Police and accidents

❃ Police and accidents

すみません！道に迷いました。 [ Sumimasen! Michi ni mayoimashita. ]: Excuse me, I’m lost.
(駅/寺/バス停/ホテル)への行き方を教えてください。 [ eki/tera/basutei/hoteru e no ikikata o oshiete kudasai ]: Could you tell me how to get to ?
スマホ/財布をなくしました。 [ samaho/ saifu o nakushimashita. ]: I lost my phone/wallet.
盗難に遭いました。 [ Tōnan ni aimashita. ]: I’ve been robbed.
娘/息子が迷子になりました。 [ musume/ musuko ga maigo ni narimashita ]: My daughter/son got lost.
バッグ/財布を見つけた。 [ baggu/ saifu o mitsuketa. ]: I found a bag/purse.
交番はどこですか。 [ Kōban wa doko desu ka? ]: Where is the police box?
警察を呼んでください！ [ Keisatsu o yonde kudasai! ]: Please call the police!
被害届を出したいです。 [ Higai-todoke o dashitai desu. ]: I want to file a police report.
遺失届/盗難届を出したいです。 [ Ishitsu-todoke/Tōnan-todoke o dashitai desu. ]: I want to report a lost/theft.
110番に電話してください。 [ Hyakutooban ni denwa shite kudasai. ]: Please call 110 (Police).
カバンを盗まれました。 [ Kaban o nusumaremashita. ]: My bag was stolen.
スリに遭いました。 [ Suri ni aimashita. ]: I was pickpocketed.
パスポートをなくしました。 [ Pasupooto o nakushimashita. ]: I lost my passport.
大使館に連絡しなければなりません。 [ Taishikan ni renraku shinakereba narimasen. ]: I need to contact the embassy.
クレジットカードを止めてください。 [ Kurejitto kaado o tomete kudasai. ]: Please block my credit card.
保険のために盗難証明書が必要です。 [ Hoken no tame ni tounan shoumeisho ga hitsuyou desu. ]: I need a police report (theft certificate) for insurance.
交通事故に遭いました。 [ Koutsuujiko ni aimashita. ]: I was in a traffic accident.
車にひかれました。 [ Kuruma ni hikaremashita. ]: I was hit by a car.
レンタカーで事故を起こしました。 [ Rentakaa de jiko o okoshimashita. ]: I had an accident with a rental car.
私は怪我をしていません。 [ Watashi wa kega o shite imasen. ]: I am not injured.
目撃者はいますか。 [ Mokugekisha wa imasu ka. ]: Are there any witnesses?
痴漢です！ [ Chikan desu! ]: It's a groper/pervert!
やめてください！ [ Yamete kudasai! ]: Stop it!
触らないで！ [ Sawaranaide! ]: Don't touch me!
つきまとわれています。 [ Tsukimatowarete imasu. ]: I am being followed.
殴られました。 [ Naguraremashita. ]: I was hit/punched.
家族に連絡したいです。 [ Kazoku ni renraku shitai desu. ]: I want to contact my family.
日本語が分かりません。通訳をお願いします。 [ Nihongo ga wakarimasen. Tsuuyaku o onegaishimasu. ]: I don't understand Japanese. Please get an interpreter.

Cultural notes

Japan is celebrated globally for its exceptionally low crime rate, making it one of the safest countries in the world, but accidents and incidents do still happen. If you need immediate police assistance for a severe emergency, the national number is 110 ("Hyakutooban" - 110番). However, for non-life-threatening issues, such as asking for directions, reporting a lost passport, or dealing with a stolen bag ("Kaban o nusumaremashita" - カバンを盗まれました), your first point of contact should always be the local "Koban" (交番). These neighborhood police boxes are scattered generously throughout every city and are uniquely designed to integrate law enforcement deeply into the local community. If you are involved in a traffic accident ("Koutsuujiko" - 交通事故), even a minor scrape involving a rental car or a bicycle, it is a strict legal requirement in Japan to call the police immediately to file an official report; you cannot simply settle it privately with the other party. Without this police report, your travel or rental insurance will be completely void. Another unfortunate but culturally necessary topic is the issue of public harassment. On crowded commuter trains, groping is a recognized and heavily policed problem. If you are victimized or feel threatened, the most powerful word you can shout is "Chikan desu!" (痴漢です！ - It's a groper/pervert!) or "Yamete kudasai!" (やめてください！ - Stop it!). Shouting this will immediately draw the attention of surrounding passengers, who are culturally conditioned to intervene and help apprehend the suspect. The Japanese police are incredibly thorough and highly procedure-oriented, so you should expect to fill out extensive, detailed paperwork for any incident, but rest assured that your safety and well-being are their absolute priorities.

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