+81 explained
The Japan country code, 81, is what you dial before a Japan number when you call from abroad. It is also known as the Japan dialing code, Japan calling code, or Japan phone code. In the Japan phone number format, +81 comes first, then the area code, such as 3 for Tokyo, then the local number.
- Country code
- +81
- The 0081 country code is the same number
- ISO country codes
- JP, JPN
- Use the JP country code or the JPN country code on forms and passports. To call Japan, dial +81
- Used in
- Japan
- No other country or territory dials +81
- Exit code
- 00
- From most countries. Also 011 from United States and Canada, 0011 from Australia, and + from any mobile
- Trunk prefix
- 0
- Drop it after +81
- Number length
- 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 digits
- After +81
- Time now in Japan
- Japan mobile number format
- 090-1234-5678
- From abroad: +81 90 1234 5678
- Japan landline number format
- 03-1234-5678
- From abroad: +81 3 1234 5678
+81 area codes of main cities
Each +81 area code below is in the form you dial from abroad: +81, then the city code, then the local number. Inside Japan, callers leave out +81 and put 0 in front of the city code. So Tokyo is +81 3 from abroad and 03 at home.
- Tokyo
- +813
- Yokohama
- +8145
- Osaka
- +816
- Nagoya
- +8152
- Sapporo
- +8111
- Fukuoka
- +8192
- Kawasaki
- +8144
- Kobe
- +8178
- Kyoto
- +8175
Japan phone number types
The first digits of a Japan number tell you what kind of number it is: a landline, a mobile, a free number, or one that costs more to call. Here is a sample of each type of Japan phone number, as dialed inside Japan and from abroad.
Good to know before you call Japan
“Moshi moshi”
A casual hello used only on personal calls, never at work
Reply
“Moshi moshi”
Emergency number
110
110 reaches the police. Call 119 instead for a fire or an ambulance. The Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, gives English, Chinese, and Korean help every day of the year.
Japan National Tourism OrganizationMobile number portability arrived in Japan on 24 October 2006, letting people keep their number when they switch carrier for a fee of 3,000 yen.
Wikipedia: Mobile number portabilityJapan's area codes are not a fixed length. Crowded cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have short codes, while rural areas have longer ones.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in JapanNTT once ran 0170 as Dengon Dial, a chat line service, and 0180 as Telegong, a dial in line for TV and radio audience feedback.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in JapanMoshi moshi began as a telephone operators' phrase. Shigenori Katougi introduced it, and by 1893 it was shortened from moushi moushi to moshi moshi.
Tofugu
What it costs to call Japan (using Suparelay)
Landline from $0.07/minMobile from $0.09/min
Only 15 of 220 countries cost less to call than Japan.
Enter a numberEach bar counts the countries at that price
Want to call Japan?
Call any phone from this tab. Nothing to install on either side, and you pay cents a minute.
Why a call to Japan fails
You call from: 🇺🇸 United States
The 0 is still in the number
The 0 at the start of a Japanese number is for calls inside Japan. From abroad, leave it out: +81 takes its place.
- Connects
- 011 81 3 1234 5678
- Does not connect
- 011 81 03-1234-5678
The exit code is wrong for your country
From the US and Canada, dial 011, then +81.
- Connects
- 011 81 3 1234 5678
- Does not connect
- 00 81 3 1234 5678
Questions about +81
Which country is +81?
+81, or country code 81, belongs to Japan. No other country shares it.
What is +81?
+81 is the part you dial before a Japanese number when you call from another country. It replaces the 0, so a Tokyo landline dialed as +81 3 1234 5678 becomes 03 1234 5678 inside Japan.
What is the difference between +81 and 0081?
The + stands for your exit code. Most of the world dials 00, so 0081 and +81 reach the same number. From the US and Canada, dial 011 81 instead.
Do I drop the 0 after +81?
Yes. The 0 is Japan's trunk prefix and works only inside the country. Dial +81 3 1234 5678, not +81 03 1234 5678.
Can I text a +81 number?
Yes. Write the number as +81 without its first 0, and your phone sends the text abroad at your carrier's international rate.
How much does it cost to call Japan?
A call to a Japanese mobile costs more than a call to a landline. The dialer on this page shows the exact price of the number you enter before you call.
What if I do not speak Japanese in an emergency?
Call the Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, from the Japan National Tourism Organization, staffed in English, Chinese, and Korean every day of the year.
The information on this page is accurate as of September 25, 2026.
Wikipedia, Telephone numbers in Japan