Moving in · Practical guide
Update the right address fields after moving, check what still needs a separate procedure and keep the confirmation. Start online—or get help with a Japanese enquiry if your carrier accepts calls.
Direct answer
Check both your contract address and billing address.
Use your carrier’s official account or address-change guide. Select the address fields you need to update, enter the full new address and complete any personal authentication. Review the confirmation and check whether related home internet, home-router or account services need a separate change.
Postal forwarding does not update your carrier’s records. Keep your mobile-address change and postal forwarding as separate items on your moving checklist.
01 · Prepare
Make the new address easy to enter.
- Identify your exact service. Note the carrier, plan and mobile number. A sub-brand may use a different procedure from its parent company.
- Prepare the full address. Include postal code, prefecture, city or ward, street number, building name and room number.
- Decide what changes. Check the contract holder’s address and billing or invoice address. If someone else pays, check the payer’s requirements.
- Keep access to your phone and email. You may need to authenticate through the carrier’s account, app, SMS or email.
- Check the document requirements. If the carrier asks for identification or proof of address, follow its current official instructions personally.
02 · Choose your next step
How would you like to handle it?
03 · Do it yourself
Use the route for your carrier and plan.
| Carrier / service | Start here | Useful check |
|---|---|---|
| NTT DOCOMO | Address-change guide (Japanese) | For standard DOCOMO mobile services, the guide lists online, phone and shop routes. Choose the section for your service. |
| au / UQ mobile | My au address-change FAQ (Japanese) | Read the authentication instructions. A different contract and billing name can require a mailed billing-address procedure. |
| SoftBank | Address-change FAQ (Japanese) | The web route lets you choose address fields. The app procedure is for the billing address; use the appropriate route. |
| Rakuten Mobile | Contract address guide (Japanese) | Use my Rakuten Mobile. Also check the separate billing address guide below. |
| ahamo, another sub-brand or an MVNO | Your service’s own official address-change guide | DOCOMO’s guide directs ahamo users to the ahamo procedure and does not list phone or shop processing for that address change. |
Rakuten Mobile: billing address guide →
Follow the account’s current authentication steps.
au’s guide requires its current app-based two-step authentication and directs applicable mobile users to switch off Wi-Fi and use the mobile network. Follow those instructions on your own device. If you cannot authenticate, use the carrier’s official recovery or support route.
Check address fields and input errors.
Read the confirmation screen before submitting. SoftBank’s web guide says street numbers and building or room details must use full-width letters and numbers. If a form rejects your address, note the error and ask support which format it accepts.
If online processing is unavailable
Use the fallback listed for your exact plan. SoftBank directs the contract holder to chat or a shop when My SoftBank cannot process the change. An online-only plan may not offer telephone processing. Check that route before buying call support.
Ask which addresses need updating
“I moved and want to update my mobile account address. Do I need to change both the contract and invoice addresses? Please explain the process and verification.”
Ask about an error or unavailable online route
“I tried changing the address online, but [message] prevents me from continuing. Which support route applies to my contract, and what should I do next?”
Ask when the change takes effect
“Please confirm the address-change status, which fields changed and when they take effect. Is a separate step needed for pending documents or products?”
Before ending the enquiry, confirm these points.
- The correct service, number and contract holder
- Which address fields were changed or still need action
- Any remaining personal verification, document or consent step
- The effective date and destination of pending mail or orders
- A reference and the appropriate follow-up route
LifeAdmin · Japanese call support
Blocked by an address-change enquiry?
If your carrier accepts a suitable telephone enquiry, LifeAdmin can contact one organization to ask about the required procedure, an error or the status of an existing request. You receive a written English summary of the result and any action still needed.
- ¥2,980 · one organization, one clear purpose
- Up to two call attempts
- Normally reviewed within one business day; calls during Japanese business hours
What we’ll need from you
- The carrier, plan and official telephone enquiry contact
- The contract holder’s name, mobile number and relevant reference
- The old and new address details relevant to your enquiry
- The address fields concerned and any error message
- One clear question and times you can join for consent or verification
Provide relevant details through the task form. Enter passwords, PINs and one-time codes yourself through the carrier’s official process. Upload identity documents only through that process; the carrier may need to speak with you personally.
This is communication support. You personally complete the address submission, account access, verification and required consent. Acceptance, update timing and redirection of mail or products are not guaranteed. A second carrier or separate company is outside this task’s scope.
04 · After the change
Check the record and related services.
Save the confirmation.
Review the updated contract and billing fields in your account. Keep the receipt or completion message. Rakuten Mobile’s contract-address guide says it sends a completion email. Ask your carrier what evidence is available if the status is unclear.
Allow for different update and mailing dates.
au says the contract address updates immediately in My au, while billing information updates from the following day onward. It also notes that mailed statements can follow a later dispatch cycle. Use your carrier’s stated timing rather than assuming all fields and shipments change together.
Check home internet and home-router records separately.
DOCOMO’s related-procedures guide says changing the contract address does not update the d-account address, DOCOMO Hikari / ahamo Hikari relocation or home 5G installation address. au also lists related services requiring separate steps. Check each service you use.
If mail still goes to your old address
Check which address field applies and whether the item was already prepared for dispatch. Ask the company about that item’s permitted next step. Postal forwarding and carrier-account changes have separate purposes.
05 · Keep your move on track
Have you checked every relevant address?
Tick an item once checked. The ticks apply to this visit.
Continue with your moving checklist.
- Arrange postal forwarding →
- Set up home internet at your new address →
- Start electricity, gas and water →
- Leaving Japan? Check mobile cancellation and number-transfer steps →
New home · Internet option
Also choosing a home internet contract?
You can compare BIGLOBE Hikari for your new address. Check availability, current charges, installation timing and contract conditions before applying.
Check BIGLOBE Hikari plans →Affiliate link: VisaSHOGUN may receive a commission if you apply through it.
Questions
Mobile address changes: common questions
Does postal forwarding change my mobile account address?
Complete the carrier’s own address procedure as well as postal forwarding. Review the updated record in your account.
Are contract and billing addresses always the same field?
Carriers may maintain them separately. Select and check the relevant fields, especially when the payer differs from the contract holder.
Will related home internet or account services update automatically?
Check each service separately. DOCOMO and au list related services needing additional procedures.
Can I change an ahamo address by phone?
DOCOMO’s guide directs ahamo address changes to its online procedure and does not list phone or shop processing for that task.
Can LifeAdmin log in or complete verification for me?
No. LifeAdmin communicates and confirms a suitable telephone enquiry. You complete account access, submission and verification personally.
One clear next step
Unsure which address procedure applies?
Check your exact plan and support route. If a Japanese call is needed, LifeAdmin can communicate your question and confirm the next step.
Get address-change enquiry help →Before buying, check what we’ll need from you.
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Official sources
Checked 5 October 2026. Follow the current instructions for your exact plan.