[Contents]

  1. When you encounter a crime or accident
    Call 110 immediately in case of …
  1. When you call police (110)
  • How to call 110
  • How to call 110 with your mobile phone
  • How to call 110 with a public phone
  • How to use 110 app for people with a hearing or speech disorder
  • What to do if you cannot get through to an 110 operator
  1. When you cannot decide if you should call 110
  • TMPD (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department) General Advisory Center (#9110)
  • Go to your nearest police station or Koban in case of …

1. When you encounter a crime or accident

You may be panicked and not know what to do when you encounter a crime or accident in normal life.

Call 110 in case of …

Call the police when you encounter or witness the following crimes or accidents.

Police’s phone number is 110.

  1. Traffic accident
  • Causing or witnessing a traffic accident
  • Becoming a victim of or witnessing a hit and run accident
  1. Crime
  • Encountering a robbery, burglary, or snatching
  • Becoming a victim of bank fraud
  • Witnessing someone withdrawing a large amount of money
  1. Criminal information
  • Witnessing a fight or hearing someone screaming
  • Witnessing a suspicious person or car, or being spoken to by them
  • Being followed by a stalker or suspicious person
  • Witnessing someone speaking to a child
  • Witnessing someone lying on the ground or lost
  • Being asked for help to call police
  • Witnessing someone possessing or taking drug-like substances
  1. Other emergency crimes or accidents
  • The number of annual “110” reporting case is over nine million, indicating one 110 report in about 3.4 seconds (in 2018) (by Public Relations Office of the Government of Japan)
  • 110 dial service should be used for emergency to protect people’s living and life. To have them handle emergencies such as crimes or accidents swiftly, please use this service in a proper manner, and you should avoid using it for a non-emergency situation, inquiry or mischief.
  • If you would like to inquire something except for emergency, call #9110 or contact your nearest police office or Koban.

✔ When you find it difficult to get through on your own, ask someone for help immediately

When you cannot communicate with anyone or find it difficult to get through on your own, ask someone who understands Japanese including your neighbor, co-worker, or pedestrian around you for help.

Even if you cannot communicate, just call out “HELP!”, and they understand that it is an emergency.

2．When you call police (110)

Dial 110 to call police.

Anyone can get panicked when they encounter or witness a crime or accident.
Calm down, and try to tell the situation with no hurry and slowly to ask for help.
If you think it is difficult to communicate in Japanese, do not forget to ask someone around you for support communicating.

✔ 110 dial service should be used for emergencies to protect people from physical harm.
To have them handle highly emergent crimes or accidents swiftly, please use this service in a proper manner, and you should avoid using it for non-emergencies, inquiries or mischief.

■■■How to call 110■■■
When you call 110, an 110 operator will ask the following questions, so you should…

  1. Tell if it is a crime or accident
    Operator: 「事件ですか、事故ですか。何がありましたか」 (Jiken desuka, jiko desuka. Naniga arimashitaka) “A crime or accident? What happened?”
    You: 「ひき逃げ事故です」 (Hikinigejiko desu) “It’s a hit and run accident”
  • Tell the operator if it is a crime or accident distinctly.
  1. Tell when it happened
    Operator: 「それはいつですか」 (Sore ha itsu dseuka) “When did it happen?”
    You: 「ついさっきです」 (Tsui sakki desu) “Just now”
  1. Tell where it happened
    Operator: 「場所はどこですか」 (Basho ha doko desuka) “Where did it happen?”
    You: 「○○市□□町の△△公園の前にある交差点です」 (○○shi□□chou no △△kouen no maeni aru kousaten desu) “It’s the crossing in front of XX park at YY town in ZZ city”
  • When you tell an address, make sure you first tell the name of the town or city. If you do not know the address, name a landmark like a large building or crossing.
  • You can find the address from a serial number on a utility pole, traffic light, and traffic sign, or an address indication on a vending machine for nonalcoholic beverages. If you do not know an address, try to find these items around you.
  1. Tell the situation
    Operator: 「どのような状況でしたか」 (Donoyouna jyoukyou deshitaka) “What was it like?”
    You: 「自動車が自転車にぶつかって、そのまま逃げていきました。自転車に乗っていた高校生は脚をけがしているようです。」 (Jidousha ga jitensha ni butukatte, sonomama nigete ikimashita. Jitensha ni notteita koukousei ha ashi wo kegashiteiru youdesu) “A vehicle hit a bicycle and ran from the site. A high school student who was on the bicycle seems to get an injury on his/her leg.”
  • Please tell what the crime or accident was like and the degree of the damage.
  • When there is an injured person or accident-related fire, please make sure to tell about it.
  1. Tell about the criminal
    Operator: 「逃げた自動車はどんな車でしたか」 (Nigeta jidousha ha donna kuruma deshitaka) “Could you describe the car?”
    You: 「白色の軽自動車でした。◇◇方向に走っていきました。ナンバープレートの番号は見えませんでしたが、✖✖ナンバーだったと思います。」 (Shiroiro no keijidousha deshita. ◇◇houkou ni hashitte ikimashita. Nanba-pure-to no bangou ha miemasen deshitaga, ✖✖nanba- datta to omoimasu.) “It’s a white minicar. The car drove toward XX. I couldn’t see the license number, but I think the registry district written on the license plate is YY”
  • Please describe the situation as far as you can including the number of the criminals, what they looked like, what kind of clothes they were wearing, or which direction  they ran toward.
  1. Tell your name and contact number
    Operator: 「あなたの名前と連絡先を教えてください。」 (Anata no namae to renrakusaki wo oshiete kudasai) “Please tell me your name and contact number.”
    You: 「私の名前は○○○○です。電話番号は・・・・です。」 (Watashi no namae ha ○○○○desu. Denwa bangou ha ・・・・ desu.) “I’m XXXX. My contact number is YYYY.”
  • Please include how you are involved in the crime or accident, address, and name.
  • Please give the best way to contact you, such as your mobile phone number. There may be a potential inquiry in case they cannot find the site and so on, so please do not turn off your phone after you finish reporting.

<How to call 110 with your mobile phone>
Please call 110.
An 110 operator may contact you again about unclear information after you finish reporting, so please do not turn off your phone and remain available.

  • If you would like to call 110 while driving, please make sure to park at a safe place, then report.
  • When you call at a boundary of a prefecture, you may get through to an 110 operator in the adjacent prefecture police. Therefore, please tell the name of the town or city and a name of a landmark or facility around you including bank, company, supermarket, hospital, park, or school to inform the exact place.

<How to call 110 with a public phone>
You can also call 110 with a public phone.

■Green public phone

  1. Lift the receiver
  2. Press the emergency button (red button)
  3. Dial 110

■Gray public phone or card only public phone

  1. Lift the receiver
  2. Dial 110
  • When you call 110, telephone charge, telephone card, or IC digital card is not required.

■Pink public phone
・In case of the phone with an emergency button

  1. Lift the receiver
  2. Press the emergency button (red button)
  3. Dial 110

・In the case of a phone without an emergency button

  1. Lift the receiver
  2. Dial 110

<How to use 110 app for people with a hearing or speech disorder>
When an oral 110 report is difficult for you due to your hearing or speech disorder, you can use the 110 app. It uses text and images on your smartphone to report to the police.

  • Please download the app and register your name, phone number, and password to use the system.
  • Following directions on the screen, you can make an 110 report with the no-voice chat system.
  • Anywhere in Japan, you can report to a police headquarters managing the location where you would like to report.
  • You can report information on the location using your smartphone GPS system.
  • You can take a picture and send it.
Type of mobile phone How to download and instructions
Smartphone Download: search 「110番アプリ」 (110ban apuri) “110-app” in Apple Store or Google Play
Instruction: 「110番アプリ」の使い方マニュアル (110ban apuri no tukaikata manyuaru) “How to use 110-app” (for smartphone)
Feature phone Download: https://mobile110.npa.go.jp/
Instruction: 「110番アプリ」の使い方マニュアル (110ban apuri no tukaikata manyuaru) “How to use 110-app” (for smartphone)

Please check the National Police Agency website for other details including notice.

「110番アプリシステム」 (110ban apuri shisutemu) “110-app system”, National Police Agency
https://www.npa.go.jp/bureau/safetylife/110/app/

■■■What to do if you cannot get through to an 110 operator■■■
In case of a disaster, blackout, or mobile phone connection problem, communication disturbance may occur, and you might be unable to call 110.
In that case, please take the following actions.

  • Calm down, ask someone around you for help, and try another mobile phone carrier, landline telephone, or public phone.
  • If there is a police officer or police car on patrol, tell them directly.
  • Check for a police office or Koban located around your house and office in advance, go there and report directly in case of emergency.

3. When you cannot decide if you should call 110

110 dial service should be used for an emergency including a crime and accident.
Please use the following dial in case of other non-emergency situations.

■■■TMPD General Advisory Center（＃9110）■■■
If you have a problem that requires police attention, please call #9110
You can use this dial to consult about issues including a stalker, domestic violence, and malice that has not yet led to a crime or accident. You can also inquire about general police business.

  • Office hours: from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on weekday (the office hours vary according to each prefectural police headquarters)
  • On weekends, holidays, and outside office hours, a police officer on duty or automated operator replies to your call (except for some prefectural police offices accepting inquiries 24/7).
  • Normal telephone fees apply.
  • You can use the dial anywhere in Japan, and get through to an advisory office of a prefectural police headquarters and so on managing the area where you call, but you cannot use this dial with dial up line or some IP phones. In that case, please dial the number of the general information line of the area where you live.
  • List of phone numbers of each prefectural general information line
  • Consultation
    Advisory staff which may include a police officer or ex-police officer give advice about your issue maintaining regard for your privacy, feeling, circumstance, and so on.

There are various kinds of consultations such as the following:

  1. Safety living issue
  • “I would like to know how to submit an application for searching for a missing person”
  • “I’m troubled with daily constant scam e-mails, so I would like to know how to deal with it”
  • “I would like to get an anti-theft registration for my bicycle”
  • “I would like to consult about domestic violence”
  • “I have a neighbor child who cries violently every night, so I worry and suspect that the child is abused”
  • “I’m not confident about whether I can recover from my drug addiction, so I need help”
  1. Criminal issues
  • “I would like to withdraw from a boryokudan group, but I don’t know who to consult”
  • “I would like to file a lawsuit”
  • “I would like to know how to apply for a certificate of criminal record”
  1. Traffic issue
  • “I caused a minor traffic accident, but I didn’t report to police”
  • “I reported for a property damage accident, but I would like to switch it to an injury or fatal accident”
  • “My penalty payment for a traffic violation is overdue”
  • “I would like to know where to consult about a traffic accident”
  • The reason why you should call #9110 not 110

The number of annual 110 reports is over 9 million, in which non-emergency reports account for 20 percent (by Public Relations Office of the Government of Japan). A non-emergency report may cause delay in response to an emergency situation such as a crime or accident, which may result in bodily harm.

Therefore, please use #9110 for non-emergency consultation.

■■■Go to your nearest police station or Koban in case of …■■■
Please visit or call your nearest police office or Koban in the following cases.

  1. Reporting lost or found property
  • Submitting a lost property report form or checking if your lost property has been turned in
  • Giving a reward for a finder
  1. Applications
  • Parking certificate
  • Certificate of acceptance of a robbery report
  • Driver’s license update or amendment etc.
  1. Geographic guidance
  • How to get to a destination
  • Traffic regulation or parking lot etc.

The above are created with reference to the following information. If there is a change in the contents of the reference sources, it may take some time to be reflected on this site. Thank you for your understanding. 

<References>

・「警察に対する相談は警察相談専用電話＃9110へ」 (Keisatu ni taisuru soudan ha keisatu soudan senyou denwa he) “Call #9110 or TMPD General Advisory Center if you wish to consult with a police officer”, Public Relations Office of the Government of Japan
（https://www.gov-online.go.jp/useful/article/201309/3.html#:~:text=%E7%8A%AF%E7%BD%AA%E3%82%84%E4%BA%8B%E6%95%85%E3%81%AE%E7%99%BA%E7%94%9F,%E7%9B%B8%E8%AB%87%E7%AA%93%E5%8F%A3%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8C%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82）

・「110番アプリシステム」 (110ban apuri shisutemu) ”110-app system”, National Police Agency（https://www.npa.go.jp/bureau/safetylife/110/app/）

・「こんなときこそ110番」 (Konna toki koso 110ban) “When to call 110”, National Police Agency
（https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/smph/jiken_jiko/110/110_110.html）

・「警視庁110番サイトに関する重要なお知らせ」 (Keishichou 110ban saito ni kansuru jyuyou na oshirase) “Notice regarding National Police Agency’s 110 website”, National Police Agency
（https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/smph/jiken_jiko/110/110site.html）

・「通信指令室110番」 (Tushin shirei shitu 110ban) “From the 110 operator’s office”, Chiba Prefectural Police
（https://www.police.pref.chiba.jp/shireika/shireika_110_02.html）

・「110番の正しいかけ方」（110ban no tadashii kakekata）”How to call 110”, Kumamoto Prefectural Police
（https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/police/page122.html）