+81 90, 80 and 70: Japanese Mobile Numbers

A +81 90, +81 80 or +81 70 number (090, 080 or 070 inside Japan) is a Japanese mobile phone. MIC designates these numbers to the five mobile network operators: NTT Docomo, KDDI (au), Okinawa Cellular, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile. Because mobile number portability is required between them, the prefix does not tell you which carrier the person uses today.

Japan · Mobile numbers · Facts checked November 9, 2026

What these numbers look like

From abroad: +81 90 XXXX XXXX / +81 80 XXXX XXXX / +81 70 XXXX XXXX
Inside Japan: 090 XXXX XXXX (11 digits)

The digit after 070/080/090 is never 0. Drop the leading 0 when dialing from abroad.

Who uses +81 70 / 80 / 90 numbers?

MIC's numbering plan defines 070, 080 and 090 as 'voice mobile phone numbers' (音声伝送携帯電話番号), a pool of 270 million numbers; at the end of FY2022, 256.1 million had been designated and 184.14 million were in use. 070 was used for PHS from 1999. In 2013 (平成25年) MIC opened 070 to mobile phones as 090 and 080 ran out, and in 2014 portability between mobile and PHS was introduced, so all three ranges now work the same way. Running low again, MIC amended the plan on 20 December 2024 so that 060-1 to 060-9 numbers can be given to mobile carriers. The carriers announced a delay on 8 July 2026, and MIC is urging them to start 060 service by the end of FY2026. Machine-to-machine SIMs (meters, vehicles, IoT) use separate numbers: 020 since 1 January 2017, and 14-digit 0200 numbers created on 25 December 2019.

Prefix	Operator	Note
070 / 080 / 090	NTT Docomo	MIC-designated holder. Portability means the original carrier may not be the current one.
070 / 080 / 090	KDDI (au) and Okinawa Cellular	Okinawa Cellular serves Okinawa under the au brand.
070 / 080 / 090	SoftBank
070 / 080 / 090	Rakuten Mobile

Who is calling you from a +81 70 / 80 / 90 number?

A personal mobile in Japan: a contact, a delivery driver, a landlord, a company employee calling from a work phone. The number alone doesn't show the region or the current carrier. If someone you don't know calls claiming to be police or a bank and asks for money or a transfer, treat it as special fraud no matter what number appears; Japanese police have documented scammers faking the numbers shown on caller ID.

Scams seen with +81 70 / 80 / 90 numbers

Police impersonation with faked numbers: the National Police Agency documented a 2025 case where a victim's mobile showed the real main number of Aichi Prefectural Police. The callers said the victim's account was linked to money laundering, moved the conversation to a social-media video call and got 2.5 million yen transferred. Real police never tell you by phone that you're under investigation.
Kyoto Prefectural Police say about 70% of fraud calls now come from international numbers starting with + (for example +1 or +44), not from Japanese mobile numbers. A domestic 090 number is no guarantee either way.

What to do about a call from +81 70 / 80 / 90

If a caller says you're under investigation or asks for a transfer, hang up and call the police consultation line #9110. Don't call back a number the caller gives you.
For money disputes with businesses, call the consumer hotline 188.
Block the number in your phone settings. The NPA's SOS47 site lists police-recommended apps that also block numbers tied to fraud and, on Android, international calls.
For a landline, international calls can be suspended free of charge through the 国際電話不取扱受付センター (0120-210-364), as police recommend.

Check the exact number

A series tells you what kind of line called. To check the full number you got, use these free tools:

Phone number validator: which country, mobile or landline, and whether the length is right.
Spam number checker: warning signs that a caller is a scammer.
Who called me? Reverse phone lookup: what the number tells you about the caller.
Japan country code +81: full dialing guide and number formats.
Calling Japan from abroad: per-minute rates if you need to call someone there.

Frequently asked questions

Is 070 a mobile number in Japan?

Yes. 070 was used for PHS until MIC opened it to mobile phones in 2013. Today 070, 080 and 090 are all ordinary mobile numbers.

Can I tell the carrier from a 090 or 080 number?

No. Mobile number portability is required between Japan's mobile carriers, so the prefix only shows which carrier the block was originally given to.

Will Japan start using 060 mobile numbers?

Yes. MIC made 060-1 to 060-9 available for mobile on 20 December 2024. Launch was postponed in July 2026, and MIC is urging carriers to start by the end of FY2026.

What is an 020 number?

A machine-to-machine number used by SIMs in devices like meters and vehicles, not by people's phones. New M2M numbers now use the 14-digit 0200 range.

Sources

Numbering facts on this page come from the regulator or operator sources below, checked November 9, 2026. We never publish individual personal phone numbers.

MIC (総務省) - 電気通信番号制度の概要 (資料74-1-2: number types, designated carriers, portability conditions) (soumu.go.jp)
MIC - 携帯電話番号への060番号の追加 (updated July 8, 2026) (soumu.go.jp)
MIC Information and Communications Council report - 携帯電話番号の有効利用に向けた電気通信番号に係る制度の在り方 (Oct 27, 2015) (soumu.go.jp)
MIC Information and Communications Council report - 携帯電話の電話番号数の拡大に向けた電気通信番号に係る制度等の在り方 (Mar 1, 2012) (soumu.go.jp)
MIC - M2M等専用番号の創設 (soumu.go.jp)
National Police Agency (SOS47) - 警察に偽装した電話番号に注意！ (Mar 25, 2025) (npa.go.jp)
Kyoto Prefectural Police - 犯人からの電話を直接受けないための対策について (updated Apr 3, 2026) (pref.kyoto.jp)
Government of Japan (政府広報) - 警察相談専用電話 #9110 (gov-online.go.jp)
Government of Japan (政府広報) - 消費者ホットライン188 (gov-online.go.jp)