Telephone cards (teleca) are prepaid magnetic cards for public phones. NTT launched them in 1982, and the two general types still sold carry 50 and 105 units, with face values of 500 yen and 1,000 yen respectively (NTT East, as of 2026). One unit is worth 10 yen, which buys 56 seconds of local-area calling anywhere in Japan. The 105-unit card packed 1,050 yen of calling into a 1,000 yen purchase, so the larger card was the better buy. Remaining units drop as you talk.
In the 1980s-90s, telephone cards were a cultural phenomenon. Idol and anime character designs became collector's items, with limited editions trading at premium prices. Used widely as corporate promotions and souvenirs, annual sales peaked at about 403.53 million cards in fiscal 1995 (sales value peaked at about 279.3 billion yen in fiscal 1994).
Mobile phone adoption devastated demand, yet NTT East and NTT West still design and sell general-issue (ready-made) cards as of 2026. Unused cards can be applied to your phone bill, but not over a counter: you print an application form and an address label and mail the cards in. With NTT East, unused 500 yen and 1,000 yen cards qualify for lines such as subscriber telephone, ISDN, and Hikari Denwa, and a 55 yen (tax included) handling fee applies per magnetic card (NTT East, as of 2026). For NTT West lines, check that company's own guidance. High-value 3,000 yen and 5,000 yen cards must first be swapped for 500 yen or 1,000 yen cards at the telephone card exchange center. Ticket shops buy cards at roughly 70-90% of face value, depending on design and condition.
During disasters, public phones are a lifeline, but a telephone card alone is a risky plan. Emergency calls to 110, 118, and 119 go through without coins or a card, yet a power outage disables magnetic telephone cards and leaves only 10 yen coins (NTT East, as of 2026). When calls are made free after a disaster, phones without the red emergency button connect as soon as you dial, while phones with the red button still need a coin or card up front (both come back when you hang up). The safest kit is one telephone card plus a handful of 10 yen coins. See disaster public phone guide.