# Japanese phone numbers: format, 070/080/090 mobiles, validation and messaging rules > Japanese phone number format: +81 and 11-digit 070/080/090 mobiles, 050, 020 and 0120 ranges, tested code, one-stop porting and opt-in SMS rules. Canonical: https://mobilevalidate.com/blog/japan-phone-number-format · Last updated: 2026-11-03 ![A +81 card with three equal prefix tiles 070, 080 and 090, a dashed 060 tile with a clock and ten digit dots; below, tiles for 050, 020, 0120, 0800, 03 and 0570, two phones with a 1-STOP pill, and an SMS filter with an OPT-IN shield.](https://mobilevalidate.com/images/blog/japan-phone-number-format.svg) *Japanese mobiles: 070, 080 and 090 are interchangeable, 060 is next, and porting takes one step online.* By MobileValidate team (https://mobilevalidate.com/about) · Published: 2026-11-03 · Category: Guides · Tags: Japan, Phone validation, E.164, MNP, SMS, Line, Compliance Japanese phone numbers use the country code +81. A mobile number has 11 digits at home and starts `070`, `080` or `090`, such as `090-XXXX-XXXX`; from abroad you drop the `0`, so it becomes `+81 90 XXXX XXXX`, ten digits after the code. The three prefixes are interchangeable: none of them names a carrier or a phone type, and numbers have been portable since 2006. This guide is part of our [phone numbers by country](/blog/phone-numbers-by-country) series. The tables are generated from libphonenumber's metadata, our [MNP atlas](/datasets/mnp-atlas-2026) and our public catalog. Example numbers are masked with X. The code samples use libphonenumber's own example numbers, which are for testing only; don't call or text them. We read the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) numbering pages and designation tables, the laws on the e-Gov database and the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC) pages on 2026-11-03. Most are in Japanese only. This is a summary, not legal advice. ## What does a Japanese phone number look like? At home, a mobile number is written `090-XXXX-XXXX`: the trunk prefix `0`, a two-digit service code (`70`, `80` or `90`), then eight digits, eleven in all. MIC's Q&A puts it plainly: mobile and PHS numbers are 11-digit numbers starting `070`, `080` or `090` (MIC Q&A, Q5). From abroad you dial the other country's exit code, `81`, and the number without its `0`. MIC's own example is `011-81-90-XXXX-XXXX` from the United States. Landlines follow a different pattern (MIC Q&A, Q2): - **`0` + area code + local exchange + subscriber number.** The area code has one to four digits, and the area code and local exchange together always have five. The subscriber number has four, so a landline is 10 digits at home and 9 after `+81`. - **Area codes run north to south.** The first digit gets larger as you go south. Tokyo is `03`, Osaka `06`, Yokohama `045`, Kyoto `075`, Asahikawa `0166` and Izu Ōshima `04992`. MIC publishes the full list of area codes. | Item | Value | |---|---| | Country calling code | `+81` | | International call prefix (dialling out) | `010` | | Trunk prefix (dialling at home) | `0` | | Mobile: digits after +81 | 10 | | Fixed line: digits after +81 | 9 | | Toll-free: digits after +81 | 8–17 | | Premium rate: digits after +81 | 9 | | Personal number: digits after +81 | 9 | | VoIP: digits after +81 | 10 | | Pager: digits after +81 | 10 | | Universal access (UAN): digits after +81 | 9 | | Mobile, national format (masked) | `090-XXXX-XXXX` | | Mobile, international (masked) | `+81 90 XXXX XXXX` | | Mobile, E.164 (masked) | `+8190XXXXXXXX` | | Fixed line, national format (masked) | `011-XXX-XXXX` | | Fixed line, international (masked) | `+81 11 XXX XXXX` | | Fixed line, E.164 (masked) | `+8111XXXXXXX` | Two lines in that table need a word. "Toll-free: 8–17 digits" reflects libphonenumber's wide toll-free pattern; the common cases are `0120` (10 digits at home) and `0800` (11 digits), as MIC's Q&A (Q6) says. "Pager: 10 digits" is how libphonenumber types the 11-digit `020` numbers, which today are mostly M2M data numbers (see below). Store only the E.164 form: `+81`, then the national number without its `0`, with no spaces, hyphens or brackets. Japanese forms often show `+81 (0)90 …` or `+81 090 …`. Both parse correctly in libphonenumber, but don't save them that way. ### Why does 0081 fail, when 010 is the exit code? Japan's international prefix is `010`, not `00` (MIC Q&A, Q4). In Japan, `00XY` codes select a long-distance or international carrier. A parser set to region `JP` therefore reads `0081 90 …` as a national number and rejects it, while `010 81 90 …` parses fine. Customers abroad, and staff used to European formats, still write `0081`. Rewrite a leading `0081` to `+81` before parsing. The code below does that. ## Which prefixes are mobile numbers, and which are not? MIC's numbering plan treats `0A0` numbers, where A is not 0, as the range for mobile, PHS, pager and IP phone services (MIC Q&A, Q1). Within it, the generator counted every 10-digit national number (after the `0`) that libphonenumber's mobile pattern for `JP` accepts: | National prefix | International | Share of the block that is mobile (10-digit numbers) | 3-digit sub-blocks that aren't fully mobile | |---|---|---|---| | `060` | `+81 60` | 90.0% | not mobile: 0600 | | `070` | `+81 70` | 90.0% | not mobile: 0700 | | `080` | `+81 80` | 90.0% | not mobile: 0800 | | `090` | `+81 90` | 90.0% | not mobile: 0900 | Every mobile block is 90% mobile because the `0` sub-block is excluded each time. For `080` that matters most: **`0800` is the 11-digit toll-free range**, not a mobile block. A number like `0800-XXX-XXXX` passes a "starts with 080, 11 digits" regex, but it can't receive an SMS. MIC designates mobile numbers from `070-1`, `080-1` and `090-1` upwards; the `0` sub-blocks don't appear in its designation tables. The `060` row is new. libphonenumber already accepts `060-1` to `060-9` as mobile, but no `060` number is in service yet (see the next section). In the meantime, a `060` number at sign-up is most likely a typo. ### 070, 080 and 090 are interchangeable Older guides say that `090` is the "real" mobile prefix, that `080` came later and that `070` means PHS. That is history, not a rule: | Prefix | Status as of November 2026 | What to do | |---|---|---| | `090` | Mobile, 11 digits; all 900 blocks designated (MIC table as of 1 September 2024) | Accept as mobile | | `080` | Mobile, 11 digits; all 900 blocks designated (MIC table as of 1 September 2024) | Accept as mobile | | `070` | Mobile, 11 digits; once PHS only. Since 1 October 2014, numbers port between mobile and PHS, and MIC says the number no longer distinguishes them (MIC Q&A, Q5). All but a few dozen of its 900 blocks are designated (MIC table as of 1 September 2026) | Accept as mobile | | `060` | Mobile range added on 20 December 2024; start of service postponed on 8 July 2026; not in service | Accept once issued; libphonenumber already does | Each block in MIC's tables holds 100,000 numbers, so a prefix gives 90 million mobile numbers. `070`, `080` and `090` together give 270 million; MIC's M2M page puts the same total at 270 million and explains why the pool ran short (MIC, M2M numbers). ### Who holds the blocks? MIC publishes the carrier designated for every block. As we read the tables on 2026-11-03: | Range | Holders in MIC's designation table | Table date | |---|---|---| | `090` | NTT Docomo (513 blocks), KDDI (228), SoftBank (153), Okinawa Cellular (6) | 2024-09-01 | | `080` | NTT Docomo (354), SoftBank (316), KDDI (227), Okinawa Cellular (3) | 2024-09-01 | | `070` | KDDI (281), SoftBank (266), NTT Docomo (213), Rakuten Mobile (100), Japan Communications (6), Okinawa Cellular (1), OPTAGE (1); about 30 blocks free | 2026-09-01 | | `060` | One block each for NTT Docomo, KDDI, SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile and Okinawa Cellular | 2025-07-01 | That tells you who first received a block, not who serves the number today. Rakuten Mobile, the newest of the four network operators, holds blocks only in `070` and `060`, yet customers who switched to it kept their `090` or `080` numbers. MVNOs (virtual operators on another carrier's network) usually have no blocks of their own. ### Don't take the operator name from a library's carrier data libphonenumber also ships carrier prefix data for Japan ([81.txt](https://github.com/google/libphonenumber/blob/master/resources/carrier/en/81.txt)). For many blocks it agrees with MIC's table. Where it doesn't, MIC is the record. In metadata 9.0.39, the library names "Rakuten Communications" for `070-96`. MIC's table shows `070-960` to `070-965` designated to Japan Communications and `070-966` to OPTAGE. Treat a library carrier name as a hint and, if the network matters, look it up per number. ## What are 050, 020, 0120 and the other ranges? These are valid Japanese numbers, but not personal mobiles. Here is what libphonenumber 1.13.13 returns for its own example numbers, as we tested on 2026-11-03: | Range | Use (MIC) | Digits at home | libphonenumber type | |---|---|---|---| | `050-XXXX-XXXX` | IP phone (特定IP電話番号) | 11 | `VOIP` | | `020-XXXX-XXXX` | M2M and IoT data numbers since 1 January 2017; `0204` is a caller-pays pager range | 11 | `PAGER` | | `0200-XXXXX-XXXXX` | M2M numbers with 14 digits, created 25 December 2019 | 14 | invalid (not in metadata 9.0.39) | | `0120-XXX-XXX` | Toll-free | 10 | `TOLL_FREE` | | `0800-XXX-XXXX` | Toll-free | 11 | `TOLL_FREE` | | `0570-XXX-XXX` | Unified number (統一番号, one number for many sites) | 10 | `UAN` | | `0990-XXX-XXX` | Information-charge collection (premium) | 10 | `PREMIUM_RATE` | The M2M history explains the `020` row. MIC created the `020` range for M2M on 1 January 2017 to take IoT devices off the mobile pool. It filled quickly, so on 25 December 2019 MIC created 14-digit `0200` numbers. In principle, no 11-digit `020` numbers, and no `070`, `080` or `090` numbers for M2M services, can be assigned after 1 January 2022 (MIC, M2M numbers). Two consequences for validation: 1. **M2M numbers are not people.** A `020` or `0200` number at sign-up belongs to a data SIM in a device. Don't send an OTP to it. 2. **Older M2M SIMs still use 070, 080 and 090.** Existing M2M lines kept their mobile numbers. A small share of valid "mobile" numbers are devices, and only a live lookup can tell you a number is unreachable for SMS. ## Why does a simple regex fail for Japanese numbers? The pattern most tutorials give, "0, then 7, 8 or 9, then 0, then eight digits", gets three things wrong: - It accepts `0800-XXX-XXXX` toll-free numbers, as above. - It rejects `+81 090 …` with the stray `0` and `0081 …`, which real users type. - It misses `060` once it opens, and it can't tell M2M or VoIP from people anyway. Only a library that carries the numbering plan, or a live lookup, can tell these apart. Our post on [why an E.164 regex is not enough](/blog/e164-regex-is-not-enough) shows the same problem in other countries. ## How do I validate a Japanese number in code? Remove spaces and punctuation, rewrite `0081` to `+81`, parse with full metadata and the default region `JP`, and keep only numbers typed as mobile. **Python** (`pip install phonenumbers`): ```python import re import phonenumbers from phonenumbers import PhoneNumberType def normalize_jp(raw: str) -> str | None: """E.164 for a Japanese mobile number (060, 070, 080, 090), or None.""" s = re.sub(r"[\s().-]", "", raw) # Japan's exit code is 010, not 00, so "0081..." fails with region JP. Rewrite it. s = re.sub(r"^0081", "+81", s) try: n = phonenumbers.parse(s, "JP") except phonenumbers.NumberParseException: return None if (not phonenumbers.is_valid_number(n) or phonenumbers.region_code_for_number(n) != "JP" or phonenumbers.number_type(n) != PhoneNumberType.MOBILE): return None return phonenumbers.format_number(n, phonenumbers.PhoneNumberFormat.E164) for raw in ["090-1234-5678", "+81 090 1234 5678", "0081 90 1234 5678", "010 81 90 1234 5678", "0601-234-5678", "050-1234-5678", "020-1234-5678", "0120-123-456", "090-1234-567"]: print(f"{raw!r:24} -> {normalize_jp(raw)}") ``` **JavaScript** (`npm install libphonenumber-js`): ```js import { parsePhoneNumberFromString } from "libphonenumber-js/max"; /** "090-…", "+81 090 …", "0081 …" or "010 81 …" → E.164 for a Japanese mobile number, or null. */ export function normalizeJp(raw) { // Japan's exit code is 010, not 00, so "0081…" fails with region JP. Rewrite it. const input = String(raw).replace(/[\s().-]/g, "").replace(/^0081/, "+81"); const phone = parsePhoneNumberFromString(input, "JP"); return phone?.isValid() && phone.country === "JP" && phone.getType() === "MOBILE" ? phone.number : null; } for (const raw of ["090-1234-5678", "+81 090 1234 5678", "0081 90 1234 5678", "010 81 90 1234 5678", "0601-234-5678", "050-1234-5678", "020-1234-5678", "0120-123-456", "090-1234-567"]) { console.log(JSON.stringify(raw).padEnd(24), "->", normalizeJp(raw)); } ``` We ran both on 2026-11-03 (Python 3.12 with phonenumbers 9.0.40, Node.js 24 with libphonenumber-js 1.13.13). The inputs are libphonenumber's example numbers. Both printed the same results; Python prints `None` and single quotes, JavaScript `null` and double quotes: ```text '090-1234-5678' -> +819012345678 '+81 090 1234 5678' -> +819012345678 '0081 90 1234 5678' -> +819012345678 '010 81 90 1234 5678' -> +819012345678 '0601-234-5678' -> +816012345678 '050-1234-5678' -> None '020-1234-5678' -> None '0120-123-456' -> None '090-1234-567' -> None ``` The first four are the same number written four ways. `0601-…` passes because libphonenumber already accepts the `060` range; if you'd rather refuse it until carriers issue it, add a check on the first digits. The IP phone, M2M and toll-free numbers are valid but not mobile, so they're dropped, and the last input is one digit short. The generated test table runs the same idea over masked inputs, with the raw library call and no `0081` rewrite. The shape regex column tests the pattern most tutorials give, after spaces, dashes and brackets are removed: | # | Case | Input (masked) | Shape regex `^(?:\+81\|0081\|0)?[6-9]\d{9}$` | libphonenumber (`JP`) | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | National, with trunk prefix | `090-XXXX-XXXX` | passes | valid, `MOBILE` | | 2 | International, with spaces | `+81 90 XXXX XXXX` | passes | valid, `MOBILE` | | 3 | International dialling prefix 00 | `0081 90-XXXX-XXXX` | passes | invalid | | 4 | E.164 | `+8190XXXXXXXX` | passes | valid, `MOBILE` | | 5 | Dashes and brackets | `(090) XXXX-XXXX` | passes | valid, `MOBILE` | | 6 | One digit short | `090XXXXXXX` | fails | invalid | | 7 | One digit too many | `090XXXXXXXXX` | fails | invalid | | 8 | Mobile shape, unused block 061 | `061XXXXXXXX` | passes | invalid | | 9 | Fixed line | `011-XXX-XXXX` | fails | valid, `FIXED_LINE` | | 10 | Toll-free range | `080X-XXX-XXXX` | passes | valid, `TOLL_FREE` | Rows 3, 8 and 10 are the ones to remember: 1. **Row 3:** `0081` passes the regex, but libphonenumber on its own rejects it, because `00` isn't Japan's exit code. Without the rewrite you lose real customers. 2. **Row 8:** `061` is shaped like a mobile number but isn't one, so an OTP sent to it is wasted. 3. **Row 10:** `0800` passes the regex and libphonenumber says it's valid, but as `TOLL_FREE`. If your sign-up flow only wants mobiles, check the type, not just validity. Our [Python](/blog/phone-number-validation-python) and [JavaScript](/blog/phone-number-validation-javascript) guides cover more languages. Update your library at least monthly: Japan's numbering metadata changed 15 times since 2019, and `060` will need current data once carriers start issuing it. ## Does number portability change the carrier? Yes. Mobile number portability (MNP) started on 24 October 2006 ([Impress Watch, 2006](https://k-tai.watch.impress.co.jp/static/special/2006/mnp/)), and the amended numbering rules took effect on 1 November 2006 ([MIC, MNP history](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/mnp_menu1.html)). Porting between mobile and PHS followed on 1 October 2014. Today MIC's guideline on mobile number portability, last amended on 26 January 2026, sets the rules ([MIC guideline](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/001052545.pdf)): - **Every carrier, both ways.** All mobile carriers, network operators and MVNOs, must offer two-way portability, including new entrants from the start. - **One-stop by default.** Since 24 May 2023, a customer can apply only to the new carrier's website. They are passed to the old carrier's site to confirm the cancellation, then back, and the old contract ends automatically when the line switches ([MIC, MNP](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/mnp.html)). The older "two-stop" method, with an MNP reservation number from the old carrier, still exists. - **Free for the user.** Porting must be free. The only exception is a small capped fee when the reservation number is issued in a shop or by phone. - **No retention offers.** In a one-stop port the old carrier may not try to keep the customer. Online applications must be accepted around the clock in principle, and the old carrier must respond at once when the process reaches it. The guideline sets no maximum time in hours or days. In a one-stop port, the number moves when the new line is activated. Our [MNP atlas](/datasets/mnp-atlas-2026) has no verified row for Japan yet. The facts above are what we would add to the atlas. Our [MNP atlas](/blog/mobile-number-portability-atlas) compares portability across countries, and [how to check if a phone number is ported](/blog/how-to-check-if-a-phone-number-is-ported) shows the lookup. With four network operators and many MVNOs, and porting that takes a few clicks, the block holder is a weak guess. For routing, pricing or fraud rules, look up the current network per number. ## What are the rules for SMS, e-mail marketing and personal data? These summarise the laws and MIC pages as we read them on 2026-11-03. Not legal advice; ask counsel how they apply to you. ### Marketing SMS needs opt-in (Specified Electronic Mail Act) The Act on Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail (特定電子メール法, Act No. 26 of 2002) covers advertising messages sent by businesses ([e-Gov](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/414AC0100000026)). An MIC ordinance defines electronic mail to include messages sent to a mobile device using a phone number as the address, which is SMS ([e-Gov, ordinance](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/421M60000008085)). The 2008 amendment, in force since 1 December 2008, switched the act from opt-out to opt-in ([MIC white paper 2009](https://www.soumu.go.jp/johotsusintokei/whitepaper/ja/h21/html/l5312000.html)). Under the act: - **Prior consent (Art. 3(1)).** You may send advertising SMS or e-mail only to people who asked for it or agreed in advance. The narrow exceptions are people who gave you their address in a way the rules describe, people in a business relationship with you, and businesses that publish their address. - **Keep the record (Art. 3(2)).** You must keep records proving the request or consent. - **Honour opt-outs (Art. 3(3)).** Once someone asks you to stop, you must stop. - **Show who you are (Art. 4).** Each message must show the sender's name and an address or number for opting out. - **No disguised senders (Art. 5).** You may not falsify the sending address or number. That breach is a crime: up to one year in prison or a fine for the person, and up to 30 million yen for the company (Arts. 34 and 37). MIC and the Consumer Affairs Agency can order senders to change how they send (Art. 7). Recipients can report breaches to them (Art. 8). ### Carriers filter SMS by default Japan's carriers fight SMS phishing ("smishing") mainly in the network. MIC's working group report of 29 November 2024 describes the situation ([MIC report](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000979524.pdf)): - **Filtering is on by default.** NTT Docomo, KDDI, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile all run SMS filtering, on by default with an opt-out. It analyses URLs, phone numbers and senders in each message and blocks those judged dangerous. - **Most smishing comes from infected phones.** The report says about 99% of fraudulent SMS were sent from malware-infected personal phones in Japan. The recommended response is to identify those lines and warn their owners. - **Business SMS has a verified sender.** Since June 2021, businesses can send from a "carrier common number" starting `0005`, shown the same on every network. SMS delivery companies check who wants one, and senders publish it on their website so recipients can trust it. Business SMS otherwise shows a landline or toll-free number such as `03` or `0120`. Messages from abroad may show a foreign number or random letters. - **RCS has verified accounts.** The carriers' RCS messaging apps mark accounts that passed their review as verified. On 23 April 2025, MIC asked the carriers' association to consider making their anti-spam SMS and call-blocking services free, among other anti-fraud measures ([MIC request](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/001006801.pdf)). The practical lesson for senders: use a vetted sender, publish it, keep links to your own domain, and expect messages with unknown short links to be filtered. Test delivery on each network before a campaign. We found no public regulator rule on alphanumeric sender IDs in Japan, so ask your SMS provider how each network displays yours. ### SIM contracts are identity-checked The Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act requires carriers to verify a subscriber's identity, and it forbids passing a working SIM to someone outside your family without the carrier's consent ([MIC, ID rules](https://www.soumu.go.jp/tokushusagi/id-check/)). MIC is tightening the checks. Uploading a photo of an ID, mailing a copy, and using IDs without a photo (unless they carry an IC chip or other anti-forgery features) are being abolished in principle. On 27 July 2026, MIC promulgated amended rules, in force from 1 April 2027, that make reading the IC chip of an ID card, such as the My Number card, the standard check for in-shop contracts ([MIC, March 2026](https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/01kiban18_01000276.html); [MIC, July 2026](https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/01kiban18_01000284.html)). That makes an anonymous Japanese mobile number harder to get, but it says nothing about who uses the number today. ### Personal data (APPI) Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI, Act No. 57 of 2003) is enforced by the PPC ([e-Gov](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/415AC0000000057); [PPC, English translation](https://www.ppc.go.jp/en/legal/)). A phone number in a customer record is personal information. The articles that matter for number checks: | Article | Rule | |---|---| | Art. 17, 18 | Specify the purpose of use as far as possible, and don't use the data beyond it without consent | | Art. 26 | Report serious data breaches to the PPC and tell the people affected | | Art. 27 | Don't provide personal data to a third party without prior consent, except in listed cases | | Art. 28 | Providing personal data to a third party in a foreign country needs prior consent, unless that country is on the PPC's list or the recipient keeps equivalent safeguards | If you send customer numbers to a check service, decide with counsel whether that is entrustment for your own purpose or a provision to a third party, and how Art. 28 applies to a provider outside Japan. Our posts on [whether a phone number is personal data](/blog/is-a-phone-number-personal-data-gdpr) and on [consent for WhatsApp checks](/blog/whatsapp-number-checks-consent-and-law) give the baseline we work to: your own customers, a stated purpose, minimal data and honoured objections. ## Which messaging apps reach people in Japan? LINE is the dominant messenger. LY Corporation, which runs it, reported in December 2025 that LINE's monthly users in Japan had passed 100 million ([LY Corporation](https://www.lycorp.co.jp/en/company/history/lycorp/)). That is why many Japanese businesses send service messages through LINE official accounts rather than SMS. SMS still reaches every active mobile, and it remains the fallback for OTP and for customers who don't use LINE. The practical answer is to measure your own opted-in customers: check which apps they are registered on, route each person to the channel they use, and keep SMS as the fallback. Our [channel-by-country guide](/blog/choosing-a-messaging-channel-by-country) shows the method. ### How do I check LINE registration for a Japanese customer list? Normalise every row with `normalize_jp()` first. A check tells you whether a number is registered at the time of the check. It can't tell you whether the person wants your messages: | Answer | What it means | What to do | |---|---|---| | `registered: true` | The number has a LINE account at `checked_at` | Offer LINE to customers who opted in to it | | `registered: false` | No account at `checked_at` | Use SMS or another channel | | `unknown` | No conclusive answer (not billed) | Keep the current channel; retry later | | `invalid_number` | Failed format validation (not billed) | Fix the data at the source | The LINE check is bulk only: it runs in [bulk jobs](/docs/bulk-jobs), not on the real-time endpoint. We tried a real-time call with the public sandbox key on 2026-11-03, and the API answered `403 service_disabled` with the message "The check 'line.registered' is available in bulk jobs only (POST /v1/jobs)." Bulk-only checks are billed at least a per-country minimum (for LINE, the price of 2,000 checks) for each country that returns at least one answer. A country with no answers is free, so send your Japanese numbers in one job. See [LINE number check](/services/line-number-check) for the fields. ## What changed recently? The rows for `JP` and `+81` in our [numbering-plan changes dataset](/datasets/numbering-plan-changes-2019-2026), built from libphonenumber's release notes: | Change named in the release notes (2019-01-08 to 2026-09-23) | Releases | |---|---:| | Numbering-plan metadata (validation, lengths, types) | 15 | | Original-carrier prefix data | 13 | | Short numbers | 5 | | Geocoding (area names) | 3 | | Alternate formatting | 1 | | All | 37 | Latest numbering-plan updates for `JP`: 2026-06-03 (v9.0.32), 2025-07-30 (v9.0.11), 2025-07-17 (v9.0.10), 2025-02-27 (v9.0.0), 2024-12-11 (v8.13.52). The biggest numbering change is `060`. MIC opened it on 20 December 2024, carriers planned to issue it from July 2026, and on 8 July 2026 NTT Docomo, KDDI, Okinawa Cellular, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile postponed the start. They said they would announce a new date once it is fixed ([joint release](https://www.docomo.ne.jp/info/news_release/2026/07/08_00.html)). MIC says it is urging the carriers to be ready by the end of fiscal 2026, that is, by 31 March 2027 ([MIC, 060](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/060keitai.html)). Watch for it: when `060` numbers appear, an outdated validator or a hard-coded `0[789]0` rule will reject real customers. Other recent changes: the MNP guideline was amended on 26 January 2026, in-shop SIM contracts move to IC-chip ID checks on 1 April 2027, and MIC's 2025 request asked carriers to strengthen SMS anti-fraud services. ## What can MobileValidate check for Japanese numbers? Generated from our public catalog: Catalog data as of 2026-11-03. | Check | Accepts Japan numbers | Notes | |---|---|---| | Format and country (every lookup) | Yes | Each number is parsed first; an invalid number returns `invalid_number` and is never billed. | | Carrier lookup (beta) | Yes | Line type and current network where data exists; no data means `unknown`, not billed. Real time and bulk. | | US/CA carrier lookup (premium) | No (US, CA only) | Answers `unsupported_country` for other countries, not billed. | | Live network status (HLR) | Yes | Live reachability, porting, roaming (true or false) and current network; `unknown` is free. Real time and bulk. | | Number portability (MNP) | Yes | Ported or not ported, and the current network code; `unknown` is free. Real time and bulk. | | Spam reputation | Limited access | All countries except sanctioned ones; report coverage is strongest in North America and Europe. | | Messaging apps | Yes: WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber*, Signal*, iMessage*, RCS*, LINE*, Zalo*, Botim*, Facebook Messenger* | Registered, not registered or unknown; unknown is free. | | Social networks | Yes: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (Twitter), TikTok*, Snapchat* | Not for Japan numbers: LinkedIn (US, IN only). | | Online accounts (Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix) | Yes: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix | Registered, not registered or unknown; unknown is free. | \* bulk jobs only. The live list is at [`GET /v1/services`](https://api.mobilevalidate.com/v1/services). A lookup returns network and registration facts. It never returns a subscriber's name or address, and we don't offer "number details" searches. For Japanese numbers, the useful pair is an [MNP lookup](/services/mnp-lookup), which says whether a number has been ported and which network holds it now, and a [live network status (HLR) check](/services/hlr-lookup), which adds whether the number is reachable right now. The [carrier lookup](/services/carrier-lookup) gives line type and current network in one call. For channels, LINE and the other starred checks run in bulk jobs; WhatsApp and Telegram also run in real time. ### How do I start for free? - **5 free real checks.** Every live account gets 5 real phone checks and 5 real e-mail checks on the dashboard's Try it page. Use them on your own number first. - **A free test key.** [Get a test key](/get-test-key) for the sandbox. It gives fixed test answers so you can build every branch of your code; see [test mode](/docs/test-mode). - **A free estimate.** `POST /v1/jobs/estimate` takes the same body as a job, checks nothing and shows the maximum cost before you start. - **Then add credit.** [Create your account](/request-access); approval is automatic. Top-ups of larger amounts get 5% to 10% bonus credit; see [pricing](/pricing). Unknown, invalid and duplicate results are never charged. ### A bulk flow for a Japanese customer list 1. Export the numbers you hold with consent or another lawful basis, one per row. 2. Normalise them with `normalize_jp()`, or upload them as they are with `default_country=JP`, so `090-XXXX-XXXX` is read as Japanese. 3. Run `POST /v1/jobs/estimate` with your checks, for example `line` and `mnp`, and read the per-country minimums in the breakdown. 4. Start the job, then download the results as CSV or NDJSON. ```bash title="Bulk LINE and porting check for a customer CSV" curl https://api.mobilevalidate.com/v1/jobs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $MOBILEVALIDATE_API_KEY" \ -F file=@customers.csv -F checks=line,mnp -F default_country=JP ``` For single numbers, here is a small porting check against the real-time endpoint. It uses the public sandbox key `mv_test_publicSandboxn9ZgneuhR1B9CRfKG3fulym` and our [test values](/docs/test-values). The sandbox accepts only those UK drama numbers, so the example uses them; with a live key, pass the output of `normalize_jp()`. ```python title="jp_porting.py" import os import requests # pip install requests API = "https://api.mobilevalidate.com/v1/lookup" KEY = os.environ["MOBILEVALIDATE_API_KEY"] def porting(numbers: list[str]) -> dict[str, tuple]: """Per E.164 number: (ported or not_ported, current network MCC-MNC). None means we don't know.""" r = requests.post(API, headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {KEY}"}, timeout=15, json={"numbers": numbers, "checks": ["mnp"], "wait": 5}) r.raise_for_status() out = {} for row in r.json()["results"]: mnp = row["checks"]["number.mnp"] attrs = (mnp["attributes"] or {}) if mnp["status"] == "completed" else {} out[row["e164"]] = (attrs.get("porting"), attrs.get("mcc_mnc")) return out for number, info in porting(["+447700900001", "+447700900003", "+447700900005"]).items(): print(number, info) ``` We ran it against the sandbox on 2026-11-03. It printed: ```text +447700900001 ('not_ported', '23415') +447700900003 (None, None) +447700900005 (None, None) ``` The second test value stands for a timeout and the third for an unsupported country; both come back as `None`, and neither would be billed. Keep `None` apart from "not ported": `None` means we don't know. Requests with 20 or more consecutive numbers are refused (`403 suspected_enumeration`), and our [acceptable use policy](/legal/acceptable-use) forbids finding recipients for unsolicited messages. People can object through our [opt-out form](/opt-out). ## What are the key takeaways? - Japanese mobiles are 11 digits at home, `070`, `080` or `090` plus eight digits, and `+81` plus ten digits in E.164. Store the E.164 form, without the `0`. - The three prefixes are interchangeable, and `060` is next: added in December 2024, postponed in July 2026. Don't hard-code `0[789]0`. - Japan's exit code is `010`. Rewrite `0081` to `+81` before parsing, and watch for `0800` toll-free numbers that look like `080` mobiles. - `050` is IP phone, `020` and `0200` are M2M, `0120` and `0800` are toll-free. None is a personal mobile. - The prefix shows the block holder in MIC's table, not the current network: porting has existed since 2006 and has been one-stop online since 24 May 2023. - Marketing SMS and e-mail need prior opt-in, a consent record, an opt-out and sender details under the Specified Electronic Mail Act. Carriers filter suspicious SMS by default, so send from a vetted sender. - LINE is the main messenger, and our LINE check runs in bulk jobs only. Check registration only for customers you hold lawfully, and never treat registration as consent. Platform, regulator and company names are used descriptively. MobileValidate is not affiliated with any of them. ## Sources 1. [Telecommunications numbering system: Q&A on telephone numbers (電話番号に関するQ&A)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/q_and_a.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 2. [Designation status of telecommunications numbers (電気通信番号指定状況), as of 1 October 2026, with the 060, 070, 080 and 090 designation tables](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/number_shitei.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 3. [List of area codes (市外局番の一覧)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/shigai_list.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 4. [Adding 060 to mobile phone numbers (携帯電話番号への060番号の追加), updated 8 July 2026](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/060keitai.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 5. [Adding 060 numbers to voice mobile phone numbers (press release, 20 December 2024, addendum of 8 July 2026)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/01kiban06_02000126.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2024 6. [Postponement of the start of 060 numbers (joint release of NTT Docomo, KDDI, Okinawa Cellular, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile, 8 July 2026)](https://www.docomo.ne.jp/info/news_release/2026/07/08_00.html) — NTT Docomo, 2026 7. [Creation of numbers dedicated to M2M (M2M等専用番号の創設)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/m2m.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 8. [Mobile and PHS number portability (携帯電話・PHSの番号ポータビリティ)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/mnp.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 9. [History of the introduction of mobile and PHS number portability (導入検討の経緯)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/top/tel_number/mnp_menu1.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 10. [Guidelines on the implementation of mobile and PHS number portability (2004, last amended 26 January 2026)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/001052545.pdf) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 11. [Special feature: mobile number portability starts on 24 October (2006)](https://k-tai.watch.impress.co.jp/static/special/2006/mnp/) — Impress Watch (ケータイ Watch), 2006 12. [Act on Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail (Act No. 26 of 2002, as amended)](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/414AC0100000026) — e-Gov law database (Digital Agency, Japan), 2025 13. [Ministerial ordinance on the communication methods under Article 2(1) of the Specified Electronic Mail Act (2009)](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/421M60000008085) — e-Gov law database (Digital Agency, Japan), 2009 14. [Act on Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail (cybersecurity site for citizens)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/cybersecurity/kokumin/basic/legal/08/) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 15. [White Paper on Information and Communications in Japan 2009, Part 2, Chapter 5, Section 3 (spam countermeasures)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/johotsusintokei/whitepaper/ja/h21/html/l5312000.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2009 16. [Act on the Protection of Personal Information (Act No. 57 of 2003, as amended)](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/415AC0000000057) — e-Gov law database (Digital Agency, Japan), 2023 17. [Laws and Policies: Act on the Protection of Personal Information (English translation, consolidated as of 1 April 2023)](https://www.ppc.go.jp/en/legal/) — Personal Information Protection Commission (Japan), 2023 18. [Report of the working group on countermeasures against improper use (不適正利用対策に関するワーキンググループ報告書), 29 November 2024](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000979524.pdf) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2024 19. [Request on measures against fraud using fixed and mobile phones, SMS and e-mail (総基用第44号, 23 April 2025)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/001006801.pdf) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2025 20. [Identity verification rules for mobile phones (携帯電話の本人確認ルール)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/tokushusagi/id-check/) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 21. [Call for comments on the draft amendment of the enforcement rules of the Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act (press release, March 2026)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/01kiban18_01000276.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 22. [Results of the call for comments and promulgation of the amended enforcement rules (press release, 27 July 2026)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/01kiban18_01000284.html) — Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), 2026 23. [History of LY Corporation (December 2025: LINE reaches 100 million monthly users in Japan)](https://www.lycorp.co.jp/en/company/history/lycorp/) — LY Corporation, 2026 24. [libphonenumber PhoneNumberMetadata.xml (region JP) and carrier prefix data (81.txt)](https://github.com/google/libphonenumber/blob/master/resources/carrier/en/81.txt) — libphonenumber project (Apache License 2.0), 2026 ## Frequently asked questions ### How many digits is a Japanese mobile number? Eleven digits when written at home, starting 070, 080 or 090, for example 090-XXXX-XXXX. In international form you drop the leading 0 and write +81 and ten digits, such as +81 90 XXXX XXXX. Landlines have ten digits at home (0 plus a one- to four-digit area code and the local number) and nine after +81. ### What is the +81 country code and how do I write a Japanese number for WhatsApp or LINE? +81 is Japan's country code. Remove the trunk 0 and add +81: 090-XXXX-XXXX becomes +81 90 XXXX XXXX, stored as +8190XXXXXXXX. Don't keep the 0 after 81. Calls out of Japan use the exit code 010, not 00, so a number written 0081 … should be rewritten to +81 … before you parse it. ### Is there a difference between 070, 080 and 090 numbers? Not for the user. All three are 11-digit mobile numbers from the same pool of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). 070 used to mean PHS, but since 1 October 2014 numbers port between mobile and PHS and MIC says the number no longer tells them apart. Accept all three the same way, and add 060 once it is issued. ### Which network is a 090 or 080 number on? The prefix doesn't tell you. MIC designates each block of 100,000 numbers to a carrier, mainly NTT Docomo, KDDI, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile, but mobile number portability has existed since October 2006 and has been a one-step online process since 24 May 2023. Look up the current network per number. ### What are 050, 020, 0120 and 0800 numbers in Japan? 050 numbers are IP phone numbers with 11 digits. 020 numbers are for M2M and IoT data SIMs (11 digits, replaced since 2022 by 14-digit 0200 numbers). 0120 (10 digits) and 0800 (11 digits) are toll-free. None of them is a personal mobile number, so don't accept them where you need one for SMS or OTP. ### What is the new 060 mobile prefix? On 20 December 2024 MIC changed the numbering plan so that 11-digit numbers starting 060-1 to 060-9 can be designated to mobile carriers, because 070, 080 and 090 are running out. The carriers had planned to issue them from July 2026, but on 8 July 2026 they postponed the start. As of November 2026 no 060 numbers are in service. ### Do I need consent to send marketing SMS in Japan? Yes. The Act on Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail covers SMS as well as e-mail. Since 1 December 2008 it has required prior opt-in consent for advertising messages, with narrow exceptions such as existing business relationships. You must keep a record of the consent, honour opt-outs and show your name and an opt-out address in each message. ### Can I check whether Japanese customers are on LINE? Yes, in bulk jobs, for numbers you hold with a lawful basis such as your own customers. A MobileValidate LINE check answers registered, not registered or unknown with a checked_at date; unknown is never billed. It returns no name or profile, real-time LINE checks are not offered, and requests that look like scans of number ranges are refused.