Emergency!

So, there was an earthquake here yesterday morning.  It was in north Japan; I slept right through it.  But my friend Jamal felt it and ran down to the lobby in his underwear in the middle of the night.  Japan is prone to earthquakes and maybe other disasters.  This got me wondering what I would do in the case of an emergency and allowed me to genuinely ask the question I've thought was hysterical all my life - what is the number to 911?

The answer will surprise you.  The number for 911 in Japan is actually 119.  119!  What made the drafters of the constitution say, "equal protection? Let's designate that the same number as the American constitution." While other brilliant Japanese, when faced with something that would actually be useful to standardize, thought, "119.  Vely oliginal."