Local Japan Phone Numbers


Green map icon of Japan with its flag

Local 81(50) National - $7.95 and 800/120 Toll free - $29.95

  • Our Japan numbers can be registered to anyone on earth - no local address restrictions
  • Forward the Japan FlyNumber (i.e. virtual phone number) to any regular phone number in the world for a low rate
  • At the moment it's National 81-50 and Toll free numbers that are available for purchase
  • You can use our cloud PBX if you need an IVR or call menu among other features
  • Quality for Japan has improved over the years and you should expect low latency, especially when using direct VoIP
  • Text messaging is currently not supported with Japan
  • In Japan the telecom industry is run by NTT, the 4th largest telecom company in the world (based on revenue)
  • Special Registration:
  • National 81-50 numbers can be registered for personal or business use
  • Toll free 800/120 numbers can only be registered to a business
  • Photo Identification / Company certificate (*both if its for a company)
  • Proof of address matching the name on the above document. For example a mobile phone bill or perhaps an electricity invoice.
  • The proof of address shouldn’t be older than 6 months

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3 core options with every Japan phone number


  • These settings can be changed anytime via your FlyNumber panel
  • 1. Forward the Japan FlyNumber to any regular phone number
  • Core FlyNumber feature and can be updated via your panel on the "fly" (pun intended)
  • No PBX or phone system involved when using this option
  • Anytime our system needs to send calls to a regular phone number, there is a low per min rate
  • More info on call forwarding

  • 2. Use the FlyNumber with our hosted pbx-phone system
  • This is optional. You can always go back to one of the other core options other (1. Regular Phone or 3. Voip/SIP)
  • It's $14.95 a month + the price of the Japan phone number (shown top of page)
  • If you forward to a reg. phone number and/or make outgoing calls - a per min rate applies
  • IVR/Voice Menu | Record Calls | On-Hold/Queue | Time-based routing | SIP Accounts | Voicemail and more
  • Within the PBX, core features (1. and 3.) are expanded to a great degree
  • Use the PBX to make outgoing calls with your virtual phone number
  • More info on the phone system

  • 3. Set the Japan virtual phone number directly to VoIP
  • Core FlyNumber feature - set the Japan phone number to any SIP address (URI/host)
  • PBX not involved | Update settings instantly | Detailed logs (including failed attempts)
  • Using the SIP protocal (VoIP) might be the most effecnent way of answering calls, it would involve the fewset amount of "hops"
  • Your Japan FlyNumber can be used with 3CX | Asterisk | FreePBX | FreeSwitch among other VoIP solution
  • There are no additional charges when receiving calls this way - Unlimited incoming minutes
  • Set your Japan DID phone number to one of our "easy setup" voip providers
  • Every FlyNumber comes with 2 incoming channels (with the ability to purchase more soon)
  • More info on using VoIP


Buy a Japan virtual phone number in 3 easy steps


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1.) Choose a country and city for your phone number

2.) How would you like to use the FlyNumber? (change this anytime)

3.) Configuration Options


Forum topics on Japan


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Digital drawing of the Itsukushima shrine in Japan

The history behind Japanese phone numbers

The history of Japan's phone numbers can be traced back to the late 19th century when the country's first telegraph service was introduced in 1869. However, it wasn't until the 1890s that Japan's first telephone exchange was established in Tokyo.

Initially, telephone numbers in Japan consisted of a combination of letters and numbers. For example, the first telephone exchange in Tokyo used the letters "AD" to represent the number 1, "BD" for 2, and so on.

In 1921, Japan switched to a purely numerical system for telephone numbers. At the time, phone numbers in Tokyo consisted of four digits, while numbers in other parts of the country had three digits. The first digit of a Tokyo phone number indicated the exchange, while the remaining digits indicated the subscriber's number.

Over the years, Japan's telephone system has undergone several changes and improvements. In 1958, Japan introduced the "direct dialing" system, which allowed people to make long-distance calls without the assistance of an operator. In 1978, the country introduced the "Area Mail Handling System," which allowed for faster and more efficient routing of telephone calls.


Icon of the Japanese flag

Technical info on Japanese phone numbers

In Japan, phone numbers consist of 10 digits and are structured into three groups: the area code, the city code, and the subscriber number. The area code is a 2 or 3 digit number that identifies the region of the country, while the city code is a 1 or 2 digit number that specifies the city or district within that region. The subscriber number is a 4 or 5 digit number assigned to each individual phone line.

To call a phone number in Japan from overseas, you must first dial the country code, which is +81, followed by the area code and the subscriber number. Some mobile phone numbers in Japan may begin with the prefix "080" or "090," which indicate the type of mobile service provider.

The government agency in charge of phone numbers in Japan is the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). They oversee the allocation and management of phone numbers and other communication-related resources in the country. There were major changes to the way the country handles VoIP phone numbers in late 2022/early 2023.


Entrepreneurs

  • Wasn't the internet supposed to make phone calls more affordable?
  • FlyNumber works great if you just launched a start-up and you're on a shoestring budget
  • Is your business already off the ground but you'd rather not spend hundreds of dollars a month on phone service?
  • We come from a "mom and pop" type background, rooted in the international diversity that is NYC. We understand business.
  • Buy multiple international local phone numbers and manage them all from your FlyNumber account

Family and friends

  • Stay in touch with family and friends by giving them a phone number "local to them"
  • For example you have friends or family in the U.S. but now live elsewhere, you can give them a US FlyNumber that forwards directly to your smartphone
  • Great for expats that want to stay in touch with friends and family from their hometown
  • Give family members who aren't tech savvy an easy way to reach you no matter where you are
  • Grandma or Grandpa would love a simple local phone number they can dial that connects them to their loved ones

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Why choose FlyNumber?

  • You "own" the Japan phone number, you can port out if necessary
  • No obligations | Cancel anytime | Never any hidden fee's | No contracts
  • You're billed based on the phone number, not users or agents
  • Detailed call logs that you can export to CSV, we don't retain the logs past a certain point
  • Logs include multiple responses - Ok (connected), declined, timeout, internal server error, request terminated and more
  • Set a credit card/Paypal for recurring billing or add funds manually to your prepaid balance
  • Easily add multiple phone numbers to your account
  • Starting at $2.95 a month for U.S numbers as well as Canada, the U.K. and others

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Use us if you need multiple local numbers: All the countries we cover

* If you use an app (ie VoIP), it's unlimited incoming using this method.