Japan travel essentials

Emergency contacts in Japan

If there is an immediate emergency, use the relevant emergency number below. The visitor hotline provides travel assistance; it does not replace an emergency call.

Dial these short numbers from within Japan without a country or area code. If your phone cannot make a call, ask a nearby person, station employee or hotel staff member to call. A data-only travel plan may not provide normal voice calls; check your provider’s emergency-calling instructions before travel.

Tell the operator what has happened and where you are. Give an address, station exit, building name or nearby landmark, and follow the operator’s questions. If you cannot explain in Japanese, say “English, please” and ask someone nearby to help communicate your location.

Official guidance: Fire and Disaster Management Agency: ambulance guide · Tokyo Metropolitan Police: 110

Japan Visitor Hotline — travel assistance

050-3816-2787
International format: +81-50-3816-2787

JNTO lists this service as available 24 hours a day, every day, in English, Chinese and Korean. It assists visitors with illness, accidents, natural disasters and general tourist information. See JNTO’s official hotline page for scope and current details.

Lost passport, cards or belongings

Save your own embassy or consulate’s contact details before departure. For a lost passport, contact your embassy or consulate and ask local police about reporting the loss. Contact your bank directly to block a missing card. For an item left on a train or in a venue, start with that operator’s lost-property service and note the time, route and seat if known.

Disaster information

Install or bookmark Safety tips before your trip. Check your accommodation’s evacuation information when you arrive and follow local authorities and staff during an incident. Near the coast, pay close attention to tsunami evacuation signs and official instructions.

Your pre-arrival checklist

Tick items as you prepare. These boxes are temporary and reset when the page reloads; print or save a PDF if you want a lasting copy. No checklist entries are sent to us.

• Check your passport and entry eligibility. Use Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa information and the Japanese embassy serving your country. Requirements depend on nationality, purpose and circumstances; do not assume another traveler’s rules apply to you.
• Prepare arrival procedures. Review the official Visit Japan Web service for immigration and customs procedures. Keep the information you need accessible. Completing online arrival information is not a visa or a guarantee of admission.
• Check every medicine you plan to bring. Review MHLW’s personal medicine import guidance and, where relevant, controlled medicine rules. Some products need advance permission or cannot be brought in. A home-country prescription alone does not confirm permission.
• Arrange travel insurance. Read medical cover, exclusions, excesses and assistance procedures. Save your policy number and the insurer’s emergency contact.
• Save the first night’s accommodation. Keep its name, Japanese address, phone number, check-in instructions and a map link available offline.
• Plan the airport transfer. Check your actual arrival terminal, the transfer to your hotel and the final service if landing late. Keep a backup for delays.
• Arrange mobile connectivity. Check device compatibility, setup instructions, activation date and whether your plan includes voice calls. Download offline translation and useful maps while you have a connection.
• Prepare payment backups. Check overseas card use and withdrawal charges with your bank. Carry a backup payment method separately and plan how you will obtain yen.
• Pack for the conditions. Check the forecast, walking requirements and luggage rules. Check your charger’s input rating and the plug adapter required for your devices.
• Save contacts and important documents securely. Keep copies separate from originals; protect passport and insurance information rather than storing them on this public website.

A calmer arrival day

• Confirm you are at the correct airport terminal and follow the posted immigration and customs instructions.
• Connect your mobile service or airport Wi-Fi and check that your hotel address and transport directions are accessible.
• Check the live departure information before buying a transfer ticket. Allow time for the walk to the platform and any connection.
• Keep the first outing short: reach the accommodation, eat, rest and learn the nearby station before planning a longer day trip.
• At check-in, note the evacuation route and save the hotel’s phone number and Japanese address for a taxi or an emergency.
• Recheck tomorrow’s weather and the opening times of your main attraction. Keep a shorter version of the day ready.

A few useful Japanese words and phrases

You do not need perfect Japanese to begin politely. Start with “sumimasen” to get someone’s attention, show the written phrase when needed and keep requests short. Romanization below is a reading aid; long vowels are written with marks such as ō and ū.

For a location question, replace eki (station) with a place name: “[place] wa doko desu ka?” Keep the Japanese name of your destination saved so you can show it. For a food allergy, prepare a specific written explanation rather than relying on a general phrase or an automatic translation alone.

Save these before heading out

Keep the emergency numbers, your hotel’s Japanese address, your insurer’s assistance number and your embassy details accessible without searching. For each day trip, save the arrival station, venue entrances and return journey. A screenshot or printed copy of the essentials can help when your phone has no connection; it does not make this website an offline emergency service.

Start with a manageable day

• Asakusa: temple, shopping streets and river
• Kamakura: two temples and an optional coastal finish
• Yokohama: a flexible waterfront walk