Area Code 298 – Tsuchiura, Ibaraki

Overview of Area Code 298

Area code 298 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) within the Japanese telephone numbering plan, assigned to the city of Tsuchiura and its surrounding areas in Ibaraki Prefecture, located in the Kantō region of Honshu. This code covers Tsuchiura City and the neighboring municipalities of Kasumigaura, Namegata (formerly parts of it), and parts of Ami and Ushiku, serving a population of approximately 300,000 residents. The region is known for its research and educational institutions, including the University of Tsukuba's Tsuchiura campus, and its proximity to Lake Kasumigaura, Japan's second-largest lake.

Dialing Formats

When calling a landline in the Tsuchiura area from within Japan, the national trunk prefix 0 is dialed followed by the area code and the subscriber number. The local subscriber number length is 7 digits, making the complete national number 0-298-XXX-XXXX. For example, a local call to a business in Tsuchiura would be dialed as 0298-XXX-XXXX (the leading 0 is included). However, when calling from outside Japan, the international access code (00 from most countries) is used, followed by Japan's country code 81, and then the area code without the leading 0. Thus, an international caller would dial +81-298-XXX-XXXX. For instance, to call a Tsuchiura number 123-4567 from the United States, you would dial 011 81 298 123 4567.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

The 298 area code is administered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan and is allocated to the Tsuchiura MA (Municipal Area). It is a geographic code, meaning that the tariff for calls to this code is based on the distance from the caller's location. The code is not portable across different geographic regions; it is tied to the physical location of the telephone line. As of recent years, there are no overlay codes planned for this area, so the 298 code remains the sole area code for this region.

Caller Instructions

For local callers within the Tsuchiura area, dialing the 7-digit subscriber number alone is sufficient for calls within the same MA. For callers from other parts of Japan, dial 0-298-XXX-XXXX. For international callers, always drop the leading 0 and use +81 298 XXX XXXX. Be aware that some numbers may be used for fax or data lines, and standard PSTN rules apply. Mobile phones in Japan are assigned separate non-geographic prefixes (e.g., 080, 090) and are not affected by this area code.