Country Code: +81

International Call Prefix: 010

Trunk Prefix

Trunk prefix

A trunk prefix is the number to be dialed in a domestic telephone call, preceding any necessary area codes and subscriber numbers. When the number is called from overseas, the trunk prefix is omitted by the caller. In most countries, such as Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom, the trunk...

: 0

Dialing prefixes

00 Carrier selection prefix
184 Prefix to withhold caller ID
186 Prefix to provide caller ID

Types of numbers

1xx Special numbers
00xx Carrier selection codes
x 1-digit geographic area codes
xx 2-digit geographic area codes
xxx 3-digit geographic area codes
xxxx 4-digit geographic area codes
xxxxx 5-digit geographic area codes
x0 2-digit non-Geographic area codes (excluding 10)
xx0 3-digit non-Geographic area codes (1x0, 570, 800, 910, 990)

Length of numbers

Special numbers are 3 digits long
Geographic numbers are 9 digits long
x0 Non-geographic numbers are 10 digits long
xx0 Non-geographic numbers are 9 digits long

Emergency services

110 Police
118 Maritime emergencies
119 Ambulance, Fire brigade
171 Earthquake assistance

Operator services

100 NTT operator
106 Operator assisted collect call service
108 Automated collect call service
113 NTT technical faults hotline
116 NTT customer service and general enquiries

Directory services

104 NTT national directory enquiries
0057 KDDI international directory enquiries

Special services

114 Automated number-busy check
115 Telegram service
117 Speaking clock
136 Information on last incoming call
177 Weather forecast

Long distance carrier selection (Myline)

With the exception of 1, all carrier selection codes are two digits long. They are dialed before the phone number to select a specific carrier. Carrier selection codes are always preceded by '00', the carrier selection prefix.

1 KDDI (international)
33 NTT Communications
36 NTT East
37 Fusion Communications
39 NTT West
41 SoftBank Telecom (international / former Japan Telecom)
56 KDDI (international)
61 SoftBank Telecom (international / former Cable and Wireless IDC)
66 SoftBank Telecom (international / former Cable and Wireless IDC)
71 Verizon Japan
77 KDDI (national)
80 T-Systems
81 Fusion Communications (former TTNet)
88 SoftBank Telecom (national / former Japan Telecom)
89 T-Systems

Non-geographic area codes

120 NTT Freedial, tollfree services
130 Automated information services
140 Disaster relief wireless communications
160 Disaster relief satellite communications
170 NTT Dengon Dial, chat line services
180 NTT Telegong, TV/Radio show feedback dial-in
180 NTT Teledome, automated information services
190 NTT Angel Line, automated directory services via PC/modem
190 NTT Annai Jozu, automated directory services via telephone
800 Other tollfree services
20 Paging services
30 Mobile telephony services (legacy systems, PDC, J-CDMA, UMTS)
40 Mobile telephony services (legacy systems, PDC, J-CDMA, UMTS)
50 IP telephony service (via internet service providers)
570 Navi Dial, non-geographic wireline
60 Universal personal number services
70 Mobile telephony and data services (PHS

Personal Handy-phone System

The Personal Handy-phone System , also marketed as the Personal Access System and commercially branded as Xiaolingtong in China, is a mobile network system operating in the 1880–1930 MHz frequency band, used mainly in Japan, China, Taiwan, and some other Asian countries and...

)
80 Mobile telephony and data services (PDC, J-CDMA, UMTS)
90 Mobile telephony and data services (PDC, J-CDMA, UMTS)
910 Private circuit access, local rate services
990 NTT DialQ2, premium rate services

Decommissioned area codes

150 formerly used for maritime wireless communications
450 formerly used for maritime wireless communications
750 formerly used for maritime wireless communications

Area codes (市外局番 "shigai-kyokuban") of selected major cities

11 Sapporo
138 Hakodate

Hakodate, Hokkaido

is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.Hakodate was Japan's first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854 as a result of Convention of Kanagawa, and used to be the most important port in northern Japan...

166 Asahikawa

Asahikawa, Hokkaido

is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core city since April 1, 2000...

177 Aomori

Aomori, Aomori

is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...

188 Akita

Akita, Akita

is the capital city of Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan.As of June 11, 2005, with the merger of the former Kawabe District , the city has an estimated population of 323,310 and density of...

196 Morioka
22 Sendai
236 Yamagata

Yamagata

-Places in Japan:*Yamagata Prefecture**Yamagata City, the capital city of Yamagata Prefecture**Yamagata Airport , an airport located in Yamagata**Yamagata Shinkansen, one of Shinkansen lines running between Tokyo Station and Shinjo Station...

245 Fukushima

Fukushima, Fukushima

is the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture in the Tōhoku Region of Japan. As of May 2011 the city has an estimated population of 290,064 and an area of 746.43 km².It lies about 250 km north of Tokyo and 80 km south of Sendai.-History:...

249 Kōriyama

Koriyama, Fukushima

is a city in the center of the Nakadōri region of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of May 2011, the city had an estimated population of 336,328. The total area is 757 km²....

25 Niigata

Niigata, Niigata

is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....

26 Nagano
272 Maebashi
273 Takasaki
286 Utsunomiya
3 Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

42 Tokorozawa

Tokorozawa, Saitama

is a city in Saitama, Japan. It is located in the central part of the Musashino plain, about 30 km west of downtown Tokyo. Tokorozawa can be considered part of the greater Tokyo area; its proximity to the latter and lower housing costs make it a popular bedroom community.-Location:Tokorozawa...

47 Kashiwa

Kashiwa, Chiba

is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 404,820 and a population density of 3520 persons per km²...

426 Hachiōji

Hachioji, Tokyo

is a city located in Tokyo, Japan, about 40 kilometers west of the center of the special wards of Tokyo.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 551,901 and a population density of 2,962.27/km². The total area is 186.31 km². It is the eighth largest city in the...

427 Machida

Machida, Tokyo

is a city located in the western part of the greater metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. The city was founded on February 1, 1958.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 424,669 and a population density of 5,928.65 persons per km². The total area is 71.63 km²...

, Sagamihara

Sagamihara, Kanagawa

is a city located in north central Kanagawa Prefecture, bordering Tokyo, Japan. It is the third most populous city in the prefecture, after Yokohama and Kawasaki, and the fifth most populous suburb of Greater Tokyo. Its northern neighbor is Machida, with which a cross-prefectural merger has been...

432 or 433 Chiba

Chiba, Chiba

is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....

44 Kawasaki

Kawasaki, Kanagawa

is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....

45 Yokohama

Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...

466 Fujisawa

Fujisawa, Kanagawa

is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 407,731 and a population density of 5,870 people per km². The total area is 69.51 km²-Geography:...

468 Yokosuka
473 Ichikawa

Ichikawa, Chiba

is a city located in northwest Chiba, Japan, approximately 20 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. The city was founded on November 3, 1934. As of January 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 474,586 and a density of 8,259.42 persons per km². The total area is 57.46 km²...

, Matsudo

Matsudo, Chiba

is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 484,578 and a population density of 7900 persons per km²...

474 (473 for west part of the city)) Funabashi

Funabashi, Chiba

is a city located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 609,157 and a population density of 7110 persons per km². The total area was 85.64 km². It is the 7th most populous city in Greater Tokyo....

482 Kawaguchi

Kawaguchi, Saitama

is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1933.As of January 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 517,171, the second largest in Saitama Prefecture after Saitama, and a population density of 9,276.61 persons per km². The total area is 55.75 km²...

486 or 487 or 488 Saitama

Saitama, Saitama

' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...

49 Kawagoe

Kawagoe, Saitama

is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, and is about a 30-minute train ride from Ikebukuro in Tokyo.As of July 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 343,926...

52 Nagoya
53 Hamamatsu
532 Toyohashi

Toyohashi, Aichi

is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 383,691 and a density of 1,468.62 persons per km². The total area is . By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31,...

54 Shizuoka

Shizuoka, Shizuoka

is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...

55 Kofu
564 Okazaki

Okazaki, Aichi

is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...

565 Toyota

Toyota, Aichi

is a city located in the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of Nagoya.Toyota's main plant, the Tsutsumi plant, is located here. The longstanding ties between the Toyota Motor Corporation and the town of Toyota-shi, formerly known as Koromo, gave the town its current...

568 Kasugai

Kasugai, Aichi

is a city located in Aichi, Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1943. As of March 1, 2010, the city had an estimated population of 303,181 and a density of . The total area is ....

569 Handa

Handa, Aichi

is a city located in Aichi, Japan, which was founded on October 1, 1937. As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 114,336 and the density of 2,421.35 persons per km²...

58 Gifu

Gifu, Gifu

is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...

586 Ichinomiya

Ichinomiya, Aichi

is a city located in Aichi, Japan. The city is often called Owari-Ichinomiya to avoid confusion with another Ichinomiya . The pre-expansion city was once part of now-defunct Nakashima District until September 1, 1921....

592 Tsu

Tsu, Mie

is the capital of Mie Prefecture, Japan. The city of Tsu is located on Ise Bay, east of the city. Tsu is bounded to the north by Suzuka and Kameyama; to the west by Iga, Nabari, and Nara Prefecture; and to the south by Matsuzaka city.-History:...

, Yokkaichi

Yokkaichi, Mie

is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 314,393. The total area is 205.53 km².The closest major city is Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture....

6 Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

, Higashiōsaka, Suita

Suita, Osaka

is a city located in northern Osaka, Japan. As of August 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 356,751 and the density of 9,880 persons per km². The total area is 36.11 km²....

, Toyonaka

Toyonaka, Osaka

is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 388,633 and a population density of 10,680 persons per km². The total area is 36.38 km²...

, Amagasaki

Amagasaki, Hyogo

is an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1916. Its population is around 460,000, below its peak of over 554,000 in 1971.-History:...

722 Sakai

Sakai, Osaka

is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the Medieval era.Following the February 2005 annexation of the town of Mihara, from Minamikawachi District, the city has grown further and is now the fourteenth most populous city in...

726 Takatsuki

Takatsuki, Osaka

is a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 353,881 and the density of 3,360 persons per km². The total area is 105.31 km².The city was founded on January 1, 1943 and is located almost directly between Kyoto and Osaka...

728 Hirakata

Hirakata, Osaka

is a city located in north-eastern Osaka, Japan, near the prefectural borders of Nara and Kyoto. It is renowned for its chrysanthemum doll exhibition, as well as Hirakata Park — an amusement park featuring five roller coasters....

73 Wakayama
742 or 743 Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

75 Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

762 Kanazawa

Kanazawa, Ishikawa

is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...

764 Toyama

Toyama, Toyama

is the capital city of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the Chūbu region on central Honshū, about 200 km north of the city of Nagoya and 300 km northwest of Tokyo....

775 Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...

776 Fukui

Fukui

Fukui is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or it can mean "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to:- Places :* Fukui Prefecture** Fukui, Fukui - the city of the same name in the prefecture...

78 Kobe

Kobe

, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...

790 Kasai

Kasai, Hyogo

is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 49,496 and the density of 336.31 persons per km². The total area is 150.19 km²....

792 or 793 Himeji
794 Kakogawa

Kakogawa, Hyogo

is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on June 15, 1950.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 268,565 and a population density of 1,940 persons per km². The total area is 138.51 km²...

797 or 798 Nishinomiya

Nishinomiya, Hyogo

is a city located in Hyōgo, Japan, between the cities of Ōsaka and Kōbe. On April 1, 2005, the city of Nishinomiya celebrated its 80th anniversary. It is best known as the home of Kōshien Stadium, where the Hanshin Tigers baseball team plays home games and where Japan's annual high school baseball...

, Takarazuka

Takarazuka, Hyogo

is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.- Geography :Takarazuka is nestled between the Rokko Range to the west and Nagao Range to the north with the Muko River running through the center of the city....

82 Hiroshima

Hiroshima

is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...

832 Shimonoseki

Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi

is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....

839 Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi

is the capital city of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 198,971 and a population density of 194.44 persons per km²...

84 Fukuyama

Fukuyama, Hiroshima

is a city located on the Ashida River in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.As of January 31, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 465,238 and a population density of 898.02 persons per km². The total area is 461.23 km². After Hiroshima City, it is the largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture...

852 Matsue
857 Tottori

Tottori

Tottori can refer to:* Tottori Prefecture - a Japanese prefecture with 613,229 people.* Tottori, Tottori - a Japanese city with 202,015 people.* Tottori Sand Dunes...

862 or 869 Okayama
864 or 865 Kurashiki

Kurashiki, Okayama

is a historic city located to the west of Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea.As of April 2010, the city has a population of 473,392. The total area is .-History:...

878 Takamatsu

Takamatsu, Kagawa

is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...

886 Tokushima
888 Kochi

Kochi, Kochi

is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...

899 Matsuyama
92 Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Fukuoka

is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...

93 Kitakyushu
942 Kurume
958 Nagasaki
952 Saga

Saga, Saga

is the capital of Saga Prefecture, located on the island of Kyūshū, Japan.Saga was the capital of Saga Domain in the Edo period, and largest city of former Hizen Province....

956 Sasebo

Sasebo, Nagasaki

is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...

96 Kumamoto
97 Ōita

Oita, Oita

is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...

98 Naha
985 Miyazaki

Miyazaki, Miyazaki

is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...

99 Kagoshima

Geographic numbers are 9 digits long including the area code. Consequently, densely populated areas have shorter area codes, while less populated areas have longer area codes. For example:

6 xxxx xxxx (Osaka)
75 xxx xxxx (Kyoto)
742 xx xxxx (Nara)
4992 x xxxx (Niijima island, Tokyo pref.)
82486 xxxx (Takano, Hiroshima pref.)

Area codes increase from north to south; Sapporo

Sapporo, Hokkaido

is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....

 in Hokkaidō

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

 (the northernmost prefecture) has 11, and Setouchi

Setouchi, Kagoshima

is a town located in Ōshima District, Kagoshima, Japan. Part of the town is located on Amami Ōshima., the town has an estimated population of 10,068 and the density of 41.97 persons per km². The total area is 239.91 km².-External links:* in Japanese...

's 9973 is far to the south in Kagoshima. When the telephone system was devised, Okinawa was still under U.S. occupation

Occupied Japan

At the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States with contributions also from Australia, India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This foreign presence marked the first time in its history that the island nation had been occupied by a foreign power...

, so when it was returned to Japan in 1972, its telephone numbers were squeezed between Miyazaki (98x) and Kagoshima (99x) and begin with 988, 989, and 980.

During the 1990s, when plans were being drawn up to amalgamate mid-sized cities and towns into larger municipalities, telephone numbering systems were merged in advance. For example,

7442 x xxxx Kashihara (Nara prefecture)
7444 x xxxx Sakurai
74452 xxxx Takatori
74454 xxxx Asuka
etc.

became:

744 2x xxxx Kashihara
744 4x xxxx Sakurai
744 52 xxxx Takatori
744 54 xxxx Asuka
etc.

Many of these towns have in fact refused to merge, leaving callers with more digits to dial when making local calls. This is partially balanced by not having to dial an area code for the neighboring city.

External links

• Telephone information page of the Japan National Tourist Organization
  Japan National Tourist Organization
  The or JNTO provides information about Japan to promote travel to and in the country. Its headquarters are in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo. It operates Tourist Information Centers as well as a website. The JNTO disseminates information about transportation, lodging, food and beverage, and sight-seeing...
  
  (JNTO)