+81: sold out, checked every 15 minutes
Japan virtual number (+81): why it is rare, and what works instead
A Japan virtual number is a +81 number you rent without a SIM in your name. VSIM has none, and not one of the 3,463 codes VSIM has delivered since May 2024 went to a +81 number. Japanese law ties every voice SIM to a verified person, so honest +81 stock barely exists. Press a button on the machine to see the route that does work for your app.
- No code, full refund
- Crypto top-up from $1
- Stock checked every 15 minutes
Why are Japanese virtual numbers so hard to rent?
Four curtains, four reasons. Part a noren to read what is behind it; none of them is a supplier problem a better price would fix.
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Every voice SIM belongs to a verified person
Japan's Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act requires an identity check before a voice SIM is issued, and forbids handing the line to someone else. A rentable +81 mobile number would break that rule.
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Data SIMs are next
Data-only SIMs, including ones with SMS, were outside the law. In March 2026 the cabinet approved an amendment to require an identity check for them too, and photo uploads of ID are being replaced by reading the chip of an ID card.
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Only 070, 080 and 090 get codes
The easy numbers to obtain in Japan are 050 IP numbers. They work for calls through an app, but services that send SMS codes generally ask for a mobile number.
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Zero +81 codes, zero +81 stock
From 31 May 2024 to 11 October 2026, VSIM delivered 3,463 codes to numbers in 46 countries. Not one went to a +81 number, because no supplier we use offers them.
Which country should you use instead, app by app?
The departure board of a Tokyo station, with countries as destinations. "Most reliable" shows where the most codes arrive; "Best value" shows the cheapest route where at least 40% of codes arrive, about 2.5 tries at most. You pay the price once, when the code arrives.
Line
Hong Kong
6%
$0.62
≈ 16.0 tries
Google
Cambodia
81%
$0.31
≈ 1.2 tries
WhatsApp
Canada
40%
$2.71
≈ 2.5 tries
Telegram
Lithuania
58%
$0.93
≈ 1.7 tries
X
Guatemala
67%
$0.30
≈ 1.5 tries
Instagram
Luxembourg
67%
$2.88
≈ 1.5 tries
TikTok
France
74%
$0.33
≈ 1.4 tries
Apple
Greece
81%
$0.32
≈ 1.2 tries
Amazon
Australia
100%
$1.43
1 try
Discord
Poland
100%
$0.09
1 try
Netflix
Estonia
100%
$0.25
1 try
Microsoft
Lithuania
90%
$0.55
≈ 1.1 tries
Tinder
Colombia
92%
$0.30
≈ 1.1 tries
Uber
USA
98%
$0.23
1 try
Facebook
Philippines
56%
$0.48
≈ 1.8 tries
Live from 2,055 routes we sell for these apps. A missed code on any route is refunded.
Can you get a LINE code without a Japanese number?
LINE is the app most people in Japan use every day, so it is usually the reason someone wants +81. The honest answer is in the chat.
- Countries selling LINE numbers
- 135
- With a measured rate
- 5
- Best rate anywhere
- 6%
Can I register LINE with a number from VSIM?
LINE itself accepts numbers from many countries, so you do not need +81.
But rented numbers rarely get the code: the best LINE route we measure anywhere is Hong Kong, where about 6% of codes arrive.
So what should I do?
Use a number you own, from any country, and keep it: LINE asks again when you change phones. Rent a VSIM number for apps with proven routes, like Google or WhatsApp.
or pick your situation
Which number do you actually need?
At a shrine, an omikuji slip tells your fortune. Here the fortune is how easy your situation is without a +81 number.
大吉Daikichi · Great blessing
One code for a global app
Google, WhatsApp, Telegram, X, TikTok and most global apps accept numbers from any country. Pick the best route on the departure board: no Japanese number needed.
See the departure board吉Kichi · Blessing
You live in Japan, or will
With a residence card you can sign a voice SIM contract with a Japanese carrier or a budget MVNO. That number is yours and takes every Japanese SMS code.
How to get a real number末吉Suekichi · Future blessing
LINE
LINE accepts numbers from many countries, but no rented route delivers its codes reliably. Your own number, from any country, is the safe choice.
Read the LINE chat小吉Shōkichi · Small blessing
Calls or a business line in Japan
A 050 IP number from a VoIP provider gives you a Japanese number for calls. It is not a mobile number, so apps rarely send codes to it.
See the 050 compartment凶Kyō · Curse
PayPay, Yahoo! JAPAN ID or a Japanese bank
These ask for a Japanese mobile number tied to your identity, and send later codes to it. No rented number of any country will do.
See what to checkHow do you write a Japanese phone number?
Every range has its compartment, like a station ekiben box. Only the mobile ranges take SMS codes. In a sign-up form, drop the 0 and write +81 first.
Mobile number: it can receive SMS codes.
How do you get a real Japanese phone number?
For PayPay, a Japanese bank or any account you must keep, nothing replaces a SIM in your own name. Walk through the gates.
- 1
Choose a voice plan
Only a voice SIM gives you a 070, 080 or 090 number that receives every SMS code. Data-only plans and 050 apps do not.
- 2
Bring your ID
Residents use a residence card or a My Number card. Some plans accept visitors with a passport, usually checked in person in Japan; online sign-up is moving to reading an ID card's chip.
- 3
Pick a network
NTT docomo, au (KDDI), SoftBank or Rakuten Mobile, or a budget MVNO (格安SIM) on one of their networks. The number format is the same.
- 4
Keep it yours
The line may not be handed to someone else. Moving carriers keeps the number through number portability.
Which checks before you sign up for an app from Japan?
Press a hanko on every line that is true. A form with all six stamps is ready for a rented number.
Which Japanese terms will you meet?
Wooden signboards, read top to bottom. Tap a board to turn it over for the meaning.
Where do the figures on this page come from?
- Routes and prices
- Every country VSIM sells for each app, read from the live offer list. A route's rate is the share of recent orders on it that received a code; routes without enough orders are not ranked.
- Tries per code
- 100 divided by the measured rate: how many tries one code takes on average. You are charged once, when the code arrives; a missed code is always refunded, so this measures time, not money.
- Our order history
- 13,062 one-code orders in 91 countries between 31 May 2024 and 11 October 2026; 3,463 of them received a code, none on a +81 number.
- Japanese rules and formats
- The Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act and its March 2026 amendment bill, and the numbering ranges published for 050, 060, 070, 080 and 090.
Written and checked by the VSIM team, which has sold verification numbers since 2023. Published 18 October 2026, reviewed 18 October 2026.
売切
+81 is sold out
Stock is checked every 15 minutes. When +81 numbers appear, this lamp turns green and the page lists them.
What else do people ask about Japanese virtual numbers?
No question matches. Message @vsim_support on Telegram, 08:00 to 24:00 Tehran time.
What is a Japan virtual number?
A Japan virtual number is a Japanese +81 number you use online without a SIM card in your own name. Mobile numbers start 070, 080 or 090, and only those receive SMS codes reliably; 050 numbers are internet (IP) phone numbers. VSIM has no +81 numbers in stock, so this page shows what works instead.
Can I buy a Japanese virtual number for SMS verification?
Not on VSIM, and rarely anywhere honestly. Japanese law ties every voice SIM to a verified identity, so few rentable +81 mobile numbers exist. For apps that accept any country, rent a number from the best route on this page instead.
Why are Japanese virtual numbers so hard to find?
Japan's Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act requires an identity check before a voice SIM is issued and forbids passing it to someone else. In March 2026 the cabinet approved an amendment to extend the check to data-only SIMs, the kind sometimes used to receive SMS codes.
Can I get a Japanese number for WhatsApp?
You can use WhatsApp without one: WhatsApp accepts numbers from any country. The strongest measured route right now is Canada, where 40% of codes arrive, for $2.71.
Can I register LINE without a Japanese phone number?
Yes. LINE accepts phone numbers from many countries. Rented numbers are a poor fit, though: the best measured LINE route anywhere delivers about 6% of codes. Use a number you own.
Do PayPay, Mercari or Yahoo! JAPAN accept foreign numbers?
PayPay and Yahoo! JAPAN ID ask for a Japanese mobile number for sign-up or identity checks, and keep sending codes to it later. Use a Japanese SIM registered to you; a rented number from any country will not keep the account.
Is there a free Japanese virtual phone number?
Free numbers on public SMS websites are shared, anyone can read the codes, and Japanese services block them quickly. A free 050 IP number from a calling app is for calls, not for SMS codes.
How do I get a real Japanese phone number?
Sign a voice SIM contract with a Japanese carrier (NTT docomo, au, SoftBank or Rakuten Mobile) or a budget MVNO. Residents use a residence card or My Number card; visitors can get some plans with a passport, usually checked in person in Japan.
How do I write a Japanese mobile number in international format?
Drop the leading 0 and add +81. So 090-1234-5678 becomes +81 90-1234-5678. Mobile numbers have 11 digits at home: 070, 080 or 090, then eight digits.
What is a 050 number, and can it receive SMS codes?
A 050 number is an internet (IP) phone number used through an app over a data connection. It is not a mobile number, and services that send SMS codes generally ask for 070, 080 or 090.
What are 060 and 020 numbers?
060 was opened to mobile carriers in December 2024 as a new mobile range. 020 is used for data-only devices and machines, not for calls or personal SMS.
Will VSIM sell Japanese numbers?
Only when a supplier offers +81 numbers that actually receive codes. VSIM checks stock every 15 minutes; when +81 numbers appear, this page shows them with their live prices and rates.
What happens if a code does not arrive?
On any VSIM route, the order closes when its timer ends, usually after 15 minutes and at most 20, and the full price returns to your balance automatically.
Need a code today?
Skip the sold-out button. These routes have the strongest record for the apps people ask about most.
Open the order page