How to Create a Japanese Club Recochoku Account (2026 Guide)

Recochoku says its services can be used only inside Japan. Its store, sign-up and My Page, where the code is redeemed, are blocked for connections from outside Japan. If you are not in Japan, expect that you cannot redeem a Recochoku Prepaid code. This guide is based on Recochoku’s own help pages and block page and on the App Store listing, as of October 2026, and uses no customer reports.

What you need

• A Japanese internet connection. From a non-Japanese IP address the store, the sign-up entry and My Page show only a block page: “This site is limited to access from within Japan.”
• An e-mail address without the characters /, + or ?. Addresses with these characters are refused.
• A password of 6 to 18 half-width (normal Latin) letters and digits. It cannot be very simple or the same as your date of birth or e-mail address.
• A free Club Recochoku membership. There is no monthly fee. You pay per item.
• Enough balance for the whole price. Prepaid balance cannot be combined with another payment method, and credit cards must be issued in Japan.
• A PC, if possible. On a PC you download in the browser and need no app. Recochoku lists Windows 11 or later and Mac OS 10.11 or later for the store.
• On a phone, the PlayPASS Music Player app. It is the only way to download on a phone, and it needs iOS 16.0 or later or Android 10.0 or later. The iPhone version is listed only in the Japanese App Store, so you need a Japan-region Apple Account to install it. Whether the Android version installs from a Google Play account outside Japan is not known. The app does not support tablets or iPads.

Recochoku’s help pages do not mention a phone number, SMS code, postal address or ID document for registration. The sign-up form is blocked from outside Japan, so its exact fields are not confirmed.

About VPNs

The block is by IP address, so a customer outside Japan would need a connection through Japan (a VPN) to reach the site at all. Whether that works for sign-up, redeeming, buying and downloading is unknown: we have no reports either way. The help pages we read do not mention VPNs, and Recochoku’s terms could not be opened from outside Japan. The help pages do state that the service cannot be used from outside Japan. We cannot help you find a VPN.

Creating the account

The labels below are in Japanese and come from Recochoku’s help pages. The store opens only on a Japanese connection.

1. Open the Recochoku Store.
2. On a phone, open the ≡ menu at the top left. On a PC, skip this step.
3. Select ログイン・新規会員登録 (Log in / New member registration). On a PC it is at the top right.
4. Select クラブレコチョクに新規登録（無料）する (Register new with Club Recochoku, free).
5. Choose how to register. E-mail is the simplest. The other choices are an Apple Account, a d ACCOUNT or a Yahoo! JAPAN ID.
6. Enter what the form asks for. According to the help pages this includes your e-mail address, a password and a profile: nickname, date of birth, prefecture and gender. The order and the mandatory fields are not confirmed. The prefecture field is for Japanese prefectures; the help pages show no option for outside Japan.
7. Read the terms.
8. Select 同意して登録 (Agree and register).
9. Keep the registration e-mail that arrives from info@mail.recochoku.jp.

Redeeming the code

Your code is a 16-digit card number and a 4-digit PIN. Type carefully: five wrong entries in a row lock the code. The whole value is added at once and cannot be moved back, so check that you are logged in to the right account. My Page opens only on a Japanese connection.

1. Open Recochoku My Page.
2. Log in with your registered e-mail address and password.
3. Select レコチョクプリペイドカード設定 (Recochoku Prepaid Card settings).
4. Select 残高の追加 (Add balance).
5. Enter the 16 digits under カード番号 (Card number).
6. Enter the 4 digits under PIN番号 (PIN).
7. Tick the box to agree to the terms.
8. Select 残高を追加する (Add the balance).

Your balance is shown on the same settings page, under あなたのレコチョクプリペイドカード残高は (Your Recochoku Prepaid Card balance is). Recochoku’s own steps are in its help article on adding balance.

Buying with the balance

1. In the store, choose an item.
2. Select its price.
3. On the payment screen, choose レコチョクプリペイドカード (Recochoku Prepaid Card).
4. Select 次へ進む (Next) and complete the purchase.

Downloading on a PC

1. Open the purchase-complete screen or your purchase history in the browser.
2. Choose the sound quality.
3. Download each track. Tracks download one at a time, also for albums.

Downloading on a phone

1. After buying in the web store, select PlayPASS Musicでダウンロード (Download with PlayPASS Music).
2. Log in to the app with the account that bought the item.
3. Open ダウンロード (Download).
4. Open レコチョク (Recochoku).

Problems and fixes

• Page titled レコチョク海外アクセス制限 (Recochoku overseas access restriction): your connection is not Japanese. Recochoku offers no way around this.
• Card number or PIN rejected: type both again in half-width digits. Other causes are a wrong number, a code that was already used, or an expired code.
• Code locked: this happens after five wrong entries in a row. Recochoku handles it through the contact form at the bottom of this help article. The form asks for the card number, the shop where it was bought, the purchase date, the price and whether you have a receipt. Support is in Japanese.
• すでに登録済み (Already registered) at sign-up: the e-mail address already has an account. Log in, or reset the password. The reset link is valid for 24 hours.
• No e-mail from Recochoku: allow mail from info@mail.recochoku.jp and the domain recochoku.jp.
• Correct e-mail and password refused: check for full-width characters or a pasted space at the end. Type both again by hand.
• Cannot pay with the balance: the balance is lower than the price. Add another code first.
• Purchase missing in the app: usually the app is logged in with a different account. At the bottom right, open 設定 (Settings), then ログイン/ログアウト (Log in / Log out), and log in with the account that bought the item.
• ダウンロード端末台数超過 (Download device limit exceeded): an account can download on up to 10 devices. On a PC, cleared cookies or a private window can count as a new device. In My Page, open ご利用端末一覧 (Device list) and select 解除 (Release). A device can be released only 90 days after its first download.

Rules and limits worth knowing

• Region: Recochoku’s help page states that its services can be used only within Japan and cannot be used from outside Japan.
• Code expiry: Recochoku gives one year from the code’s purchase date. Which date counts for a code bought from us is not stated, so redeem it as soon as you can.
• Balance expiry: one year from the last day you added balance or bought something with balance, whichever is later.
• Balance cap: 500,000 yen.
• Where it works: the Recochoku Store only, for singles, albums and videos. It does not work on Nintendo Switch or on Recochoku Melody, and it cannot buy ring-back tones.
• No returns: Recochoku does not return or exchange prepaid codes.
• Closing the account: any remaining balance can no longer be used.
• Accounts cannot be merged, and only the account that bought an item can download it.
• File formats: AAC for singles and albums, FLAC for hi-res, no MP3.

FAQ

Can I use a Recochoku Prepaid code from outside Japan?

Not by any route Recochoku supports. The site is blocked for non-Japanese connections, and Recochoku says the service is for use within Japan only. If you will not be in Japan soon, and well within a year, do not buy the code.

Do I need a Japanese phone number or credit card?

The help pages mention no phone number for registration, but the sign-up form itself is not confirmed. You do not need a card if your prepaid balance covers the full price. Cards issued outside Japan are not accepted.

Can I pay part with balance and part with a card?

No. Prepaid balance cannot be combined with another payment method. Add enough codes to cover the whole price before you check out.

Can I use it on my iPhone?

You buy in the web store and download in the PlayPASS Music Player app. The app cannot buy, and the phone browser cannot download. The app is listed only in the Japanese App Store. A PC browser avoids the app.

I already have a Club Recochoku account. Can I use it?

The code is added to whichever Club Recochoku account you are logged in to on My Page, so an existing account can be used. My Page is still blocked from outside Japan.

If you are in Japan or will be soon, you can find the codes in our Recochoku Prepaid category. Questions about an order go to support@japan-codes.com.

Last updated: October 2026. Screens and menu names change. If something looks different, check the provider’s help pages linked above.