Calling a keitai from outside Japan

[ess_jay_arr]

I'm supposed to ring someone tomorrow, but she only gave me her number to call from inside the country.

I've found that to dial out of England I use 00, and into Japan is 81, but I think I heard something about different network providers having different codes if you're calling from abroad, I'm not sure. Is that the 090, or do I need something between that and the 81? It's a Docomo keitai I'm trying to ring, by the way.

Can anyone clear this up for me please?

[two_heads_talking]

I would imagine your phone carrier should be able to clear that up for you no? otherwise I have no idea..

[ess_jay_arr]

My phone carrier? What, my land line provider in England? Hmm, maybe... but they're probably not expecting to field questions about other service providers in other countries, so I thought I'd have more luck asking on here.

I suppose I could call 'The Operator', ominous as it sounds. I might try tomorrow... if no-one else here knows, and if 00 81 090 XXXX XXXX doesn't work.

[Kagemaru]

When my sister calls me, (I am with Docomo) she first dials her country exit code, Japanese entry code, then omits the first zero from my mobile number.

Whether that pertains to your country I cannot verify pardon me. Simply an alternative.

Good luck.

[ess_jay_arr]

Thanks Kagemaru, I'll try that! I shouldn't think the country I'm calling from would affect anything but the exit code.

[two_heads_talking]

ess_jay_arr wrote:
My phone carrier? What, my land line provider in England? Hmm, maybe... but they're probably not expecting to field questions about other service providers in other countries, so I thought I'd have more luck asking on here.

I suppose I could call 'The Operator', ominous as it sounds. I might try tomorrow... if no-one else here knows, and if 00 81 090 XXXX XXXX doesn't work.

that's what I mean. your land line provider/cell phone provider will either know the info or will know who to send you to in order to get the info. "the operator" is slowly disappearing, but the service is still there. at least one would think so anyways.

[katafei]

ess_jay_arr wrote:
Thanks Kagemaru, I'll try that! I shouldn't think the country I'm calling from would affect anything but the exit code.

I think it's pretty much universal that you have to leave out the first 0 after dialing a country's entry code.
Or is this not what you meant?

good luck tomorrow!

[keatonatron]

Japan's country code is 81. When calling from outside the country, leave off the first 0. I don't know about the UK, but in the US you 011 to specify an international call + country code + number. Whenever writing my phone number to be called from the US, I write:

011(81)90-xxxx-xxx

The UK most likely uses 00 instead of 011, so try 0081 and then the number without the first 0. (the next number should be a 7,8, or 9 if it's a cell phone).

P.S. who needs to waste time with operators or phone companies when you have the internet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_call_prefixes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_calling_codes

[two_heads_talking]

keatonatron wrote:


P.S. who needs to waste time with operators or phone companies when you have the internet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_call_prefixes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_calling_codes

You have a valid point, but I still fall back to the old ways and do the operator thing. maybe I need to get with the program.. lol

[ess_jay_arr]

Thanks guys, I've just got off the phone, everything went well.

It was the first time I've had a phone conversation in Japanese, so I was kinda nervous, but it was fine.