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Japanese phone number converter: dial a restaurant in Japan from abroad

Paste a number from Tabelog or Google Maps. Get the international format, the city it belongs to, and whether it's a landline, mobile or toll-free.

How Japanese phone numbers work

A Japanese number written for people inside Japan starts with a 0. That 0 is a trunk prefix, and you drop it when you call from abroad. What follows is the area code and the local number, ten digits in total for a landline and eleven for a mobile.

  • Landlines start with an area code such as 03 (Tokyo), 06 (Osaka) or 075 (Kyoto). Most restaurants use one.
  • Mobiles start with 090, 080 or 070. Small places sometimes list the owner's mobile.
  • 050 numbers are internet phone lines. They behave like normal numbers.
  • 0120, 0800 and 0570 are toll-free or shared lines, usually for chains, and rarely reachable from abroad.

Where to find a restaurant's number

On Google Maps it is in the listing under the address. On Tabelog, look for the 電話番号 or 予約・お問い合わせ line. Our Tabelog guide shows where. Some listings show a separate booking number that differs from the shop line. When there is one, use the booking number.

The number is only half the problem

Getting through is easy. Holding a booking conversation in Japanese, during the one quiet hour the restaurant picks up, is the hard part. If that is where you're stuck, read why so many places only take calls, try our booking phrase builder, or let us make the call.

Questions

How do I call a Japanese number from abroad?

Dial your international exit code, then 81 for Japan, then the number without its first 0. From a mobile phone you can type + instead of the exit code: 03-1234-5678 becomes +81 3 1234 5678.

Why can't I reach a 0120 number?

0120 and 0800 numbers are free-dial lines paid for by the business, and most are blocked for callers outside Japan. Look for the restaurant's own landline on Tabelog or Google Maps instead.

What does 03 mean in a Japanese phone number?

03 is the area code for central Tokyo. Other common restaurant area codes are 06 for Osaka, 075 for Kyoto, 092 for Fukuoka and 011 for Sapporo.

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