NTT DoCoMo overtook rival KDDI in net mobile phone subscription numbers in July for the first time in three months, an industry body said.
DoCoMo posted a net rise, the number of fresh subscription contracts minus that of cancellations, of 191,400, compared with KDDI's 165,000, the Telecommunications Carriers Association said.
Association officials attributed DoCoMo's greater popularity to its enhanced mobile phone lineup, including handsets designed to satisfy the needs of the elderly and children.
Among mobile phone brands, KDDI's 'au' service posted a net rise of 303,100, but its Tu-Ka service suffered a net fall of 138,100, the association said. KDDI stopped concluding contracts for the Tu-Ka service at the end of June.
Vodafone posted a net increase of 27,400.
Softbank acquired Vodafone K.K., the operator of the namesake service in Japan, from Britain's Vodafone Group. in April and plans to rename it Softbank Mobile on October 1.
Wilcom Inc. posted a net increase of 65,500 for its personal handy-phone service.