I was stung

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Stung by a bee or wasp in Japan

What to do in the first minutes, and the symptoms that mean you should call an ambulance.

Everything here comes from Japanese public bodies — city governments, a fire department, a labour bureau and material supervised by the Japanese Society of Allergology — plus the NHS and a New Zealand research institute. Nothing is written here that we could not find in one of those sources.

If you cannot breathe easily, your voice is hoarse, your throat feels tight, you are vomiting repeatedly, your lips or nails look pale, or you feel faint — stop reading and call 119.

In Japan 119 is the number for both fire and ambulance. It is free from any phone, including a mobile with no SIM.

Allergy Portal, supervised by the Japanese Society of Allergology, says that if even one of these signs is present you should use an adrenaline device without hesitating and then call an ambulance.[1]

1. What to do right away

  1. Get away from the nest. Keep low and move away[4][3]. Toshima City writes that "when wasps are agitated, more of them join the attack"[3]. Do not run and do not swat at them[6]. Mie Prefecture says to move several tens of metres away at once and get somewhere you can rest[8].
  2. Keep the person still. Saitama Prefecture: "the person who was stung should move as little as possible — this is to stop the venom spreading"[7].
  3. Remove the sting if one is left. Only honey bees leave one[2]. The NHS says to scrape it sideways with a fingernail or a card edge, not to pull it with tweezers[13].
  4. Wash the wound under running water. Six Japanese public bodies say this[3][4][2][5][7][8].
  5. Cool it. Fukushima Prefecture explains why: cooling narrows the blood vessels at the site so the venom is absorbed more slowly[6].
  6. Use an antihistamine or steroid cream if you have one[3][4][5][6].
  7. Watch for whole-body symptoms for the next 30 minutes. See the next section.

2. Call 119 if any one of these appears

This is the list Allergy Portal gives, from the Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology: if even one is present, use adrenaline straight away[1].

Breathing

  • Throat or chest feels tight
  • Hoarse voice
  • A barking cough
  • A strong cough that will not stop
  • Wheezing
  • Hard to breathe

Stomach

  • Vomiting again and again
  • Stomach pain you cannot bear

Whole body

  • Lips or nails look pale or blue
  • Pulse weak or irregular
  • Confusion or drowsiness
  • Limp, no strength
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control

Takahashi City Fire Department writes that in anaphylactic shock these appear within 30 minutes: nausea, vomiting, tightness in the chest, a hoarse voice, difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and redness over the whole body[2].

3. Go to a doctor even without whole-body symptoms

SituationWho says so
You were stung many times (especially on the neck, head, face, or near the heart) Toshima City[3], Kyoto City[4], Mie Prefecture[8]
You were stung in or near the eye, or venom got in your eye Toshima City[3], Kyoto City[4]
You were stung in the mouth or throatNHS[13], Manaaki Whenua[14]
You have had a rash or nausea from a sting before Toshima City[3], Kyoto City[4]
Redness spreads beyond the sting, or you feel unwell anywhere else Hino City[5], Mie Prefecture[8]
You were stung by a hornet (suzumebachi)Hino City: "go to hospital straight away"[5]

4. Stung in the mouth or throat

The airway can swell. Manaaki Whenua (New Zealand) treats this as its own case: get medical advice as soon as possible, reduce the swelling by giving ice to suck or rinsing the mouth with cold water, and if the swelling continues and the person starts to cough or wheeze, treat it as a severe allergic reaction[14].

The NHS lists sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue as a reason to call an ambulance[13]. No Japanese public source we found treats this case separately, so the guidance above is from New Zealand and the UK.

5. Adrenaline devices (EpiPen, Neffy)

From Allergy Portal, supervised by the Japanese Society of Allergology (updated 24 September 2026)[1].

Both need a doctor's prescription in Japan.

EpiPen (injection)Neffy (nasal spray)
HowPull off the blue cap and press it against the outer thigh. It works through clothingSpray into the nose. No needle. Available on prescription in Japan since February 2026
Dose0.15 mg (15–30 kg) / 0.3 mg (30 kg and up) 1 mg (up to 30 kg) / 2 mg (30 kg and up)
Second doseA second device, on a doctor's instruction After 10 minutes into the same nostril, on a doctor's instruction
Storage15–30°C, out of light. Not in a fridge — it may not fire properly when cold. If the liquid has turned brown or is cloudy, replace it Room temperature (1–30°C), out of light. Single use only

After using one, call 119 even if the person looks better. These are a holding treatment: about 10% of people have symptoms come back.

Take the used device with you to hospital[1].

A family member, a teacher or anyone else present may use the person's own device; in Japan this is treated as an unavoidable act to save a life and is not a breach of the Medical Practitioners Act[1].

6. Not getting stung

Avoid black

Fukushima Prefecture: wasps react strongly to black, so avoid black clothes outdoors and cover your hair with a hat.

They react weakly to white and silver[6]. The Kanagawa Labour Bureau says the same and adds covering dark hair[9].

No strong smells

Fukushima Prefecture names hair spray, hair tonic and perfume[6].

The Kanagawa Labour Bureau adds cosmetics, hair products and antiperspirants[9].

Do not swat

Fukushima Prefecture: "swatting at them makes them attack — do not make sudden movements even if a wasp comes close"[6].

The warning before the attack

The Kanagawa Labour Bureau writes that a wasp guarding its nest first clicks its jaws as a threat, and only attacks if you still do not move away[9]. If you hear clicking, you can still back out.

Also worth knowing in Japan

Your city may remove the nest for free

BEEMILL checked 479 municipalities: 49 remove nests free of charge, 85 pay part of the cost, and 67 lend you a protective suit.

Companies that sell removal rarely mention this. See the list →

Which insect stung you?

Hornets, paper wasps and honey bees need different responses. Tell them apart →

Questions

I was stung. Do I need an ambulance?

If you have any whole-body symptom — trouble breathing, a hoarse or tight throat, repeated vomiting, pale lips or nails, or feeling faint — call 119 now.

In Japan 119 is both fire and ambulance, and the call is free from any phone.

If the only symptoms are pain and swelling where you were stung, cool it and watch yourself for 30 minutes.[1][2]

How fast does a dangerous reaction start?

Takahashi City Fire Department writes that in anaphylactic shock the symptoms — nausea, vomiting, tightness in the chest, a hoarse voice, difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, redness over the whole body — appear within 30 minutes.[2]

Should I pull the sting out?

Only honey bees leave a sting behind.

Takahashi City Fire Department writes that a honey bee sting has a barb, so the bee flies away leaving the sting and venom sac, and you should remove it carefully to stop more venom going in.

Hornets and paper wasps do not leave a sting.

The NHS in the UK says to brush or scrape the sting sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a bank card, and not to pull it out with tweezers because you can squeeze more venom out of it.[2][13]

Does urine or ammonia help?

No. Five Japanese public bodies say it does not.

Takahashi City Fire Department calls it a superstition and explains that wasp venom is protein, which ammonia cannot break down.

Fukushima Prefecture writes: "it can cause dermatitis or let bacteria in, so never use it".[2][6]

Is the second sting more dangerous?

It can be.

Toshima City, Tokyo writes that if you were stung before and developed a rash or nausea, being stung again is an emergency because you may go into shock.

Takahashi City Fire Department adds that if the swelling was wide and lasted several days, a whole-body reaction is possible next time.[3][2]

I do not speak Japanese. How do I call 119?

Call 119 and say "Kyukyusha onegaishimasu" (I need an ambulance).

Many fire departments can bring in a three-way interpreter, and some areas accept 119 by app or fax.

Say where you are first — the address, or the name of the nearest building, station or intersection.

Sources

  1. [1] Allergy Portal (supervised by the Japanese Society of Allergology) — adrenaline auto-injectors
  2. [2] Takahashi City Fire Department — Bee and wasp stings (Japanese)
  3. [3] Toshima City, Tokyo — First aid for bee and wasp stings (Japanese)
  4. [4] Kyoto City — About bees and wasps (Japanese)
  5. [5] Hino City, Tokyo — Bee and wasp basics (Japanese)
  6. [6] Fukushima Prefecture — Preventing stings (Japanese)
  7. [7] Saitama Prefecture — If you are stung (PDF, Japanese)
  8. [8] Mie Prefecture — Dealing with wasps outdoors (PDF, Japanese)
  9. [9] Kanagawa Labour Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Preventing fatal sting accidents (PDF, Japanese)
  10. [10] Nagoya City Public Health Research Institute — Stinging wasps and bees (Japanese)
  11. [11] Kobe City — Paper wasps (Japanese)
  12. [12] Kobe City — Honey bees (Japanese)
  13. [13] NHS (UK) — Insect bites and stings
  14. [14] Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research (New Zealand) — Wasp sting first aid

Checked on 2026-10-18. Most sources are Japanese public bodies; the English on this page is BEEMILL's translation of what they wrote. Where the original wording matters, follow the link and read the source.