Cheap calls to Japan from Australia start at 2.5c a minute on Call Anywhere, plus 99c a call. With no connection fee, Japanese landlines start at 3.4c on Easy Calling and mobiles at 9.6c on Super Deal. Here is every card ranked, the best card for the way you call, and what regular calls cost a month.

Find the Cheapest Card for Your Japanese Calls

Pick landline or mobile and how long you usually talk. The calculator checks every card for that exact call.

Every Card for Japan, Ranked

Each row shows the landline and mobile rate, the connection fee, how the card rounds up your minutes, and what a 20 minute call to a Japanese landline costs.

Card	Landline	Mobile	Connection fee	Billed in	20 min landline call
1. Asian Connection	3.5c/min	15.5c/min	None	2 min blocks	70c
2. Platinum	3.5c/min	25.5c/min	None	1 min blocks	70c
3. Easy Calling	3.4c/min	19.4c/min	None	3 min blocks	71.4c
4. All Seasons	3.4c/min	18.5c/min	None	3 min blocks	71.4c
5. East Star	3.5c/min	21.4c/min	None	3 min blocks	73.5c
6. Day to Day	3.5c/min	19.9c/min	None	3 min blocks	73.5c
7. Super Deal	3.9c/min	9.6c/min	None	3 min blocks	81.9c
8. Golden Banana	4.4c/min	46.4c/min	None	1 min blocks	88c
9. Click Too	4.4c/min	24c/min	None	2 min blocks	88c
10. India Call	4.5c/min	11.2c/min	None	3 min blocks	94.5c
11. Cricket	4.9c/min	16.5c/min	None	2 min blocks	98c
12. Ring Me	2.5c/min	17.5c/min	49c	3 min blocks	$1.01

Top 12 of 36 cards, sorted by the cost of a 20 minute call to a landline. See all 36 cards.

Best Card for the Way You Call

If you make	Best card	Cost per call	Why
Short calls to a landline (5 minutes)	Platinum	17.5c	3.5c/min, no connection fee, 1 min blocks
Short calls to a mobile (5 minutes)	Super Deal	57.6c	9.6c/min, no connection fee, 3 min blocks
Long calls to a landline (1 hour)	Ring Me	$1.99	2.5c/min, 49c a call, 3 min blocks
Long calls to a mobile (1 hour)	Super Deal	$5.76	9.6c/min, no connection fee, 3 min blocks

What Regular Calls Cost a Month

Small differences per minute add up when you call Japan often. These are the cheapest cards for three common calling patterns.

Calling pattern	Best card	About a month
A 10 minute call every day to a mobile	Super Deal	$34.56
Three 20 minute calls a week to a landline	Asian Connection	$9.10
One 1 hour call a week to a mobile	Super Deal	$24.94

A month is counted as 30 days or 4.33 weeks. Prices exclude what your own provider charges for calling the local access number.

Card Sizes and Bonus Credit

Card	Card sizes
Easy Calling	$10, $20, $50 (+$5 bonus)
Super Deal	$5, $10, $20, $50 (+$5 bonus)
Ring Me	$10, $20, $40 (+$3 bonus)

Bigger cards come with bonus credit on some brands. Credit lasts 6 months from your first call or last recharge, and a recharge brings back any credit that has expired.

Start Calling Japan in Three Steps

1. Buy the card online. We email you the PIN and the local access numbers.
2. Dial the access number for your city, then your PIN.
3. Dial 0011 81 and the number without its first 0, then press #. A mobile written 090 1234 5678 becomes 0011 81 90 1234 5678.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to call Japan from Australia?

With a phone card, a 10 minute call to a landline in Japan costs 35c on Asian Connection. A 1 hour call costs $1.99 to a landline on Ring Me and $5.76 to a mobile on Super Deal. Prices include any connection fee and are for calls from a local access number.

What is the cheapest way to call Japan from Australia?

A prepaid phone card is usually cheapest when the person you call is on a normal landline or mobile. The lowest rate is 2.5c a minute on Call Anywhere plus 99c a call. With no connection fee, landlines start at 3.4c on Easy Calling and mobiles at 9.6c on Super Deal.

Do calls to Japanese mobiles cost more than landlines?

Yes. With no connection fee, the lowest rate is 3.4c a minute to a landline on Easy Calling and 9.6c to a mobile on Super Deal. Check the mobile column in the table if you mostly call mobiles.

How do I dial a +81 number from Australia?

Dial 0011 81, then the number without its first 0 if it has one. A mobile written 090 1234 5678 becomes 0011 81 90 1234 5678. On a mobile phone you can type +81 instead of 0011 81.

Is a Japanese telephone card the same as these cards?

No. In Japan a telephone card usually means a card for public phones there. Our cards are for calling Japan from a phone in Australia.

Can I call Japan for free from Australia?

Internet calling apps are free when both people have the same app and a data or Wi-Fi connection. To reach a landline, a basic mobile or someone with weak internet in Japan, a phone card costs a few cents a minute.

Do phone cards expire?

Our cards stay active for 6 months from your first call or your last recharge. A recharge restores any credit that has expired.

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