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In Japan, call Japan Coast Guard on 118. On the radio: MAYDAY on VHF channel 16, or a DSC distress alert on channel 70.
See it on the rescue map → Print an emergency card →
From official sources · checked 2026-10-14
The Japan Coast Guard keeps a 24-hour watch on the GMDSS distress frequencies from 12 shore radio stations and from patrol vessels at sea.
Regional Coast Guard headquarters broadcast urgent local navigational warnings by VHF voice in Japanese and English. In Okinawa (11th Region) the coast station is called "Okinawa Hoan" (おきなわほあん) on VHF channel 16, with repeats at 10:10 and 16:10.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issues marine forecasts six times a day and marine warnings four to eight times a day. Warnings are also broadcast by Japan Coast Guard radio and sent through SafetyNET (Inmarsat EGC).
Typhoon season runs from June to December and peaks from July to September. The risk is highest in the south of the country. Follow JMA forecasts.
Since February 2018 everyone on the open deck of a small vessel (outside the cabin) must wear a life jacket. The skipper is legally responsible, and the life jacket must be an approved type with the 'sakura' mark. A skipper who breaks this rule gets 2 penalty points on their licence.
To act as skipper of a motorboat or yacht in Japan you need a Japanese 1st or 2nd class small vessel licence; jet skis need the 'special' licence. Boats under 3 m with engines under 1.5 kW (and a propeller safety device) are exempt. The MLIT pages we checked do not mention recognition of foreign licences or the ICC.
Japan is in a major earthquake zone. Watch the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake and tsunami warnings.
Before arriving from abroad, every vessel of any size must send a ship security report to the local Japan Coast Guard office (deadline 24 hours before arrival). A foreign pleasure boat that wants to call at a 'closed port' (any port that is not an open port) needs MLIT permission, applied for at least one week ahead.
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Who you are, where you are (latitude and longitude), what happened, how many people are aboard, and what your boat looks like.
How to make a MAYDAY call →That is a job for marine assistance, not sea rescue — keep the rescue line free for lives.
Mayday or a tow? →In Japan, call Japan Coast Guard on 118. On the radio: MAYDAY on VHF channel 16, or a DSC distress alert on channel 70.
118 is the number the authorities in Japan give for emergencies at sea. Many phones also pass 112 on, but we found no official confirmation for Japan.
The one whose search-and-rescue area you are in — not the country of your SIM card. Near borders that can change during a trip; the VesselSOS app picks it from your GPS position.
To act as skipper of a motorboat or yacht in Japan you need a Japanese 1st or 2nd class small vessel licence; jet skis need the 'special' licence. Boats under 3 m with engines under 1.5 kW (and a propeller safety device) are exempt. The MLIT pages we checked do not mention recognition of foreign licences or the ICC.
Typhoon season runs from June to December and peaks from July to September. The risk is highest in the south of the country. Follow JMA forecasts.
Since February 2018 everyone on the open deck of a small vessel (outside the cabin) must wear a life jacket. The skipper is legally responsible, and the life jacket must be an approved type with the 'sakura' mark. A skipper who breaks this rule gets 2 penalty points on their licence.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issues marine forecasts six times a day and marine warnings four to eight times a day. Warnings are also broadcast by Japan Coast Guard radio and sent through SafetyNET (Inmarsat EGC).
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