowsy or may have had a stroke; they may choke.
• Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to. Do not use 119 as a taxi; when in doubt, call #7119. ^[1]

Useful Japanese phrases

• 救急です — Kyūkyū desu — It's a medical emergency.
• 救急車をお願いします — Kyūkyūsha o onegai shimasu — Please send an ambulance.
• 日本語がわかりません — Nihongo ga wakarimasen — I don't understand Japanese.
• 住所は…です — Jūsho wa … desu — The address is …
• 胸が痛いです — Mune ga itai desu — I have chest pain.
• 息が苦しいです — Iki ga kurushii desu — I can't breathe well.
• 意識がありません — Ishiki ga arimasen — He/she is unconscious.
• アレルギーがあります — Arerugī ga arimasu — I have an allergy.