Area Code 1552 – Obihiro, Hokkaido

Overview of Area Code 1552

Area code 1552 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the city of Obihiro and its surrounding areas in the Tokachi subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan. This code is part of the Japanese telephone numbering plan, which adheres to ITU-T E.164 recommendations. Obihiro serves as the commercial and administrative hub of the Tokachi region, and the 1552 area code covers the city itself along with nearby towns such as Makubetsu, Ikeda, and Urahoro. The region is known for its agricultural production, particularly dairy farming and potato cultivation, and hosts the Obihiro Racecourse, famous for its ban'ei (draft horse) racing.

Dialing Formats

When calling a landline in Obihiro from within Japan, subscribers must dial the trunk prefix '0' followed by the area code and the subscriber number. The local number length is typically 6 digits, making the complete domestic format 0-1552-XX-XXXX. For example, a local call to a business in Obihiro would be dialed as 01552-34-5678. From outside Japan, callers must use the international prefix (e.g., '011' from the US, '00' from most European countries) followed by Japan's country code '81', then the area code without the leading '0', and the subscriber number. Thus, the same number would be dialed internationally as +81-1552-34-5678.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

The 1552 area code is administered by NTT East (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East), the regional incumbent carrier for eastern Japan. The service area is defined by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and includes the city of Obihiro, which is the largest city in the Tokachi region, with a population of approximately 165,000. The code also serves the neighboring municipalities of Otofuke, Memuro, and Shihoro, among others. As a geographic code, it is tied to a physical location, and calls are routed over the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or via VoIP services that support geographic numbering.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Currently, there is no overlay code for the 1552 area, meaning that the area code is not shared with other geographic codes. However, as with all Japanese geographic codes, the number of available subscriber lines is finite, and new allocations are managed by the MIC. In recent years, there has been a gradual migration of some subscribers to IP-based services, but the 1552 code remains essential for traditional landline services. For callers within Japan, it is important to note that the leading '0' is used for domestic trunk calls and must be omitted when dialing from abroad. Additionally, when calling from a mobile phone in Japan, the same domestic format applies, but call charges may vary depending on the caller's plan.

Practical Information for Callers

For local callers within the 1552 area, dialing the 6-digit subscriber number alone is sufficient for calls within the same charging group. For callers from other parts of Japan, dial the full domestic number including the area code. International callers should ensure they have the correct country code and area code, and should be aware that international call rates apply. It is also worth noting that some businesses in the area may use IP telephony services that display a different caller ID, but the geographic number remains the official point of contact.