Area Code 1547 – Shiranuka, Hokkaido

Overview of Area Code 1547

Area code 1547 is a geographic numbering plan area (NPA) within the Japanese telephone numbering system, allocated under the international country code +81. It serves the town of Shiranuka and its surrounding administrative district in the Kushiro Subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan. This code is part of the national destination code (NDC) structure defined by the ITU-T E.164 recommendation, which ensures unambiguous international dialing.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The 1547 area code covers the town of Shiranuka, located on the Pacific coast of eastern Hokkaido. The town is known for its dairy farming and scenic coastal landscapes. The numbering area includes the central urban district of Shiranuka as well as the rural communities within the town's administrative boundaries. It does not extend to neighboring towns such as Kushiro or Akkeshi, which have their own distinct area codes.

Dialing Formats and Procedures

For domestic callers within Japan, the number is dialed as 01547 followed by the local subscriber number. The local subscriber number typically consists of 5 digits, resulting in a total national significant number (NSN) length of 10 digits (excluding the trunk prefix '0'). For example, a typical local number might be 01547-2-XXXX.

For international callers, the number must be dialed using the international prefix (e.g., '011' from North America, '00' from most countries), followed by Japan's country code 81, then the area code without the leading '0', and finally the subscriber number. Thus, a complete international dialing sequence would be +81 1547 2 XXXX.

Caller Instructions

• Local callers (within Shiranuka): In most cases, local calls can be made using only the subscriber number without the area code, depending on the specific carrier and dialing plan. However, it is always safe to dial the full national number (01547 + subscriber number) to avoid misrouting.
• Domestic long-distance callers (outside the 1547 area): Dial 01547 followed by the subscriber number.
• International callers: Dial your country's exit code, then 81, then 1547, then the subscriber number. Do not include the leading '0' of the area code.

Overlay and Numbering Plan Considerations

As of the latest ITU-T and MIC (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) data, there is no overlay code for the 1547 area. The numbering plan is closed, meaning the area code is fixed and does not share the region with other codes. Number portability is available for geographic numbers in Japan, allowing subscribers to retain their numbers when switching carriers, but the geographic significance of the code remains unchanged.

Usage and Services

Numbers under 1547 are primarily used for fixed-line PSTN services, including residential and business lines. With the advancement of IP telephony, some VoIP services may also assign numbers from this range, but the geographic association remains for emergency services and caller identification purposes.