Area Code 2484 – Shirakawa, Fukushima

Geographic Overview

The area code +81 2484 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the Shirakawa region in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. This code is part of the Japanese numbering plan administered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and follows ITU-T E.164 recommendations. Shirakawa is a historic city located in the southern part of Fukushima, known for its well-preserved Edo-period castle ruins and as a gateway to the Tohoku region.

Coverage and Jurisdiction

The +81 2484 prefix covers the city of Shirakawa and its surrounding administrative areas, including parts of the Nishigo and Izumizaki villages. It is a geographic code, meaning that calls are routed based on the physical location of the telephone line. The region is served by NTT East, the regional incumbent carrier, and other telecommunication providers that interconnect with the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

Dialing Formats

For local calls within the Shirakawa area, callers can dial the subscriber number directly without the area code, provided the call remains within the same charging group. However, for calls from other parts of Japan, the full national format must be used: 02484-X-XXXX (where X-XXXX is the subscriber number). Internationally, callers should dial +81 2484 X-XXXX from most countries, replacing the leading zero with the country code. For example, a typical Shirakawa number might be +81 2484 12-3456.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Currently, there is no overlay plan for the 2484 area code, meaning that the area code is not shared with other codes in the same geographic region. The subscriber number length within this NDC is typically 6 digits, making the total national significant number (NSN) 10 digits when including the area code (excluding the trunk prefix 0). This is consistent with Japan's closed numbering plan.

Caller Instructions

For callers within Japan, if you are dialing from outside the Shirakawa area, you must prefix the number with 0 (trunk prefix) followed by the area code 2484. For example, from Tokyo, you would dial 02484-12-3456. For international callers, replace the leading 0 with +81, so the number becomes +81 2484 12-3456. It is important to note that when dialing from a mobile phone in Japan, the same national format applies, but the call will be routed as a geographic call and may incur long-distance charges depending on your plan.

Practical Usage

Businesses and residents in Shirakawa use this code for fixed-line services, including PSTN and IP-based telephony. The code is not used for mobile services, which have their own non-geographic prefixes (e.g., 080, 090). If you are trying to reach a mobile number in Shirakawa, you must use the mobile prefix instead. For fax and data lines, the same dialing rules apply.