As investigations continue into how a teenage girl was tricked into a man's car two years ago and kept in confinement until her recent escape, one thing the case has brought to light is the role played by the humble pay phone in her rescue.
The girl, now 15, called 110 to contact police using a pay phone at a Tokyo train station after escaping from the man's apartment nearby. Many Japanese following the case appear to have learned for the first time that it is possible to dial the police, fire brigade and emergency medical services for free from a pay phone.
In times of natural disaster, in fact, pay phones are given preference over other phones. They are also less affected by a power blackout because electricity is provided via telephone lines.