Violence toward Ambulance Crew Up in Tokyo in 2025

Tokyo, July 7 (Jiji Press)–Ambulance crew in Tokyo face a growing risk of being subjected to violent language and behavior while on duty, with 24 such cases reported last year, the largest in the past five years, according to a Tokyo Fire Department survey. The number is rising at an even faster pace this year as 15 cases had been reported as of the end of May. The department will not hesitate to take legal action, officials said. According to the department, obstructive behavior against ambulance crew members ranged between 20 and 22 cases annually between 2021 and 2024. The number jumped to 24 in 2025, of which 11 cases involved bodily harm to staff members and another 11 involved material damage such as damage to the ambulance. In two cases, rescue operations were hampered by violent language toward emergency staff. In one case that took place in May, an ambulance officer attending to a person who had collapsed outside was punched and kicked more than 10 times by the person, who suddenly got angry and threatened to stab and kill the officer. The officer suffered facial and other injuries. Another officer who tried to stop the person was also attacked. They were both taken to hospital, while a police officer rushed to the scene and arrested the person on the spot. Because of the incident, this ambulance team was unable to conduct operations for some five hours, and four other teams, including firefighters, were also sent to the scene. In past cases, ambulance crew’s mobile phones and stethoscopes were damaged, and the ambulance’s hood and windshield were hit by a third party. Ambulance requests are on the rise in Tokyo, surpassing 930,000 in 2025, due to factors such as a rapidly aging population and increasing heat-related illnesses. On its official website and X, formerly Twitter, the department says, “We ask for your understanding and cooperation toward our operations so that our emergency squads, whose numbers have limits, are able to arrive at the scene swiftly.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]