Area Code 2373 – Murayama, Yamagata

Overview of Area Code 2373

Area code 2373 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) within the Japanese numbering plan, assigned to the Murayama area of Yamagata Prefecture, located in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu. This code is part of the larger Yamagata numbering area, which historically used the prefix 0237. The current 10-digit national significant number format (0 + NDC + subscriber number) applies, with the NDC being 2373 when dialed domestically.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The 2373 area code serves the city of Murayama and its surrounding administrative districts, including former towns such as Oishida and Kahoku (in the Mogami region). The coverage area is primarily rural and mountainous, with Murayama City acting as a local commercial and administrative hub. The region is known for agriculture, sake brewing, and traditional crafts. The code is allocated to fixed-line services, including PSTN and fiber-optic based VoIP services that are registered to a physical address within the geographic area.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For local callers within the same NDC (i.e., dialing another number that also starts with 0237), the trunk prefix 0 and the NDC are often omitted, and only the 5-digit subscriber number is dialed. However, for calls from other areas within Japan, the full national format is required: 0-2373-XX-XXXX. For international callers, the country code for Japan is +81, and the leading 0 of the NDC is dropped. Thus, the international dialing format becomes +81-2373-XX-XXXX.

Example: A local number in Murayama might be 0237-3X-XXXX (domestic) or +81-2373-3X-XXXX (international).

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest ITU-T and MIC (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) updates, there is no overlay code for the 2373 area; the 10-digit numbering is sufficient to meet demand. However, number portability is available for fixed-line services, allowing subscribers to retain their numbers when changing operators within the same geographic area. Calls to 2373 numbers are routed via the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and are subject to standard domestic and international tariffs, depending on the caller's carrier.

For businesses and residents in Murayama, using the correct international format is crucial for receiving calls from abroad. It is also advisable to include the full international number on websites and marketing materials to facilitate global communication.