KEY POINTSJapan domestic mobile phone shipments fell 49.9% year on year to 243,000 units in June, JEITA reportedSmartphone volumes dropped to 208,000 units, representing 85.5% of total handset shipmentsMobile subscriptions reached 233.1 million in January-March 2026, with 2.24 million net additions in the quarter
JEITA reported Japan’s June mobile phone shipments at 243,000 units, with smartphones making up 85.5%. March-quarter subscriptions reached 233.1 million. Photo by NSYS Group on Unsplash
NSYS Group
Japan’s domestic mobile phone shipments fell sharply in June, with smartphone volumes roughly halving from a year earlier, industry body JEITA said on Aug. 10.
Total handset shipments in June stood at 243,000 units, down 49.9% year on year. Smartphone shipments totaled 208,000 units, down 50.3% from a year earlier, accounting for 85.5% of total handset shipments.
JEITA publishes the monthly shipment data jointly with the Communications and Information network Association of Japan (CIAJ), using a format in place since April 2011. The survey covers mobile phones supplied for both consumer and corporate use, including models for mobile network operators, sub-brands, mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), company-branded devices and OEM models. The broader handset category also includes wireless cards, modules and mobile data communications terminals such as mobile Wi-Fi routers.
Six companies participate in the fiscal 2026 domestic mobile phone shipment survey: NEC Platforms, Kyocera, Kokusai Electric, Sharp, Seiko Solutions and Sony Group. The smartphone survey covers three: Kyocera, Sharp and Sony Group.
JEITA defines smartphones as devices combining mobile phone and personal digital assistant functions, supporting voice calls and web browsing, running an operating system with publicly disclosed specifications, and allowing users to freely add applications. Tablets are excluded.
The release also included quarterly subscription data. Combined mobile subscriptions for NTT Docomo Group, au Group, SoftBank Group and Rakuten Mobile reached 233.117 million in the January-March quarter of 2026, with net additions of 2.244 million — 126.1% of the prior quarter’s level. The cumulative total was 101.0% of the previous quarter-end figure. Subscription data is sourced from the Telecommunications Carriers Association.
Japan’s mobile subscription total exceeds its population, as many users hold multiple contracts for smartphones, data devices and business lines.