Essential Japanese Emergency Phrases for Travellers
Almost every emergency in Japan can be handled with a handful of sentences. Each phrase below comes two ways: romaji to say it aloud, and Japanese script large enough to show to anyone nearby — pointing works even when words fail.
If you need help
- Help!助けて！Tasukete!
- Please call an ambulance.救急車を呼んでください。Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai
- Please call the police.警察を呼んでください。Keisatsu o yonde kudasai
If you're not sure what's happening
- What is the name of this place?ここはどこですか？Koko wa doko desu ka
- Is this an earthquake?これは地震ですか？Kore wa jishin desu ka
- Where is the emergency shelter?避難所はどこですか？Hinanjo wa doko desu ka
If you need to find a safe place
- Is it safe here?ここは安全ですか？Koko wa anzen desu ka
- Is there anywhere safe around here?安全な場所はどこですか？Anzen na basho wa doko desu ka
- Please draw a map to ____ for me.＿＿への地図を書いてください。____ e no chizu o kaite kudasai
- Could you come with me?一緒に来てください。Issho ni kite kudasai
If you need a phone or a toilet
- Please write it on this paper.この紙に書いてください。Kono kami ni kaite kudasai
- Where is the toilet?トイレはどこですか？Toire wa doko desu ka
- Where can I make a (toll-free) call?（無料）電話はどこでかけられますか？(Muryō) denwa wa doko de kakeraremasu ka
- Where can I make an international call?国際電話はどこでかけられますか？Kokusai denwa wa doko de kakeraremasu ka
If you need food, water or a place to stay
- Is there anywhere I can charge my battery?充電はどこでできますか？Jūden wa doko de dekimasu ka
- Is there anywhere I can connect to a Wi-Fi network?Wi-Fiが使える場所はありますか？Wi-Fi ga tsukaeru basho wa arimasu ka
- Where can I buy food or water?食べ物・水はどこで買えますか？Tabemono / mizu wa doko de kaemasu ka
- Where can I find food, water or a blanket?食べ物・水・毛布はどこで手に入りますか？Tabemono / mizu / mōfu wa doko de te ni hairimasu ka
- I am looking for a place to stay tonight.今日、宿泊できる場所を探しています。Kyō shukuhaku dekiru basho o sagashite imasu
If you're hurt or feeling unwell
- I am injured.けがをしています。Kega o shite imasu
- There is an injured person.けが人がいます。Keganin ga imasu
- I am not feeling well.体の調子が悪いです。Karada no chōshi ga warui desu
- Where is a hospital?病院はどこですか？Byōin wa doko desu ka
If you need English-language help
- Please give me a phone number or location of a place where I can get information in English.英語の相談窓口の電話番号か場所を教えてください。Eigo no sōdan madoguchi no denwa bangō ka basho o oshiete kudasai
- Are there any English TV or radio broadcasts?英語のテレビかラジオは放送していますか？Eigo no terebi ka rajio wa hōsō shite imasu ka
- Is there anyone who can speak English?英語を話せる人はいませんか？Eigo o hanaseru hito wa imasen ka
If you need to get somewhere
- Please tell me the way to ____.＿＿への行き方を教えてください。____ e no ikikata o oshiete kudasai
- Is the airport operating?空港は使えますか？Kūkō wa tsukaemasu ka
- How can I get to the airport?どうしたら空港に行けますか？Dōshitara kūkō ni ikemasu ka
- When will the train or bus be back in service?電車・バスはいつ復旧しますか？Densha / basu wa itsu fukkyū shimasu ka
- Take them offline These phrases are adapted from the Japan Tourism Agency's communication cards; the official Safety tips app carries the full card set offline, alongside its JMA alerts.
Frequently Asked Questions
110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance — both free from any phone, payphones included. If you can, open with "Eigo o onegai shimasu" (English, please) and give your location slowly; the call centre can bring an interpreter into the line.
The 110 and 119 centres in major regions connect three-way interpretation in English, and the Japan Visitor Hotline (050-3816-2787) helps around the clock with anything short of a life-threatening emergency. Speaking slowly and leading with the place name matters more than perfect phrasing.
"Tasukete!" (助けて) — help! — works anywhere, and "Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai" asks for an ambulance. When saying it fails, showing works: every phrase on this page includes the Japanese script, sized to hold up to anyone nearby.
No. Japan's emergency infrastructure is built for pointing and showing — evacuation signs are pictographic, the official Safety tips app delivers alerts and instructions in English, and locals will go far out of their way to help a visitor. A handful of shown phrases covers the gap.