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119 in Japan: Fire and Ambulance Calls

119 is Japan's unified fire and ambulance number, one line that sends either fire trucks or an ambulance depending on your first sentence.12 Say which one you need, give the location, and crews roll while you are still on the phone.3

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA, 消防庁) and your municipal fire department's 119 guidance pages.

Overview​

Dial 119 for fires, serious injury, and sudden illness anywhere in Japan.4 The number is free from any phone, including public pay phones, and it reaches the municipal fire department covering your location, which holds both the trucks and the ambulances.14 Police emergencies use the separate number 110.1

This article owns the call mechanics: the opening question, the location-first rule, the phone-type differences, and the no-charge ambulance rule. The medical side (when an ambulance is warranted, ER tiers, hospital flow, visit costs) belongs to the healthcare pillar guides linked at the end, and the fire-call script has its own companion guide. Here, the call itself.

The First Question: Fire or Ambulance​

Every 119 call opens the same way. The dispatcher asks 「火事ですか、救急ですか」 (kaji desu ka, kyukyu desu ka, "fire or medical emergency").13 Your answer routes the response, because the fire department cannot send the right vehicles until you name the emergency type.2

Answer 火事です (kaji desu, "there is a fire") for flames, smoke, or fuel danger.1 Answer 救急です (kyukyu desu, "medical emergency") for injury or sudden illness.1 One sentence, then the address; the dispatcher drives every question after that.3

The Ambulance Call Flow​

The exchange below follows the municipal model scripts published for foreign residents. Speak slowly, answer each question, and stay on the line until the dispatcher confirms.43

Sentence one: ambulance, then address​

Say ambulance first, then the address in Japanese order: ward, district, block, number, building name, room number, and a nearby landmark.13 If someone nearby speaks Japanese, ask them to speak on your behalf.42 If you cannot speak Japanese at all, say "No Japanese", state your country if possible, and hold the line.4

What the dispatcher asks next​

Expect questions about what happened, the patient's sex and age, whether they are conscious and breathing, your name, and your callback number.13 Do not hang up until the dispatcher confirms the address and number.1 Send someone to the nearest major intersection to meet the ambulance.1

Phone type changes the details. Landline calls can be traced in most major urban centers, but mobile locations stay approximate, so verbal confirmation decides how fast crews find you (as of 2026-09; confirm tracing coverage with your municipal fire department).1 From a public pay phone, no coins or cards are needed on phones with the red emergency button: lift the receiver, press the button, dial 119.1 Newer phones without the button dial 119 directly.1 Red and pink phones are the exception and work only with 10-yen coins.1

Three-way simultaneous interpretation through a telephone interpretation center is available 24 hours a day in equipped areas (as of 2026-09; confirm availability with your municipal fire department).4 Sendai documents interpretation in 17 languages including English, with the operator bridging after a short hold.3 Do not hang up while waiting for the interpreter connection.4

Confirm the address out loud even when tracing should work

Landline tracing assists dispatch in major cities but never replaces verbal confirmation, and mobile fixes stay rough. A 30-second readback beats an ambulance circling the wrong block.1

Ambulance Transport Is Free of Charge​

Ambulances are operated by municipal fire departments and funded from local taxes, so transport to the hospital costs the patient nothing.14 Only the medical treatment after arrival is billed, at the usual insured rates.1 In an emergency, never let money delay the call.4

This matters most for residents arriving from billing countries. Calling 119 for a real emergency is the correct response without financial hesitation, and crews will tell you so themselves.1 The free-transport rule is the reason the system tolerates borderline calls better than missed ones.

One prefecture-level exception exists. Ibaraki became the first prefecture to charge patients in doctor-judged non-urgent condition for ambulance rides: 22 hospitals charge between 1,100 and 13,200 yen, and 673 of 20,707 transported patients (3.3 percent) were billed in the reported June to August window (as of 2026-09; confirm current prefecture policy before treating this as settled).5 Urgency is judged by doctors after transport under prefecture guidelines, and health experts worry bills may discourage urgent calls.5

Unsure whether it rates an ambulance? Call #7119 first

The #7119 nurse triage line answers exactly that question and routes you to 119, a clinic, or self-care. It exists so borderline cases get a professional read instead of a DIY guess.4

After the Ambulance Rolls​

Dispatch sends crews immediately, often before all questions are finished.2 What happens next follows a fixed pattern.

Triage continues on the way​

The crew keeps assessing the patient during the ride: consciousness, breathing, blood pressure, history.2 Brief them on existing conditions and medications the moment they arrive.2 One person may ride along with the patient; a Japanese speaker is preferred if available.4

The hospital is dispatcher and EMS decided​

Crews transfer the patient to the nearest suitable medical center based on symptoms, condition, and which hospitals are accepting patients.1 The patient may not be taken to the hospital of their choice.1 Accept the routing; the crew works from live bed availability you cannot see.1

The ride home is yours to fund. Transport back from the hospital must be paid at your own expense, such as taxi fare.4 Keep cash or a charged transit card in the go-bag for exactly this reason.

Good to know​

The Ibaraki exception to free transport​

Outside Ibaraki, ambulance transport is free without qualification.14 Inside Ibaraki, a doctor's after-the-fact urgency judgment can add 1,100 to 13,200 yen at participating hospitals (as of 2026-09).5 The rule elsewhere has not changed, but the precedent bears watching in other prefectures.

Mobile locations stay approximate​

Only landline tracing is documented, and only for major urban centers.1 A mobile 119 call is located by your spoken address plus a rough fix. Read the address plate off the nearest utility pole or vending machine if you do not know where you are.

NET119 covers callers with hearing or speech difficulties​

The NET119 emergency call system lets registered users summon help without a voice call.4 Registration in advance with the local fire department is required, so set it up before it is needed.4

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. U.S. Embassy Tokyo. "Calling for Help" (updated 2024-04-12). https://jp.usembassy.gov/services/calling-for-help ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23

  2. Fire and Disaster Management Agency. "Guide for Ambulance Services" (English PDF). https://www.fdma.go.jp/publication/portal/items/portal001_pamphiet_english.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  3. Sendai International Center. "How to call 119 (Emergency call)" (English PDF). https://int.sentia-sendai.jp/j/download/information/119_e2.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  4. Nomi City Fire Department. "119 Emergency in Japan: How to Call an Ambulance or Fire Department in Japan" (updated 2026-05-18). https://www.city.nomi.lg.jp/docs/5999.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15

  5. The Asahi Shimbun. "Ibaraki's fees for ambulance rides in 'minor' cases cause a stir". https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16104246 ↩ ↩2 ↩3