What to Do If You Get Sick in Nagoya: Emergency Guide

If you have a medical emergency in Nagoya, call 119 for an ambulance or 110 for police immediately — don’t waste time searching for information first. For less urgent situations, this guide explains where to find English-speaking (and other language) medical help: daytime clinics, the 24-hour Aichi Emergency Medical Information Center (052-263-1133) for holidays and nights, and — especially useful — #7119, a 24/7 nurse hotline available in 21 languages that can tell you whether you should go to a hospital now or call an ambulance. JNTO’s multilingual support line (050-3816-2787) is also available.

What to Do, by Situation

• Serious injury or you’re unresponsive/unable to move: Call 119 immediately for an ambulance. If you can’t speak Japanese, ask someone nearby to call for you, or call JNTO’s multilingual support line (050-3816-2787) for interpretation help.
• Feeling unwell during normal business hours: Visit a clinic or general hospital. Find one with foreign-language support via the City of Nagoya’s hospital list or the JMIP-certified facility search.
• Not sure if it’s serious enough for an ambulance, or which option above applies to you: Call #7119 (Emergency Safety Center Nagoya) — available 24/7 in 21 languages including English, Chinese, Korean, and more. A nurse will advise whether you should go to a hospital now or call an ambulance. (If #7119 doesn’t connect, e.g. from some phone lines, try 052-951-7119.)
• Sudden fever or illness on a holiday or at night: Call the Aichi Emergency Medical Information Center (052-263-1133, available 24/7) — they’ll direct you to a suitable medical facility based on your symptoms. You can also search online via the Aichi Emergency Medical Care Guide.
• Minor symptoms, need over-the-counter medicine: Pharmacies and drugstores sell OTC medicine, and pharmacists can offer advice.

Emergency Contact Numbers

Finding a Hospital That Speaks Your Language

• City of Nagoya’s official list of hospitals with foreign-language support
• JMIP (Japan Medical Service Accreditation for International Patients) certified facility search — lets you filter by region, language (English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, etc.), department, and credit card acceptance
• Aichi Emergency Medical Care Guide (online search tool)

All three are linked in the official sources at the end of this page.

A Note on Medical Costs

According to JNTO, unexpected medical bills for travelers without insurance have run as high as ¥7.5 million (bicycle accident) or ¥10 million (heart attack). Travel insurance is strongly recommended before your trip — and JNTO notes that unpaid medical bills can affect future entry into Japan.