A country code is required when making an international call. Japan’s country code is “81”. Learn how to call Japan and how to make international calls from Japan in this article.
Table of Content
- What is Japan’s country code?
- How to Call Japan from Overseas
- How to Make International Calls from Japan
- How to Send International SMS
- Important Points to Note When Making International Calls
What is Japan’s country code?
Every country is assigned a unique country code by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) used for international dialing. Japan’s country code is “81”. This code must be dialed before the local phone number when making an international call to Japan.
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How to Call Japan from Overseas
Using a Landline
When making an international call to Japan from overseas, you need to dial the “International Access Code” or “+”, followed by Japan’s country code “81”, and the local telephone number after omitting the first “0”.
What is the “International Access Code”?
An “international access code” is an exit code that informs the network that you wish to make an international call. It is commonly substituted by the symbol “+” in most countries. If this doesn’t work, you will need to check what the exit code is as it varies by country. The exit code for Japan is “10”.
For example, if the local telephone number is “090-xxxx-xxx”. Then you should dial “10 81 90-xxxx-xxx” or “+ 81 90-xxxx-xxx”.
Using a Mobile Phone
An international access code is not required for calls via mobile phone as it is substituted by the “+” symbol. If the local telephone number is “090-xxxx-xxx”, then simply dial “+ 81 90-xxxx-xxx”.
How to Make International Calls from Japan
Making an international call from Japan to overseas works the same way. You will also need to enter the country code of the country you are calling. If you are calling from a landline, you will need to enter Japan’s international access code, which is “10”. Below are some examples.
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When making an international call to the UK from Japan with a mobile phone: [+] + [UK Country Code] + [Recipient’s Phone Number] = +44 xxx-xxx-xxx
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When making an international call to the US from Japan with a landline: [Japan International Access Code] + [US Country Code] + [Recipient’s Phone Number] = 01 +1 xxx-xxx-xxx
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When making an international call to China from a hotel room in Japan: [External Line Change Number] + [Japan International Access Code] + [+] + [China Country Code] + [Recipient’s Phone Number] = XX 01 +86 xx-xxxxxx
Japan’s international access number may vary depending on the landline contracting company. Typically, they are “0033-010” for NTT and “001-010” for KDDI. When making an international call, ask the owner of the landline phone what company they are contracted with.
When making an international call from a hotel, in addition to reading the phone’s instruction manual, you can also ask for help from the front desk reception.
How to Send International SMS
When sending an SMS with a mobile phone from Japan to overseas, or from overseas to Japan, you will also need to enter the country code, just as for international calls.
To send an SMS from Japan to a mobile phone overseas, enter “+” and the country code of the recipient, followed by the local phone number omitting the first “0”. Enter the message and send.
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Sending an international SMS from Japan to the UK: [+] + [UK Country Code] + [Recipient’s Number] = +44 xxx-xxx-xxx
If you are using a smartphone or SIM card contracted in Japan overseas, you only need to enter the phone number to send an SMS to a Japanese mobile phone number.
Important Points to Note When Making International Calls
There are some important points to note about international calls, such as international call and international SMS fees, usage limits, and international call scams. International call charges vary by call duration and calling country, so make sure to check beforehand or charges may run high.
International Call Charge
The cost of international calls vary depending on your mobile carrier and calling destination. Many carriers charge every 30 seconds, and some carriers charge depending on the time of day. Some carriers have separate international call charges from your registered phone plan, while some offer discounted international calls to certain countries. You should also be careful of charges on incoming calls. Check the website of your mobile carrier to find out what the international call charges are.
The charges for international SMS also vary by company. Prices are set based on the number of characters sent. For mobile carriers docomo, au, and SoftBank, incoming SMS are free of charge.
International Call Settings
Some mobile carriers set a usage limit for international calling services. The usage limit varies depending on the mobile carrier, but it can be 20,000 yen or 30,000 yen. If you exceed the limit, your service will be suspended. Be sure to check in advance whether the usage limit can be changed.
International Call Scam
Be cautious of “International One-Ring Scams” and “Billing Scams”. International One-Ring Scams (国際ワン切り詐欺) are scams where the caller leaves an international missed call to get you to call them back, aiming for high call charges. Billing Scams (架空料金請求詐欺) are scams where the caller tries to get you to pay for a fake bill or fake charges.
Before answering incoming calls, make sure to check the country code. If you do not recognise the country code or number, it is important to practice caution and avoid answering it.
To Close
The country code for Japan is “81”. When making an international call to Japan from overseas, the country code is required. In addition to making phone calls, there may be times when you want to send mail or parcels to acquaintances overseas. Our sending mail and packages in Japan article here may come in handy.
