If Your Child Gets Lost in Tokyo: Koban, Station Staff, Disney

Disclosure: This article contains no affiliate links. Every procedure and phone number below comes from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Tokyo Metro, JR East, Tokyo Disney Resort, the City of Yokohama and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, checked on October 10, 2026. **If your child is missing right now, stop reading and call 110.**

Tokyo is a big, crowded city. If you’ve ever lost sight of your child for even a second in a crowded place like Shinjuku Station or a packed theme park, you know how frightening it feels. Sometimes your child is just a few steps away. But if you can’t find them, act quickly, and know that Japan’s system works differently from home.

The short version: Tokyo’s police tell families to call 110 immediately if a family member goes missing. This guide explains how that call works for non-Japanese speakers, what a koban (police box) does, how to get help in a station, and how Tokyo Disney Resort handles lost children. It ends with prevention steps you can do before you leave the hotel.

Ramen Dad’s note: Our family has a rule for getting separated when we’re out in Tokyo. Agree on yours before you leave the hotel.

Quick answer: who to tell, where

The rule to remember: the police page says “If a family member goes missing, call 110 right away or report to a police station.” It doesn’t say to search on your own first. If you can’t find your child, call.

Calling 110 in Tokyo as a visitor

110 is Japan’s police emergency number. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) says it’s for incidents where you need officers to come right away. Its English page adds: if you don’t speak Japanese, a police interpreter will be on the line to assist you. MPD: How do I contact the police?

When you call 110, be ready to answer these questions (the MPD lists them):

1. What happened (my child is missing)
2. How long ago it happened
3. Where you are: the address if you know it, or a landmark like a store, building name and floor number
4. The situation: your child’s age, height, clothes and hair, and where you last saw them

For a lost child, add a description and a recent photo if you have one. The MPD also runs a system that lets callers send photos or video from a smartphone during a 110 report; it’s optional, and you pay any data costs. MPD: 110 page (Japanese)

Calling from a public phone: 110 is free from public phones (Yokohama’s guide says you can dial 110 or lift the receiver and press the red emergency button). A City of Yokohama English guide also says that if you call from a mobile, don’t turn it off afterward, because the police may call you back. Yokohama: Dial 110

What to say when you call 110 (swap in your own details):

“My child is missing. I need an English interpreter. I’m at Shinjuku Station, near the East Exit. My child is five years old, wearing a yellow jacket and blue pants. I last saw him five minutes ago.”

If your phone is dead, lost or has no signal: the MPD says to ask people nearby for help and call from another phone or a public phone, or go straight to a koban, police station or patrolling officer. You can also ask station staff or shop staff to call 110 for you.

Useful phrases if you need to speak Japanese:

If you can’t pronounce them, show the Japanese text to station staff or a shop clerk.

What a koban does

A koban (交番) is a small neighborhood police box. The MPD says officers work koban in shifts, in principle 24 hours a day, and their work includes giving directions, handling lost property, and looking after lost children. They also go out on patrol, so a koban can be empty when you arrive. MPD: Koban / MPD: Koban Q&A (Japanese)

If there’s a koban nearby, you can ask an officer for help finding your child. If no one is there and your child is missing, call 110 immediately.

Official prevention tip: the MPD suggests checking where the nearest police station and koban are in advance, so you can go there directly if phone lines are down. For visitors, that means finding the koban near your hotel and near the big stations you’ll use. Search “交番” on Google Maps.

Ramen Dad’s note: I’ve taught my daughter to go to a koban or shop staff if she’s lost. Teach your kids the same rule before the trip.

Lost in a train station

Big Tokyo stations like Shinjuku, Tokyo and Shibuya have multiple exits, lines and floors, so separation is easy. I couldn’t find each rail company’s step-by-step procedure for lost children published officially, so here’s what the official pages do say:

• Talk to station staff. The staffed window at the ticket gates is the easiest place to find them.
• Use the platform intercom. Tokyo Metro’s safety guide says platforms have intercoms to reach station staff, for example if you drop something on the tracks or see something suspicious.
• Never go onto the tracks. Tokyo Metro says not to pick up dropped items yourself; ask staff. If you see a person on the tracks, press the platform emergency stop button, which sounds an alarm and stops trains.
• Don’t rush onto a train as the doors close. Tokyo Metro asks passengers not to make last-second dashes. If a door closes between you and your child, tell staff immediately rather than chasing the train.

If a train leaves with your child on board (or you end up on a train without them): tell station staff right away, at the next station if you’re the one on the train. Give them the line, the direction, the time the train left, and your child’s description. Don’t chase the train or board another one without checking with staff first, and call 110 if your child is missing. Make “never chase the train alone” a family rule before you travel.

Tokyo Metro safety pocket guide (PDF) (Japanese)

For JR stations, the JR East Infoline gives English, Chinese and Korean phone help on 050-2016-1603, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (except over New Year). It covers station facilities and lost and found, but it isn’t an emergency service. JR East Infoline

If you can’t find your child in a station, call 110 as well as telling staff.

Planning your routes? My guide to strollers and carriers in Japan covers moving through stations with small kids, and my Suica for kids guide explains children’s transit cards.

Lost at Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea

Tokyo Disney Resort has a Lost Children service at each park, for children 11 and younger who get separated from their guardians. Its official pages say:

• If you’re separated from your child, see the nearest Cast Member.
• The Lost Children facility stays in contact with other facilities inside and outside the park to reunite families quickly.
• ID stickers for children are available.
• Guests 12 and over who get separated should go to Guest Relations and leave a message.

The Lost Children facility is in the World Bazaar area at Tokyo Disneyland and near the Park Entrance at Tokyo DisneySea. Tokyo Disneyland Lost Children / Tokyo DisneySea Lost Children

My tip: ask for an ID sticker when you arrive, and agree on a meeting spot with older kids, ideally somewhere a Cast Member is always nearby. More Disney planning in my Tokyo Disney with a toddler guide.

Where to get the ID sticker: besides Lost Children, the official list includes Main Street House (Disneyland), Guest Relations (DisneySea), the Stroller & Wheelchair Rentals at each park entrance, and the Baby Centers. Ask a Cast Member for the nearest one. Tokyo Disney Resort: Child-Friendly Services

Before you go out: prevention steps

These come from what official sources ask for, turned into a morning routine:

1. Take a photo of your child every morning, in today’s clothes. The MPD asks for a photo of the missing person when you report a missing family member, and a description of clothes is part of the 110 call.
2. Give your child a contact card. Write a parent’s phone number with the +81 country code (drop the first 0 of a Japanese number, so 090-1234-5678 becomes +81-90-1234-5678), a second adult’s number if you have one, and your hotel’s name, in English and Japanese. Keep it inside a pocket or bag rather than on display. Add a line your child can show a stranger: “I’m lost. Please help me contact my parents.” / 迷子になりました。お父さんかお母さんに連絡するのを手伝ってください。 Older kids can memorize your number.
3. Know your hotel’s name and address in Japanese, saved on your phone. The 110 operator will ask where you are.
4. Find the koban near your hotel and the main stations you’ll use, as the MPD suggests.
5. Agree on a rule with your kids: if they lose you, stay put and tell a station worker, shop staff or police officer. At Disney, tell a Cast Member.
6. Get a Disney ID sticker at the parks.
7. Keep your phone charged and on data. You’ll need it for 110 callbacks and maps (see my eSIM guide for families).

Ramen Dad’s note: My daughter carries her name and contact details when we go out. A simple contact card in a pocket works for visiting kids too.

If you’re still searching

If you’ve already called 110, follow the officers’ instructions. They may ask for a photo, ID and details of where and when your child was last seen.

The MPD’s missing-person page says you can file a report at a police station for the area where your child went missing, where you’re staying, or where you live. Bring a photo of your child, your ID (passport) and any relevant materials. The MPD’s missing-person phone line (Japanese, 03-5281-0123) runs weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and is a consultation line, not an emergency number. MPD missing persons (Japanese)

For language help at any hour, the Japan Visitor Hotline (050-3816-2787) runs 24/7 in English, Chinese and Korean and helps visitors in emergencies. It doesn’t replace 110.

FAQ from parents

“Is a lost child a reason to call 110 in Japan?” Yes. Tokyo police say to call 110 or go to a police station right away if a family member goes missing.

“Will the 110 operator speak English?” The MPD says a police interpreter joins the call if you don’t speak Japanese. Stay calm, say “English, please,” and give your location.

“What’s the difference between 110 and #9110?” 110 is for emergencies, including a missing child. #9110 is the police consultation line for non-urgent problems, in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. Don’t use it when your child is missing.

“What should I do if I lose my child at Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea?” Tell the nearest Cast Member. The Lost Children service cares for children 11 and under and coordinates with other facilities to reunite families.

“What if a train door closes between us?” Tell station staff right away, using the ticket-gate office or platform intercom, and call 110 if you can’t reach your child. Don’t try to stop the doors or chase the train.

Lost-child checklist

If your child goes missing:

1. Alert nearby staff (station, shop, Cast Member) immediately.
2. Call 110 if you can’t find your child.
3. Share a recent photo, a clothing description and where you last saw them.

Before leaving your hotel: take today’s photo, pack the contact card, save your hotel address in Japanese and the Japan Visitor Hotline (050-3816-2787), check the nearest koban, agree on the family rule (stay put, tell staff), and get a Disney ID sticker if you’re going to the parks.

For other emergencies, my guide to what to do if your kid gets sick in Japan has the medical numbers.

Ramen Dad’s note: If you remember one thing: take a photo of your kids each morning, so you have a recent one to share if you ever need to call 110.

Procedures and phone numbers checked against Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Tokyo Metro, JR East, Tokyo Disney Resort, City of Yokohama and Tokyo Metropolitan Government pages on October 10, 2026. In an emergency, call 110 first.