Using a payphone in Japan

How to use a Japanese payphone?

Even when your phone is out of range or the battery dies, payphones across Japan are still ready to help you reach the people you need. From the busy streets of Tokyo to the quietest corners of Hokkaido, here's how to use a Japanese public phone—including picking up the receiver, knowing the different types of phones, and making your call—anywhere in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Locating a phone booth

Public payphones remain available throughout Japan, offering a dependable way to make voice calls when a mobile phone is unavailable, has no signal, or during emergencies. You can commonly find payphones in:

• Train stations

• Hospitals and medical facilities

• Shopping centers and department stores

• Government offices and municipal buildings

• Hotels, convenience stores, roadside service areas

• Town centers and rural community hubs
  
  

Although most people now rely on mobile networks, Japan’s telecommunications providers continue to maintain payphones in key public locations to ensure reliable communication access for all residents and visitors.

Operating the phone booth

1. Lift the receiver. For analog phones (green), a dial tone will not be heard until a coin or card is inserted.

2. Insert payment. Use a 10-yen or 100-yen coin, or a prepaid telephone card.

   • Note: You will not receive change if you use a 100-yen coin for a call costing less.

3. Listen for the dial tone. This will happen after you've inserted payment (or immediately on some digital models).

4. Dial the number. For domestic calls, just dial the number.

5. For international calls, use a designated payphone (usually gray) and follow this sequence:

   • Dial an international carrier access code (e.g., 0036 for NTT).

   • Dial 010.

   • Dial the country code.

   • Dial the destination number (omitting any leading '0' from the area code).

6. For emergency calls (110, 118, 119), simply lift the receiver and dial the number. No coins or cards are needed.