Japan Delays 060 Mobile Numbers as Carriers Need More Time

Jul 08, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japan's planned rollout of mobile phone numbers beginning with 060 has been postponed after telecom carriers said they need more time to complete system preparations.

Telecommunications companies announced Wednesday that they would delay the launch of mobile phone numbers starting with 060, which had been scheduled for this month. The companies said additional time is required to update their systems.

Mobile phone numbers in Japan currently begin with 090, 080 or 070, with a total of about 270 million numbers in use or allocated.

However, as of July 1, only about 4.6 million newly assignable numbers beginning with 070 remained, creating pressure on the available supply. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said it is urging carriers to begin offering the new numbers in stages by the end of the current fiscal year. The telecom companies said they will announce a new launch schedule once preparations are complete.

Source: TBS

Severe Heat Grips Eastern and Western Japan as Thunderstorms Threaten Kanto

Severe heat is forecast across much of Japan on July 16, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius in Nagoya and Kofu and sudden thunderstorms threatening the Kanto-Koshin and Tohoku regions through late at night.

Tobu Railway Introduces Walk-Through Facial Recognition

Tobu Railway has introduced walk-through facial recognition ticket gates at Ikebukuro and Kami-Itabashi stations on the Tobu Tojo Line, allowing registered commuters to enter without presenting a ticket or IC card.

Nichirei System Failure Disrupts KFC and Major Retailers

A system failure at frozen food giant Nichirei has disrupted shipments and logistics, raising the risk of product shortages and temporary closures at some Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants while also affecting major supermarket and retail chains.

Katsuragawa Selected for Hokuriku Shinkansen Extension

Officials from the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party have agreed to adopt the Katsuragawa plan for the Obama-Kyoto route of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka.

Heatstroke Alerts Issued for Record 19 Prefectures

Japan's environment and weather authorities have issued heatstroke alerts for a record 19 prefectures for July 15, warning that dangerous heat is expected to create an extremely high risk of heatstroke, including the first such alerts this year for the Kanto region.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

Japanese Firms Increase Focus on Automation and AI

Japanese manufacturers including Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Komatsu announced new artificial intelligence initiatives on July 16 as Nvidia expanded its partnerships with Japan's robotics and industrial sectors.

Nikkei Drops as Korea Rate Hike Revives AI Selloff

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on July 16 as renewed selling in South Korean semiconductor shares spread to Japan’s AI and chip-related names, while household inflation expectations hit a record high and kept pressure on the Bank of Japan to maintain a tightening bias.

Japan Machinery Orders Fall 12.4% in May

Japan's core machinery orders fell 12.4% in May from the previous month to 962 billion yen, marking the first decline in two months, the Cabinet Office said on July 15.

Japan to Provide Up to 159 Billion Yen in Subsidies to Tower Semiconductor

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said it will provide up to approximately 159 billion yen in subsidies to Israel-based chipmaker Tower Semiconductor to expand production capacity at facilities in Niigata and Toyama prefectures.

Japanese Companies Step Up AI Security, Investment Products and Business Restructuring

Japanese companies announced new cybersecurity services, investment products and technology initiatives on July 14, while earnings releases highlighted sharply different conditions across the housing and food-import sectors.

Nikkei Rebounds as Chip Shares Recover From Early Selloff

Tokyo stocks rebounded on July 14 after an early fall of nearly 1,000 points, as investors bought back semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares while a recovery in South Korean equities and easing Japanese bond yields helped restore risk appetite.

Mitsubishi UFJ Overtakes Toyota as Japan's Most Valuable Company

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group became Japan's most valuable company for the first time on the Tokyo stock market on July 13, overtaking Toyota Motor as expectations grow that higher interest rates will lift bank earnings.

The Workplace Debate Over Shorts

A debate over whether shorts belong in the workplace is spreading in Japan after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike encouraged metropolitan government employees to wear cooler clothing, including shorts, as part of efforts to cope with intensifying summer heat.

< 2 3 4 5 >