I'm Going To Japan

Tu_triky wrote:

Oh really? That's interesting...so even if you're staying in Japan on an educational visa you can't purchase a phone, only rent? Naruhodo...learned something new.

I should have been clearer. You need to have a "Alien Registration Card" to be able to purchase a phone. If you're in the country with a student visa, you'll also need to sign up for the registration card if you are going to be there more than 90 days.

As for the costs, it depends on how long you plan to be there. For short term stays of less than a year, it might make sense to get a prepaid phone and not be tied to a contract.

As far as I know only KDDI/au and Softbank have prepaid options. NTT DoCoMo used to have prepaid service, but I think they stopped it. You can go with DoCoMo, KDDI, Softbank for contracts.

dochira wrote:
I should have been clearer. You need to have a "Alien Registration Card" to be able to purchase a phone. If you're in the country with a student visa, you'll also need to sign up for the registration card if you are going to be there more than 90 days.

Ah, yes. The "gaijin card" also known as the enemies of the state card. :beaten:

As for the costs, it depends on how long you plan to be there. For short term stays of less than a year, it might make sense to get a prepaid phone and not be tied to a contract.

That is great advice. :applaud:

You can buy a phone from a vending machine btw.

tabana wrote:You can buy a phone from a vending machine btw.

Wow, that's pretty convenient!

Yup. You can switch carrier and keep your number too for 300‰~. Everything is done in less than an hour.

If you want a cheap phone, you can always go to big stores in Akiba. Sometimes they sell out "old" phones for almost nothing. When I say old, it's actually phone we won't have for another 4 or 5 years over here. :usuck:

Might as well take one with the pay feature. You can buy a lot of things and use it in train station too. :victory:

tabana wrote:Yup. You can switch carrier and keep your number too for 300‰~. Everything is done in less than an hour.

If you want a cheap phone, you can always go to big stores in Akiba. Sometimes they sell out "old" phones for almost nothing. When I say old, it's actually phone we won't have for another 4 or 5 years over here. :usuck:

Might as well take one with the pay feature. You can buy a lot of things and use it in train station too. :victory:

Cool...but I think Sasami is going to live in Hokkaido so I don't know how likely it will be that she can go to Akihabara....

I rented a "keitai" from the Narita airport for 10 days, and it wasn't too much....i talked some, text'd too, and total cost was i'd say under $100 for everything. I plan on renting another for this time, and i went with Soft Bank, the other choice was Docomo.

qilver wrote:I rented a "keitai" from the Narita airport for 10 days, and it wasn't too much....i talked some, text'd too, and total cost was i'd say under $100 for everything. I plan on renting another for this time, and i went with Soft Bank, the other choice was Docomo.

That's good to know...especially since most American phones don't work in Japan.

Tu_triky wrote:


That's good to know...especially since most American phones don't work in Japan.

it was much more convenient to use a rental cell phone, versus fiddle with coins and try to figure out how to dial out on a pay phone, or use a phone card...but of course renting the cell phone isn't for everyone and can be expensive. The rates are high, 210 Yen/min, and 160 Y/text msg, and 105 Yen calls within Japan. I used my phone only sporadically, and it was very convenient. I was happy overall, and even if the keitai didn't have all the features that normal cell phones in japan have, it served its purpose. a flip phone, and i would rent one again. I wouldn't even think about using my regular cell phone, the roaming costs etc are probably even higher than using a rental cell phone.

qilver wrote:
it was much more convenient to use a rental cell phone, versus fiddle with coins and try to figure out how to dial out on a pay phone

Not only that, with the explosion of mobile phone use, the pay phones are slowly disappearing

qilver wrote:
or use a phone card...but of course renting the cell phone isn't for everyone and can be expensive. The rates are high, 210 Yen/min, and 160 Y/text msg, and 105 Yen calls within Japan. I used my phone only sporadically, and it was very convenient. I was happy overall, and even if the keitai didn't have all the features that normal cell phones in japan have, it served its purpose. a flip phone, and i would rent one again.

If you are staying for a couple of weeks and know someone in Japan who is willing to fill out the paperwork, I would recommend purchasing a prepaid phone. There are cheap (very basic) phones from KDDI or Softbank. You can get a phone plus a Y5000 card for around $70-80 and the per minute rates are much cheaper than the rental phones. But you won't be able to use it when you return to the US. Also, consider how often you seem to be going there (lucky....) if you load the phone with Y10000 card, it is valid for 1 year. So if you plan to return in less than a year, you would have a phone to use on your return. Lesser value cards have shorter validity.

qilver wrote:
I wouldn't even think about using my regular cell phone, the roaming costs etc are probably even higher than using a rental cell phone.

And you need to have a phone capable of use in Japan. Not many phones sold here are Japan-capable.

dochira wrote:And you need to have a phone capable of use in Japan. Not many phones sold here are Japan-capable.

Japan-able...? :hehe:

Good seeing you post here, doch. :victory:

dochira wrote:
And you need to have a phone capable of use in Japan. Not many phones sold here are Japan-capable.

all that info, good to know thanks.

i don't really have anyone in Japan that can help me on the cell phones, i don't really know anyone there. But i'd settle on rental, besides it isn't that often that i go, and i probably won't be going for a long while, atleast not in 2009.

I'm going to my cousin's house today for a Birthday Party, so I should be able to find out if I'm going to Japan this summer or not. :woot:

Mommy let's ride!
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Central Tokyo
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Sensoji Temple at night

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Tu_triky wrote:[image]

Spectacular...!

Paris is "The City of Lights," but they should relinquish that title... :victory:

bmwracer wrote:
Spectacular...!

Paris is "The City of Lights," but they should relinquish that title... :victory:

Yeah the photographer Tim Rudder has seem really cool HDR photographs like the one above....the sheer density of lights is crazy.

Too cool for school...makes the little boys drool.

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Tu_triky wrote:Too cool for school...makes the little boys drool.

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LOL! Kawaii!!!!

I wish I was a gansta when I was lil'. It would have saved so much hastle. But nuuuuuuuuu, I was tiny girl with pigtails with her head stuck in the clouds.

Wynter wrote:

LOL! Kawaii!!!!

I wish I was a gansta when I was lil'. It would have saved so much hastle. But nuuuuuuuuu, I was tiny girl with pigtails with her head stuck in the clouds.

This girl is going to grow up to be a rockstar....