The number of 110 (emergency) calls received by police nationwide in 2024 was over 9.63 million as of the end of November, the highest number in the past 10 years, according to the National Police Agency (NPA).
In Japan, January 10 is designated as 110番の日 and is used by the NPA to call for appropriate use of the 110 number.
According to the NPA report, more than 20% of calls last year were not considered urgent. There were also cases of calls being made erroneously using the "emergency call function" of smartphones and smartwatches.
The NPA said the number of 110 calls received by police nationwide from January to November 2024 was 9,638,998, more than 335,000 more than the same period in 2023.
The breakdown of the calls was 3,023,598 for traffic accidents and violations, accounting for 31% of the total.
Additionally, there were 561,048 calls regarding the protection or rescue of missing persons, and of these, in over 3,500 cases the caller sent video or images, which in some cases helped to find the person early.
Meanwhile, calls that were not considered to be urgent, such as inquiries about traffic congestion or complaints to police stations, accounted for just over 21% of the total.
Other non-urgent calls included "I've seen a cockroach,” "I need someone to talk to,” "The water in the kettle at the convenience store is lukewarm" and "I felt sick after eating too much."
The NPA says that calling 110 for non-emergencies may hinder police response to crimes and accidents, and has once again urged people to use the police consultation hotline “#9110" for non-emergencies.
