7-digit phone numbers in Tokyo

One thing I always liked seeing when I first moved here was some run down shop (or ex-shop) that had the 7-digit phone number. When I arrived in 1998, they were already considered, "old" although I had never checked. In my neighborhood is such a building (still) with the very outdated phone number on the sign. According to this thread the dates are as follows:

-Some numbers in Tokyo as early as 1988 had 8 digits
-All numbers in Tokyo became 8-digits as of January 1, 1991
-Same for Osaka as of January 1, 1999.

This useless trivia was brought to you by me.

 

That's interesting. Is there a reason that they started using 8 digits instead of 7?

 

Same reason more area codes in the states were dished out: too many phones, not enough numbers. Mobile phones basically (I guess). I can't recall if the old PHS system used a special area code, but all mobiles were 090 back in the day, and they've recently been assigned 080.

Even while depopulation ravages the nation, Tokyo is somewhat immune to this, as this is where all the jobs are. Even if mobiles had their own area code, the bubble probably introduced a shit load of new small businesses, which all needed a new number (or multiples).

 

Interesting. I remember when the 1 prefix was brought in for UK area-codes and it's strange to see very old signs in run-down areas with 061 and not 0161 for Manchester.

Same with London now being 020 and 030...

Are Japanese mobile numbers 09, 04, 07, 08?

 

In Mexico you will see signs with six phone numbers instead of seven. Theyn when they went to seven they simply added the number but it looks odd now like:

Xx-xx-xxx

Also confusing things the fact that after adding the extra digit Mexico was on the north American numbering plan (same as USA and Canada) but now it's off that plan... Has been for years so it introduces a country code in addition to the seven numbers.

 

A few years ago when I lived in Montreal (it's the same in Toronto), they introduced a new area code in the city and as a result you now had to start dialing the area code for all numbers (even if you where calling a number in the same area code as you).

Get's kind of confusing some time with electronics since for a local call you don't nee 1 before the area code (like you do for a long distance call) but some phones/faxes would reject it with out the 1 or remove the area code from the number. =P

Here in toronto it's kind of funny because you can possibly guess a person's phone/cell provider by the area code. Like 416 is most bell numbers and 647 are rogers numbers. So since my house is bell it's 416 but my cell is rogers so it's 647 yet at work our phone lines are also rogers so our work number is 647 even though it's a land line and not a cell. =P

 

for the record, all UK cell phone numbers are formatted the same way:

4477

Unless you are IN the uk, in which case it is 077

I thought it would be more fitting if it were 007 but thats not possible. Get it? 007?

 

Same in some American cities.

090 or 080 if you're dialing them from Japan... 90 or 80 if you're dialing from abroad.

 

Yeah, you have to dial the area code even when dialing local numbers where I live. That's a recent development. Doesn't really affect me though, since I usually use my cellphone which stores the whole number.

 

The 03 prefix is non geographical but is charged generally at local rates and can form part of the free minutes. 030 is used by goverment agencies, councils, charities and non profit bodies.

In 25 years, London has had 3 changes to the phone number, originally being 01 (ie 01-xxx-xxxx) it was expanded to 071 and 081 (for inner and outer London, ie 071-xxx-xxxx) so they could double the number of numbers available, then it was decided that all geographical numbers should be prefixed 01, so it changed to 0171 (ie 0171-xxx-xxxx) and 0181 and then ten years ago they decided that 02 should also be geographical numbers so that London became 020 and the number changed from 7 digits to 8 digits (ie 020-7xxx-xxxx). This does mean that the 7 and 8 prefixs are no longer valid to show inner and outer london and some new phone numbers are 020-3xxx-xxxx. although 4, 5, 6 and 9 will be used in the future, although fixed line number take up is decreasing rapidly.

You still do see shops with 01 and 071/081 above the door.

 

I've gotten use to it over the years so it's not really an issue but when they first made the switch it was kind of disorienting since every number locally was still the same area code.

In Toronto it's pretty easy to deal with since it starts with a 4 or a 6 and it's easy to know which one based on their provider.