Emergency Numbers and Disaster Alerts: A Newcomer's Safety Basics
Updated: 2026-08-23
Quick answer
Hi, I'm Miya. Japan is a wonderfully safe place to live, but it does sit on a few fault lines and gets its share of typhoons, so a little preparation goes a long way. The two numbers to memorise before anything else are 110 for the police and 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free, work from any phone, and connect you to help fast.
Beyond those calls, most warnings will actually come to you — earthquake and weather alerts arrive straight to your phone, often seconds before shaking or minutes before a storm. In this guide I'll walk you calmly through the numbers, the alerts, a small emergency kit, and how to find your local evacuation site, so none of it feels scary once you know how it works.
110 and 119: the two numbers to memorise
Dial 110 for the police — crimes, accidents, theft, or anything that feels threatening. Dial 119 for fire and for ambulance; the same number covers both, and the operator will ask which you need. Both numbers are free of charge and work from mobile phones, public phones, and landlines, so you never need coins or credit to reach them.
When you call, try to stay calm and lead with your location — the address, a nearby landmark, or the name of the building. Operators mainly work in Japanese, but you can slowly say "English, please" and many centers can bring in interpretation. If you can, share your address in Japanese or show it to a passer-by to relay. Speaking slowly and clearly matters more than perfect grammar.
Earthquake and weather alerts reach your phone
Japan runs a nationwide alerting system, and the good news is that it usually finds you rather than the other way around. Earthquake Early Warnings can reach phones in the seconds before strong shaking arrives, giving you a moment to take cover. Warnings for heavy rain, floods, tsunami and other hazards — often grouped under the term J-Alert — appear the same way, as a loud, distinctive alarm and a message on screen.
These emergency alerts are broadcast to phones in the affected area automatically, and on most handsets sold in Japan they're switched on by default. It's worth opening your phone's settings once to confirm emergency or government alerts are enabled, and turning on the weather agency's official app for forecasts and detailed warnings. A quiet minute now means the alert will actually reach you when it counts.
A small emergency kit you'll be glad to have
You don't need a survivalist bunker — just a small bag you can grab in a hurry. Aim for a few days of drinking water, some food that keeps without cooking, a torch, a portable phone battery with a cable, any regular medication, copies of your passport and residence card, and a little cash in coins and small notes for when card readers are down.
Add the personal touches that matter to you: a spare pair of glasses, a warm layer, basic toiletries, and comfortable shoes kept near the door. Keep the bag somewhere easy to reach and check the water and batteries a couple of times a year. Building it slowly, one item at a time, is completely fine — the point is simply that future-you isn't scrambling in the dark.
Know your evacuation site before you need it
Every neighborhood has designated evacuation sites — often a local school, park, or community center — and knowing yours in advance removes all the guesswork on a bad day. Your city or ward office publishes a hazard map showing these sites along with flood and landslide risk zones, and many are available in multiple languages. Pick up a paper copy when you register your address, or find it on the office website.
Take five minutes to actually walk or trace the route to your nearest site once, so your feet already know the way. If you live with others, agree on a simple plan: where to meet and how to check in if you're apart. Phone lines can get congested right after a big event, so it helps to agree on a messaging app or a distant friend everyone can text to relay that they're safe.
Staying connected is part of staying safe
Here's the thread that ties it all together: nearly every safety tool I've described lives on your phone. The earthquake and weather alerts, the maps to your evacuation site, the messaging app your family checks in on, the ability to dial 110 or 119 — all of it depends on your phone being powered and connected. That's why reliable mobile data isn't a luxury here; it's genuinely part of your safety setup.
You can't contract a Japanese SIM before you arrive, because a domestic number is tied to the residence card you receive on landing. But once you have that card, getting connected is worth doing early. Rakuten Mobile, for example, can be applied for online with just your residence card, and an eSIM can be issued the same day in around five to ten minutes with no store visit — so your alerts, maps and emergency calls are all ready well before you ever need them.
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