Telephone cards (teleca) are prepaid cards for public phones. Launched by NTT in 1982, they sold nearly 400 million cards a year during the 1990s, peaking at about 403.53 million in fiscal 1995 (NTT East and West combined, per the NTT East databook). Idol and anime designs made them popular collector's items.
Available in 50-unit (500 yen face value) and 105-unit (1,000 yen face value) denominations, where one unit is worth 10 yen and covers about 56 seconds of local-area calling (NTT East, as of 2026). The 105-unit card therefore buys 1,050 yen worth of units for 1,000 yen, a small bulk discount. Units decrease during calls until the card is empty.
Mobile phones drastically reduced public phone usage, but public phones remain crucial during disasters when mobile networks are congested. Public phones are exempt from disaster call restrictions, connecting preferentially. Carrying one telephone card provides emergency communication capability.
Unused cards can be applied to NTT phone bills or traded at ticket shops for roughly 70-90% of face value, depending on design and condition.