I’ve been in a Japanese high school for 1 and a half years now. And one thing i noticed is that Japanese people don’t exchange phone numbers when they get to know people. They usually just exchange Line and nothing more. Back where I used to live, we exchanged numbers first because that way most of their socials will be added automatically through the number. I asked one of my Japanese friend about it and she said it was just like a “creepy move”. Is this common thing among Japanese people or is it just my school?
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Yeahh… Asking for phone number.. Big no 😄
You usually don’t need more than LINE in Japan.
If you think about it, why is there a need to exchange phone numbers if everyone has an app you can chat and call on? Plus the app makes it easy to add or block people. I remember phone numbers were a pita and some people would put my phone number on sketchy sites so I would get random texts and calls from people in Africa or Philippines. You can easily prevent this in LINE by changing ID.
Some people don’t have unlimited free texting, so wouldn’t want ransoms texting them all the time. Line is free. Line is more “safe” to share and it’s easier.
Exchanging Instagram is also pretty common. I think a lot of people just kinda want to see how you’re doing and what you’re up to and stuff rather than actually conversing with you, which is easier from SNS vs a phone number.
You might exchange numbers in a professional setting if your number is on your business card. But otherwise, yeah, just LINE.
Line.
Like the others. But I don’t find line very convenient to use, discord is much better but nobody knows it here…
Especially if you are in high school, people would never use phone number to call or message, only line.
I feel like a big plus of living in Japan is: no social pressure to use WhatsApp. Why would I give you my number just to chat for a minute, then never again for 10 years?
This enables a lot of creepy things:
– A person you barely know calling you and interrupting what you’re doing even though you have WhatsApp notifications disabled
– A person you barely know uploading all their contacts to find friends to some new crappy app, effectively leaking your phone number, as well as maybe your mail address, full name and home address
– Getting WhatsApp, SMS and phone call spam because your number was leaked
You may want to treat your phone number closer to the way you use a password than the way you use your full name.
I think the only time I’ve asked a friend of mine in Japan for a phone number was for some guarantee paperwork, and then I didn’t write it down or add it to my phones contact list. I just use LINE or Instagram.
That’s because most people in your country mainly use WhatsApp, which requires a phone number to add a friend.
LINE requires an ID or QR code. Exchanging LINE IDs in Japan is essentially equivalent to exchanging phone numbers in your country.
Additionally, it costs extra to make phone calls with a number, so most people avoid it. Phone numbers are primarily used for SMS confirmation and registration purposes here.
None of my friends know my phone number.
Only companies like Amazon, Yahoo, Apple, etc., have my phone number.
Edit: Telegram doesn’t require a phone number. I removed the description.
The only time I’ve exchanged numbers has been with old people. Even then most of them have had line.
I’ve only asked for a person’s ‘line’ for several years now… I almost never call anyone…
it’s 2023. I used to live in other countries and still visit them regularly and even there nobody cares about the number anymore (just add on messenger/whatsapp/telegram/slgnal/whatever)
I have literally never made a phone call to a friend in Japan.
LINE is just as easy I can text and call for free, why would I need to swap phone numbers?
It’s always Line or emails even for the above 60 group
Phone numbers are **highly** personal here. By asking for it you are asking to become intimate or business partners. Obviously, you aren’t a business man, so it comes off as if you are asking them out.
**People only exchange LINE accounts here.**
you’ll get used to it.
You can make phone calls through LINE and it’s free! Why do we need to exchange phone numbers with colleagues or casual friends?
People sometimes change phone number, they would always use the same line ID. Makes sense if you only have one way to contain friends to make it the way that is the more permanent. What if you go back in your country and cut your phone line? No more contact with your friends who have your phone number, no problem if you have Line contact.
The runaway market cap LINE has in Japan is astonishing. Honestly it would be a fun case study in some college marketing class. How the heck did they market LINE so effectively it became synonymous with your digital identity? LINE is where friends, partners, and even most colleagues communicate with each other. Phone numbers are a relic of the past. Even back when people had flip phones, Japanese phones texted using carrier email services (wrapped up to look like texting) rather than going through the SMS system.
I have known / dated people here for last 10 years and basically never knew anyone’s phone number except if I needed it for paperwork or something. Its just unneeded. Also people just don’t call people since its pay per minute you just use line.
In Japan most people still have to pay for text messages, or at least pay if someone else is on a different carrier. That was my plan. But line is free and you can do way more.
Youths use Line more. No oke contacts each other through their personal number.
Calls and SMS cost money.
Data and apps do not relatively speaking.
Most foreign countries have free calls and sms, Japan does not.
This is common among all Japanese people below the age of 50 now. Not just high-schoolers.
Asking a friend for their phone number is weird in Japan. Just accept it and move on.
Just LINE
I don’t know the phone numbers of most people I know in real life except for some work people and super close friends but even then it’s not like we’re calling or texting back and forth anyway when there are apps like Line and Messenger etc.
Was super creeped out when a friend of a friend pestered me to give them my number despite me not remembering who they were or where I met them. In the several hours at Yoyogi Park and izakaya after, I don’t recall any conversation so what would the point of me giving my number to them be? Thankfully, they have never called or texted.
Even Line, unless it’s someone I know, it feels kind of pointless since I’ll for sure forget who they are. At least with Twitter or Instagram, I can see what they’re up to and interested in.
People don’t think the LINE server fails, or the case of smartphone is lost. Phone number is readable and universal, OP is clever.
As an adult, I’ve not once exchanged numbers with someone. Only Line.
It’s probably considered creepy to ask for a number because then, as you said, you can find them on all their social media. Exchanging Line lets them control your ability to contact them and gather information about them.
You guys exchange phone numbers when you get to know people? Maybe I’m misunderstanding this (I’m not a native English speaker) but why would you give your phone number to someone you barely know?
I’m an American hanging out in the subreddit so please excuse me for butting in a little.
From my experience, I love Line. We use it to talk to my brother in law (who is in Japan) and now it’s what my husband and I use to message each other (instead of regular texting).
I would say just go with the flow. If everyone is using Line, use that. It’s not a slight on you. I think it’s a case of “it’s just how its done”.
I would never think to ask for a phone number. Even back home, it’s all just add a name over social media.
As one comedian once said, the telephone is an app on my phone that I never use.
Australian pitching in here, exchanging phone numbers is extremely uncommon. I didn’t even have my best friends number until recently because I just had never needed it.
Being able to know who people are in line/Facey/insta makes it much easier if they turn out to be a creep and block them. Once someone has your mobile number it’s much easier to track you down on other platforms. As someone who has been stalked for over 20 years by someone I met when I was 13, don’t give out your personal information!
Yeah line is pretty common.
I don’t even consider it creepy. I never use my phone number to CALL people unless it was for non-personal things. (Making reservations, job recruiting, etc etc)
It even makes sense for most phone plans. Most people use data to contact people, and calling/texting is a separate charge.
The /only/ times you need a phone number at all in Japan is when you’re filling out documents which require one, or in emergencies.
I would only give out my phone number to another person if I can see myself needing to contact them in an emergency, or from somewhere where one or both of us had no internet connection (which isn’t many places these days). Basically just my wife.
If I actually intend to chat or call with someone, friends and other family alike, they can use Line.
I’m not sure about in high school age, but at college and beyond no one ever exchanged numbers in Japan. In fact, I don’t think I even have my boyfriend’s actual phone number. But where I lived back in the States it was pretty rare to exchange phone numbers too. Normally we just exchanged Instagrams or Discord and use those to talk, so I’ve never really asked for someone’s actual phone number before unless I’m using them as an emergency contact. I’m not sure there’s any real reason in my experience except for just it’s more convenient and easier to exchange LINE than phone numbers.
I’m not sure. I’ve never actually exchanged phone numbers in either the America or Japan. In the US we just exchanged Insta or Discord (or sometimes Facebook for some people) and in Japan we exchange LINE and Insta. I don’t think I even know my boyfriend’s phone number even though we live together, which I probably should fix in case of emergencies. I’m not sure why you’d need to exchange phone numbers unless you have a reason you need to put down the other person’s number like for emergency contact.
I can’t say for sure, but the only phone numbers I actually have saved in my phone are my wife’s and our daycare’s, and those are basically emergency contacts (I communicate with my wife through LINE and our daycare through the daycare’s app). And I’ve been here for more than 10 years, so take that for what you will. Maybe I’m just antisocial.
That is interesting.
At least from experience, it seems only ever Line or instagram seems to be what is traded versus numbers.
I feel like it is a lot safer that way versus trading numbers and that might be why some people prefer it.
Could also just be that people don’t view phones as phones anymore. At least personally, most of my calls are made on SNS platforms and very rarely do I get a call on my actual phone. So, that could also be a reason.
Yep. It’s normal. Even among adults.
Because phone numbers are considered very private information in Japan. We Japanese usually exchange them when we feel we’ve become close. We do exchange them with business partners, but in that case, we only exchange work numbers, not private ones.
I can understand not exchanging phone numbers since it is kinda tied to many of your accounts be it social media or subscriptions of whatever. In my experience though I have also seen resistance from people in exchanging LINE accounts. It seems like exchanging LINE for people here is more tied to being “closer” with the person you are exchanging with so people are a bit more reserved in that regard. It is more common to exchange Insta accounts in here instead since it has a more casual image from what I can see. But well, in general Japanese people seem to be more protective of their personal info so maybe it is a cultural difference??