Most visitors don’t need a Japanese phone number: most travel eSIMs are data only, and calls and messages go through apps like WhatsApp and LINE. If you do need one, visitors can get a voice + data eSIM with a Japanese number (after an in-person ID check on arrival), and residents can sign up for a monthly voice SIM.
When visitors need a Japanese number
- Some restaurant bookings. Popular restaurants that take reservations by phone, or through Japanese-only booking forms, may ask for a local number.
- SMS verification. A few Japanese apps and services only accept Japanese numbers.
- Being called back. Hotels, tour operators or a lost-property office may want to call you.
For everything else, your home number (roaming) or a messaging app works fine.
Why travel eSIMs don’t include one
A Japanese mobile number comes with a voice contract, and Japanese law (the Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act) requires carriers to verify the identity of anyone who signs up for one. Most travel eSIMs avoid this by selling data only, which is why plans with a number are rare.
Options for visitors
- A visitor voice + data eSIM. Sakura Mobile’s Travel Voice + Data eSIM gives visitors staying up to 90 days a Japanese number, mobile data and an allowance of domestic calls. Under Japanese law you verify your ID in person before it starts, at selected airport counters or Sakura Mobile’s Shinjuku office.
- Keep your home number. Leave your home SIM switched on for calls and texts, and check your carrier’s roaming charges first. Turn off data roaming on that line so it doesn’t use expensive data.
- Use messaging apps. LINE is how most people in Japan message, and WhatsApp, FaceTime and others work over any data connection.
- Ask your hotel to book for you. Many hotels will book restaurants by phone on your behalf.
- App-based 050 numbers. Some internet phone services give you a Japanese number starting 050, which works for calls through an app. Sign-up rules vary, and some ask for a Japanese address or card, so check before relying on one. Some services that send verification codes don’t accept 050 numbers.
Visitor eSIMs from Sakura Mobile (the voice + data plans include the number):
| Plan | Phone number | Hotspot | Checked | Link | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sakura Mobile docomo | 3GB/day eSIM, 30 days eSIM Slows to 200kbps after 3GB in a day. Validity starts when installed. | 3GB/day | 30 | ¥9,900 | ≈$2.09 | – | No | Yes | Checked | View deal |
| Sakura Mobile au (KDDI) | Unlimited eSIM, 30 days eSIM Hotspot use capped at 30GB. Validity starts on arrival in Japan. | Unlimited | 30 | ¥14,575 | ≈$3.07 | – | No | Yes | Checked | View deal |
| Sakura Mobile docomo | 3GB/day eSIM, 14 days eSIM Slows to 200kbps after 3GB in a day. Validity starts when installed. | 3GB/day | 14 | ¥6,930 | ≈$3.13 | – | No | Yes | Checked | View deal |
| Sakura Mobile docomo | 3GB/day eSIM, 7 days eSIM Slows to 200kbps after 3GB in a day. Validity starts when installed. | 3GB/day | 7 | ¥4,620 | ≈$4.17 | – | No | Yes | Checked | View deal |
| Sakura Mobile au (KDDI) | Unlimited eSIM, 14 days eSIM Hotspot use capped at 13GB. Validity starts on arrival in Japan. | Unlimited | 14 | ¥9,240 | ≈$4.17 | – | No | Yes | Checked | View deal |
| Sakura Mobile au (KDDI) | Voice + data eSIM, 30 days eSIM Japanese number with up to 240 min of domestic calls. In-person ID check at selected airport counters or Shinjuku office. | 3GB/day | 30 | ¥19,855 | ≈$4.18 | – | Yes | Yes | Checked | View deal |
| Sakura Mobile au (KDDI) | Unlimited eSIM, 7 days eSIM Hotspot use capped at 6GB. Validity starts on arrival in Japan. | Unlimited | 7 | ¥5,775 | ≈$5.21 | – | No | Yes | Checked | View deal |
| Sakura Mobile au (KDDI) | Voice + data eSIM, 14 days eSIM Japanese number with up to 240 min of domestic calls. In-person ID check at selected airport counters or Shinjuku office. | 3GB/day | 14 | ¥14,575 | ≈$6.58 | – | Yes | Yes | Checked | View deal |
| Sakura Mobile au (KDDI) | Voice + data eSIM, 7 days eSIM Japanese number with up to 120 min of domestic calls. In-person ID check at selected airport counters or Shinjuku office. | 3GB/day | 7 | ¥10,340 | ≈$9.33 | – | Yes | Yes | Checked | View deal |
Per-day and per-GB figures are approximate, converted to US dollars at the European Central Bank rate of 19 Oct 2026. Prices are in the currency each provider’s site showed us, so you may see a different currency. You pay the provider’s checkout price. Per GB is left blank for unlimited and daily-allowance plans.
Options for residents: a voice SIM
If you live in Japan, a monthly voice SIM gives you a standard mobile number. To sign up you’ll usually need:
- your residence card (在留カード)
- a payment method the provider accepts: many carriers only take Japanese bank accounts or cards, while some providers aimed at foreign residents don’t need a Japanese bank account (Sakura Mobile says so on its voice plan page)
- a Japanese address
Newly arrived and waiting for your card or bank account? See long-stay options for bridging the first weeks. Sakura Mobile sells voice SIMs aimed at foreign residents.
What a Japanese mobile number looks like
Japanese mobile numbers have 11 digits and start with 090, 080 or 070, written like 090-1234-5678. Numbers starting 050 are internet phone numbers.
To call a Japanese number from abroad, add Japan’s country code +81 and drop the first zero: 090-1234-5678 becomes +81 90-1234-5678.
Questions people ask
Do I get a Japanese phone number with an eSIM?
Usually not: most travel eSIMs are data only. Voice + data eSIMs for visitors exist, but need an in-person ID check. Compare eSIMs
Can I get an eSIM with a phone number?
Yes. Residents can get voice plans on eSIM once they’ve passed the ID check. For visitors, Sakura Mobile’s Travel Voice + Data eSIM includes a Japanese number, with an in-person ID check on arrival.
Can I get a virtual Japanese phone number?
Internet phone services can give you an 050 number that works through an app. Availability for visitors varies, and some services don’t accept 050 numbers for SMS verification.
Is +81 Japan’s country code?
Yes. Drop the first 0 of the Japanese number after it, so 090-1234-5678 becomes +81 90-1234-5678.
Is 080 a Japanese number?
Yes. 090, 080 and 070 are Japanese mobile prefixes.
Written by Stephen
Stephen lives in Osaka. fly-jpn is where he compares eSIMs, SIM cards and pocket WiFi for visitors, using what he has learned as a resident. A plan is only described as tested when he has bought it and used it in Japan himself.