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Japanese phone number for foreigners: 090, 080, 070 or 050?
Use a 070, 080 or 090 number. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications calls all three mobile numbers. A 050 number is a different class, an IP phone number, and PayPay Bank says its phone check cannot be done from one. No bank we read says it accepts 050. A voice SIM gives you a mobile number. A data-only eSIM gives none.
Read from each provider's own pages on October 3, 2026.
On this page
Which banks and services accept which number?
Every service here accepts a mobile number. Only PayPay Bank says whether a 050 number works, and it says no. Japan Post Bank mentions 050 only as calls a phone may be set to reject. Yes means the page says that type works. No means the page says it does not. Not stated means the pages we read are silent, which is not the same as refused.
| Service | Mobile number (070, 080, 090) | Landline | 050 number | What its page says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayPay BankBank | Yes | Yes | No | Its phone check works from a mobile or a landline. It cannot be done from an IP phone (a number starting 050) or from abroad. |
| Japan Post BankBank | Yes | Yes | Not stated | ID-check code for its apps: SMS to a registered mobile, an automated voice call to any other number. Toll-free numbers cannot receive it. |
| SBI Shinsei BankBank | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Online banking: SMS to a registered mobile, a phone call to a registered landline. It has stopped calls to mobiles to prevent phishing, so register a mobile and use SMS. |
| MUFG BankBank | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | The smartphone account-opening app checks you by SMS, so it needs a mobile that can receive one. |
| SMBC (Olive account)Bank | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | The Olive app sends an SMS code to the mobile you register. |
| Sony BankBank | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | If you register a mobile number, its app must receive an SMS on that number. |
| Seven BankBank | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | A mobile number alone is enough to open an account. A home phone is not needed. |
| Rakuten CardCredit card | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | A mobile number in your own name is required to apply. |
| PayPay CardCredit card | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | You need a mobile phone that can receive its identity check. |
| American Express (Japan)Credit card | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | A mobile number is enough. A landline is not required. |
| PayPay (the app)App | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Registration needs a device that can receive an SMS code, meaning a smartphone contract. |
Each Yes and No links the page it was read from. Rakuten Bank, Mizuho, SMBC Prestia, Wise and others are not here because the pages we read do not state a phone rule. The bank rules for who can open an account at all are in the bank account guide.
This page fits you if
- You are about to buy a SIM, and want to know whether its number will work for a bank, a card or an app
- You already have a 050 number or a data eSIM and wonder if it will do
Not for you if
- You want to know who may open an account. That depends on your residence card and stay, not your number: see the bank account guide
What is the difference between 090, 080, 070 and 050 numbers?
A 090, 080 or 070 number is a mobile number, and a 050 number is an IP phone number. The ministry says mobile numbers are the 11-digit numbers starting 070, 080 or 090 (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Q5). It lists 050 as its own class, "specific IP telephone numbers" (特定IP電話番号), separate from the mobile numbers (the ministry's list of assigned numbers). An IP phone is a phone service delivered over the internet.
The three mobile prefixes are one class, and none of the pages in the table treats them differently. Your carrier assigns the prefix: Lyprimo, for one, says it assigns a new 090, 080 or 070 number.
What about 060 numbers?
The ministry made 060 a new mobile prefix in December 2024, because 070, 080 and 090 are running out. Carriers announced on 8 July 2026 that the start is postponed, and the ministry asks for it to begin by the end of fiscal 2026 (March 2027) (the ministry's 060 page). Numbers you hold now stay valid (same page). Nothing on this page has been checked against an 060 number.
What does a bank do with a landline or a 050 number?
Practice differs. Japan Post Bank sends the ID-check code to a mobile by SMS and to any other number by an automated voice call, and lists a phone set to reject calls from numbers starting 050 among the reasons a code does not arrive (Japan Post Bank's FAQ). SBI Shinsei Bank sends SMS to a mobile and phones a landline (SBI Shinsei Bank). PayPay Bank accepts a mobile or a landline for its phone check, and not a 050 number (PayPay Bank). Seven Bank does not need a home phone (Seven Bank).
That leaves most banks without a stated rule for 050. MUFG Bank, SMBC (Olive account) and PayPay (the app) each say they need a mobile that can receive an SMS, and none says a 050 number qualifies. Without a statement we cannot call it refused, and we would not bet an account application on it. Sony Bank's app needs an SMS only if the number you register is a mobile.
PayPay needs a Japanese mobile number that can receive an SMS code. PayPay for foreigners lists the rest of what it asks for.
Which SIMs give me a mobile number?
A voice SIM or eSIM from Mobal, Sakura Mobile, Lyprimo and DTI SIM gives a 070, 080 or 090 number, each according to its own page. A data-only eSIM, such as JAPAN & GLOBAL eSIM, gives no number and no SMS (its FAQ), so it cannot receive a verification code.
| SIM | Number it gives | SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Mobal | 070, 080 or 090 | Receives |
| Sakura Mobile | 070, 080 or 090 | Not stated |
| Lyprimo | 070, 080 or 090 | Not stated |
| DTI SIM | 070, 080 or 090 | Not stated |
| JAPAN & GLOBAL eSIM (a data-only eSIM) | None | None |
These are each provider's own claims, read on October 3, 2026. We have not used any of these SIMs. Mobal says incoming texts are free, and Sakura Mobile, Lyprimo and DTI SIM say nothing about receiving SMS on the pages we read.
Sakura Mobile fits you if
- You want a voice plan you can sign up for in English without a Japanese bank account (its page)
Mobal fits you if
- You want a number with support in English by email (its page). See the Mobal review
What happens after you click: the provider's English page opens. You pick a plan, give your ID, and the provider assigns the number once the line is active. Plans, ID rules and payment are on the Sakura Mobile review and the Mobal review.
See Sakura Mobile's plans and sign up in English
Order a Mobal SIM card for pickup or delivery
Already have a Japanese number you want to keep? Keeping your number when you switch carriers has each carrier's rules. If you have no credit card, phone plans without a credit card lists who takes what.
How we checked
The number classes are from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' numbering pages. Each bank, card and app row is a sentence from that provider's own help, application or authentication page, saved in our data file with its address and the day we read it (October 3, 2026). Where the pages were silent about a number type, the cell reads Not stated. We did not apply for any account, test any 050 service, or use any of the SIMs, so none of this is first-hand experience.
Rakuten Bank's pages that we read did not state a phone rule, so it is not in the table. Several banks' pages talk about SMS-capable mobiles without saying anything about 050, and that silence is why most 050 cells are Not stated.
PayPay Bank Bank
- Mobile number: A mobile number works for its phone check. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
- Landline: A landline works for its phone check. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
- 050 number: Refused: the phone check cannot be done from an IP phone (a number starting 050) or from abroad. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
Japan Post Bank Bank
- Mobile number: The ID-check code for its apps goes by SMS to a registered mobile number. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
- Landline: Any other registered number gets the code by an automated voice call. Toll-free numbers cannot receive it. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
- Calls from 050 numbers: Japan Post Bank lists a phone set to reject calls from numbers starting with 050 as one reason the code does not arrive. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
SBI Shinsei Bank Bank
- Mobile number: Online banking sends a code by SMS to the mobile number you registered. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
- Landline: A registered landline gets the code by phone call. It has stopped phone calls to mobiles to prevent phishing, so register a mobile and use SMS. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
MUFG Bank Bank
- Mobile number: The smartphone account-opening app checks you by SMS. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
SMBC (Olive account) Bank
- Mobile number: The app sends an SMS code to the mobile you register. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
Sony Bank Bank
- Mobile number: If you register a mobile number, its app needs to receive an SMS on that number. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
Seven Bank Bank
- Mobile number: A mobile number alone is enough to open an account. A home phone is not needed. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
Rakuten Card Credit card
- Mobile number: A mobile number in your own name is required to apply. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
PayPay Card Credit card
- Mobile number: You need a mobile phone that can receive its identity check. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
American Express (Japan) Credit card
- Mobile number: A mobile number is enough. A landline is not required. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
PayPay (the app) App
- Mobile number: Registration needs a device that can receive an SMS code, meaning a smartphone contract. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
Mobal SIM
- Number: Voice+Data plans come with a 070, 080 or 090 number, according to Mobal. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
- SMS: Mobal says incoming texts are free, so a verification code can arrive. It says you can receive SMS while roaming. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
Sakura Mobile SIM
- Number: Its voice plans give a 070, 080 or 090 number, according to Sakura Mobile. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
- Bank account: Sakura Mobile says you can sign up entirely in English with no Japanese bank account required. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
Lyprimo SIM
- Number: A new 090, 080 or 070 number is assigned. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
DTI SIM SIM
- Number: Voice plans get a number that starts with 090, 080 or 070. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
JAPAN & GLOBAL eSIM (a data-only eSIM) SIM
- Number: No phone number. Data only. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
- SMS: No SMS either, so it cannot receive a verification code. (provider page, read October 3, 2026)
The Sakura Mobile and Mobal buttons on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through one, the provider pays us a commission and your price stays the same. Neither provider saw this page before it went up. Read our editorial policy.
Japanese phone numbers: FAQ
What is the difference between 090, 080 and 070 numbers?
None that matters for banks or apps. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications calls all three mobile numbers: 11 digits starting 070, 080 or 090. A carrier assigns the prefix, and none of the bank or card pages we read treats the three differently.
Is a 050 number a real phone number?
It is a real number, but a different class. The ministry lists 050 as a "specific IP telephone number" (特定IP電話番号), separate from mobile numbers. IP phone means a phone service delivered over the internet.
Can I open a Japanese bank account with a 050 number?
We found no bank that says it accepts one. PayPay Bank says outright that its phone check cannot be done from a 050 number. MUFG Bank and SMBC’s Olive account say only that they need a mobile that can receive an SMS. Use a 070, 080 or 090 number.
Can I use a data-only eSIM to get bank or app codes?
No. A data-only eSIM has no phone number and, in the case we checked, no SMS, so it cannot receive a verification code. PayPay says registration needs a device that can receive an SMS code.
Will numbers starting with 060 work?
Not yet. The ministry added 060 as a mobile prefix in December 2024, but carriers announced on 8 July 2026 that the start is postponed. Your 070, 080 or 090 number stays valid. Nothing here is checked against an 060 number.
Can I get a mobile number without a Japanese bank account?
Yes, at some providers. Sakura Mobile says you can sign up entirely in English with no Japanese bank account required, and gives a 070, 080 or 090 number on its voice plans. Mobal says its Voice+Data plans give one too.
Set Up in Japan is an independent guide, not a carrier's or a bank's site.
See Sakura Mobile's plans and sign up in English