Area Code 1559 – Obihiro, Hokkaido

Overview of Area Code 1559

Area code 1559 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) within the Japanese telephone numbering plan, specifically allocated to the city of Obihiro and its surrounding areas in the Tokachi subprefecture of Hokkaido. This code is part of the broader 0155 numbering area, which covers several cities and towns in the region. The 0155 area code serves Obihiro, Otofuke, Makubetsu, and other nearby municipalities, with 1559 being one of the local exchange prefixes within this NDC.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

Obihiro is the administrative and economic center of the Tokachi region, located in southeastern Hokkaido. The city is known for its agricultural production, particularly dairy farming and potato cultivation. The 0155 area code is administered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and is assigned to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East (NTT East) for landline services. The prefix 1559 is used for specific central office codes within Obihiro, connecting subscribers to the local PSTN.

Dialing Formats

For local calls within the 0155 area, subscribers can dial the subscriber number without the area code. However, for calls from outside the 0155 area but within Japan, the full national format is used: 0155-59-XXXX (where XXXX is the subscriber number). For international callers, the format is +81 1559-XXXXXX (note that the leading '0' is dropped). For example, a local number in Obihiro might be 0155-59-1234, which would be dialed as +81 1559-1234 from abroad.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Currently, there is no overlay code for the 0155 area, meaning that the area code is not shared with another NDC. However, number portability is available for fixed-line services, allowing subscribers to retain their numbers when switching carriers. This does not affect the geographic assignment of the prefix.

Caller Instructions

For callers within Obihiro or the Tokachi region, simply dial the 6-digit subscriber number (e.g., 59-1234). For callers from other parts of Japan, dial 0155-59-XXXX. International callers should dial +81 1559-XXXXXX (or the international access code of their country, followed by 81 1559...). It is important to note that Japanese numbers are typically 10 digits in total when including the area code, but the subscriber number length may vary.

Usage and Services

The 1559 prefix is primarily used for fixed-line telephone services, including residential and business lines. It is also used for ISDN and some VoIP services that are geographically tied to the area. As with all geographic codes, the prefix does not indicate a specific carrier; it is part of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) infrastructure.