Can You Sign Up for Utilities in Japan Without a Japanese Phone Number?

2026年4月28日

Short answer: sometimes yes, but do not count on it. In Japan, utility sign-up rules are usually set by each electricity company, gas company, or local water bureau. There is no single nationwide rule that says you must have a Japanese phone number first. But in practice, many providers ask for a phone number in the application, and some online systems rely on Japanese SMS verification.

If you are moving into a new place, the safest plan is this: treat a reachable phone number as practically necessary, even if a provider may accept an overseas number or let you apply by another route.

Electricity is usually the easiest to start.
Gas is stricter because opening service often requires a visit and safety check.
Water depends heavily on the city.
App-based sign-up can fail if it requires Japanese SMS.

Who This Matters For

This guide is mainly for new residents, students, workers, and long-term visitors who are moving into an apartment in Japan and have not set up a Japanese mobile number yet.

It matters most in the first few days after arrival, especially if you are trying to do all of these at once:

move into an unfurnished apartment
activate electricity on the same day
book a gas opening visit
start water service with a city office or local water bureau
set up billing before your first invoice arrives

The Practical Answer by Utility

Here is the easiest way to think about it.

Electricity

You may be able to start electricity before you have a Japanese phone number, but you still need a contact route the provider can use.

TEPCO says you can apply for electricity from overseas and lists paid phone numbers for customers who are not in Japan. That matters because it shows the barrier is not simply “you are outside Japan” or “you do not yet have a Japanese number.” At the same time, major providers still expect contact details and may need to reach you if there is a problem.

Tokyo Gas also says its electricity start procedure requires customer information including name and phone number, and it may contact you by phone or SMS if it needs to confirm the application.

What this means in real life:

If your provider accepts a normal phone number field and staff can reach you, an overseas number may work in some cases.
If the provider needs SMS verification inside Japan, your overseas number may not work.
If the address or meter cannot be identified, the company may call you to fix the problem before power starts.

Gas

Gas is where not having a Japanese phone number becomes more risky.

Tokyo Gas and other major gas providers require more coordination than electricity because gas opening usually needs a technician visit, an ignition check, and a safety explanation inside the home. Tokyo Gas says the application includes a phone number, and the company may contact you by phone or SMS if it needs confirmation.

That means the issue is not only the form itself. The bigger issue is whether the company can reliably reach you before the appointment or on the day.

If you have no working Japanese number yet, gas can still be possible in some cases, but it is much less comfortable than electricity. A missed call can delay hot water and cooking on move-in day.

Water

Water is the most local part of the answer.

Tokyo and Osaka show why readers should not assume one national rule.

In Tokyo, the Tokyo Water App has an English mode for starting or canceling water contracts, and new users starting service do not need a customer number. But the app’s English-mode FAQ also says SMS authentication works only on the networks of NTT DOCOMO, au, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile, and international SMS is not supported. So if you planned to use the app before getting a Japanese mobile line, that plan may fail.

Tokyo does provide another route if you cannot use the app: a separate web path for starting or canceling a water contract.

Osaka City is different again. Its Waterworks Bureau accepts online applications for starting and stopping water service and also keeps a customer center by phone. That is a reminder that water procedures are often city-by-city, not Japan-wide.

ここがポイント: A Japanese phone number is often not a formal legal requirement for utilities across all of Japan, but it is frequently a practical requirement because providers use phone calls or SMS to confirm identity, appointments, or meter details.

What You Should Do If You Do Not Have a Japanese Number Yet

The best move depends on which utility you are trying to start first.

If you need electricity today

Try the provider’s web or phone sign-up immediately.
Use the exact move-in address from your lease.
Have the meter number or supply point number ready if possible.
Check whether your building already has power available and only needs contract activation.

Electricity is often the most forgiving utility because attendance is usually not required.

If you need gas on move-in day

Book the gas opening as early as possible.
Make sure the provider has a number where you can actually be reached.
If you cannot receive calls reliably, ask whether your school, employer, real estate agent, or relocation support desk can help coordinate.
Be present at the appointment, or arrange a representative if the provider allows it.

If gas is central to your apartment for hot water, this is usually the utility you should worry about first.

If you need water and the city uses an app

Check whether the app needs Japanese SMS authentication.
If yes, look for the city’s web form or customer center instead.
Do not assume the English app and the general website have the same requirements.

Common Mistakes

Assuming “online” means “no phone needed”

It often does not. A web form may still require a phone number, and the provider may still send SMS or call you afterward.

Treating utilities as one package

Electricity, gas, and water are not managed the same way.

Electricity is often retailer-based and relatively flexible.
Gas adds a safety visit in many cases.
Water is often run by the municipality or local water bureau.

Waiting until after arrival to check the method

Tokyo’s water app is a good example. It has English support, but its SMS authentication rules still matter. If you learn that only after landing, you lose time.

Using the wrong support path

Some official pages are multilingual, but the actual application page may still be Japanese only. Tokyo Gas’s foreign-language guidance is useful, but it also warns that some linked procedure pages are in Japanese only.

Regional Differences You Should Expect

This topic changes by provider and by city, so the right question is not “What is Japan’s rule?” but “What does my utility provider require at this address?”

Expect differences in:

whether online sign-up is available in English
whether SMS verification is needed
whether an overseas number is accepted
whether a technician visit is required
how late you can apply before move-in
whether water is handled by an app, web form, or city call center

As of April 23, 2026, Tokyo-area official pages show both flexibility and limits: TEPCO accepts some applications from overseas, while the Tokyo Water App’s English mode does not support international SMS. That combination is exactly why there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

Bottom Line

Yes, you can sometimes sign up for utilities in Japan without a Japanese phone number, but you should not rely on that as your plan. Electricity may go through, gas is harder, and water depends on the city and the sign-up system.

If you are moving soon, check three things in this order:

whether the provider asks for a phone number in the form
whether the system uses Japanese SMS verification
whether staff may need to call you before activation or a visit

If any of those are true, getting a reachable Japanese number early will save time. If not, use the provider’s official web or overseas-contact route and confirm the exact requirements for your address before move-in day.

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