# AI recommends calling 911 in Japan during an earthquake, but Japan uses 110 for police and 119 for fire/ambulance; 911 does not route to Japanese emergency services

- **ID:** `emergency/ai-recommends-911-in-japan-for-earthquake`
- **Domain:** emergency
- **Category:** life_safety
- **Error Code:** `E911-INTL-ERR-004`
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 85%

## Root Cause

The AI confuses the US emergency number with Japan's system; Japan's emergency numbers are 110 (police) and 119 (fire and ambulance), and 911 is not recognized by Japanese telecom networks; some foreign travelers may mistakenly dial 911 due to cultural familiarity.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| NTT 119 | active | — | — |
| SoftBank 110 | active | — | — |
| KDDI Emergency | active | — | — |
| iOS 17 Emergency SOS Japan | active | — | — |
| Android 14 Emergency Location Japan | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Dial 119 for fire or ambulance, and 110 for police. On a mobile phone, you can also dial #9110 for emergency services via some carriers, but standard 110/119 is safest.** (95% success)
   ```
   Dial 119 for fire or ambulance, and 110 for police. On a mobile phone, you can also dial #9110 for emergency services via some carriers, but standard 110/119 is safest.
   ```
2. **Program the emergency numbers into your phone's speed dial before a disaster. On iPhone, add 110 and 119 to your Medical ID (Health app > Medical ID > Emergency Contacts).** (88% success)
   ```
   Program the emergency numbers into your phone's speed dial before a disaster. On iPhone, add 110 and 119 to your Medical ID (Health app > Medical ID > Emergency Contacts).
   ```
3. **Use the Japan Meteorological Agency's official app for earthquake early warnings; it provides instructions in English on what to do and whom to call.** (75% success)
   ```
   Use the Japan Meteorological Agency's official app for earthquake early warnings; it provides instructions in English on what to do and whom to call.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **Tell user to call 911 from a mobile phone because it redirects to 110/119** — In Japan, 911 does not redirect; it is not a valid emergency number. Calls to 911 may result in a recorded message or disconnection. (95% fail)
- **Advise user to download a translation app before calling 110/119** — While helpful, translation apps cannot replace the need for a human operator; many operators speak English, but the call should be made directly. (50% fail)
- **Suggest using the SOS feature on a smartphone which might dial 911** — Smartphone SOS features are region-aware; if the phone is set to Japan region, SOS typically dials 110/119, but if misconfigured, it may dial 911 incorrectly. (60% fail)