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110 in Japan: Calling the Police

110 is Japan's police emergency number, the line that sends officers when a crime or accident needs them on the scene.12 One short call routes your prefectural police dispatch to your location, and a few prepared words carry the whole exchange even with no Japanese.2

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department site and the National Police Agency site.

Overview​

Dial 110 for crimes in progress, accidents that need police, and situations where someone faces immediate danger.2 The call is free from any phone, including public pay phones, and it routes to the prefectural police force covering your location.1

Fire and medical emergencies use the separate number 119 instead.1 Non-urgent police matters, from stalking to neighborhood disputes, go to the #9110 consultation line described below.23

When to Call 110​

Call the moment safety is at stake. Hesitation helps no one, and the dispatcher triages urgency for you.2

Crimes, accidents, and immediate danger​

Call 110 when you witness or suffer a crime, when a traffic accident injures someone or blocks the road, or when suspicious behavior threatens people nearby.2 Traffic accidents were the most common 110 call type in Tokyo in 2024, about 246,900 of roughly 2,110,000 calls (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department).4

Nationally, police took 7,846,738 emergency calls from January to November 2021 (as of the January 2022 National Police Agency announcement).3 The scale shows the system working as intended: when in doubt about danger, residents call.

The #9110 non-emergency alternative​

Dial #9110 for the General Advisory Center when no one is in immediate danger.4 The operator identifies the nature of your problem and routes you to the right desk.4 Covered matters include stalking, domestic violence, malicious sales tactics, complaints, and general requests for advice.3

About 19.3 percent of 110 calls in the January to November 2021 window were non-emergencies (as of the January 2022 announcement).3 Examples included wake-up requests and rides home. Those calls belong on #9110, where they get proper attention without slowing emergency dispatch.

The 110 Call Flow​

The exchange below shows the shape of a 110 call for a caller with limited Japanese. Location comes before details, and the dispatcher drives the rest.

Sentence one: police, then place​

Open with "police" or "110" if you are not fluent in Japanese.2 That single word signals the dispatcher to bring an interpreter onto the line instead of waiting for a Japanese explanation. If you do not speak Japanese, a police interpreter assists on the line.25

After hours, asking for "tsuyaku" (tsūyaku, "interpreter") on the 110 line connects the same help.6 The keyword works even when the rest of your Japanese does not.

Stay on the line until the dispatcher confirms

Hanging up early forces dispatch to guess. Answer each question, confirm the callback number, and end the call only when the dispatcher says so.1

Sentence two: location before details​

Give your location before describing the crime.1 Few responding officers speak English, so an address the dispatcher can act on matters more than a fluent incident report.1 Use ward, district, block, and number order, then a nearby landmark such as a station, school, or convenience store.

Utility poles, vending machines, buildings, traffic signs, and signals carry address plates and control numbers you can read off directly.4 Save your callback number clearly, keep the phone powered, and stay reachable in case dispatch calls back.

Interpreters and the Koban Network​

Language help arrives in two forms: an interpreter bridged onto the call, and a neighborhood police post you can walk into afterward.

Interpreter routing on the call​

Major prefectural forces route non-Japanese callers to interpreters, but language menus and hours vary by prefecture and time of day (as of 2026-09; confirm current coverage with your prefectural police).62 Tokyo-area coverage is the best documented; rural areas run thinner, so expect a wait or a callback outside city centers.2

A separate English-language police consultation line, 03-3503-8484, operates Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 17:15 (as of 2026-09).7 It handles advice and non-urgent questions, never active emergencies.

The koban as in-person fallback​

The 交番 (koban, "police box") is the small neighborhood post where officers handle patrols, accident response, lost-and-found reports, and directions around the clock.7 Walk in for anything that does not need a 110 dispatch: reporting lost property, asking for directions, or following up after an incident.2

Lost or found property belongs at a nearby station or koban, never on the 110 line.2 Filing in person also creates the paper trail insurers and ward offices later ask for.

Save both numbers before you need either

Store 110 for emergencies and #9110 for advice in your phone now, alongside the address card described in the preparation checklist. A saved number dials correctly when shaking hands do not.

Good to know​

Non-emergency calls clog the 110 line​

Nearly one call in five was non-urgent in the documented national window.3 Every wake-up request on 110 delays an officer reaching a real scene. When the matter can wait for advice, #9110 is the correct and faster channel.3

Few responding officers speak foreign languages​

The interpreter on the phone is the language plan, not the officer at the door.1 Hand the phone to the interpreter, answer through them, and expect the arriving officers to work through gestures, forms, and patience. This is normal and not a sign the response failed.

Lost property goes to the koban or police station, not 110​

A lost wallet or found phone is a counter visit, not an emergency call.2 Bring identification and any details of where the item went missing. The koban logs the report and routes found property through the system.

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

  2. Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. "Tips for protecting yourself from crime or other trouble" (updated 2022-06-23). https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/safe_society/victim_of_crime/ninpo.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13

  3. The Mainichi. "Japan police emergency call numbers stay low amid pandemic; 20% for non-emergencies" (2022-01-10). https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220110/p2a/00m/0na/001000c ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  4. Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. "110 Call Statistics in 2024" (English PDF). https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/about_us/graph_keishicho.files/E_7.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. "Live Safe and Well in Japan" Q and A (English PDF). https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/finding_services/living_guide/index.files/Living_guide_English.pdf ↩

  6. TELL Japan Wiki. "Tokyo Metropolitan Police (English-Speaking)". https://telljp.com/wikitell/tokyo-metropolitan-police-english-speaking ↩ ↩2

  7. The Expat's Guide to Japan. "Emergencies and Disaster Prevention" (2026-04-16). https://expatsguide.jp/health-safety/emergencies ↩ ↩2