The dreaded phone and wifi question

Part one: I'm gonna be in Japan for a year and I can't use my phone for calls there. I'll most likely need one for calls from jobs, and I found http://rentafonejapan.com which seems to be the cheapest option for renting long term. Would I be better off renting from them, or buying an old phone from somewhere like Sofmap to use for just to make/receive domestic voice calls? If i did that, where would I get a simple pre-paid sim that'd work with whatever phone I end up with? (I'll probably aim for something from Softbank or Docomo.)

Part two: I'd like to use my iPhone there, just for the internet, so I need to rent a personal wifi thing, again long term. Anyone know any places that charge a friendly, flat monthly fee? renting one from rentaphone would cost me a bit more than I expected, making it kind of debatable about how worth it it is for the price.

I know everyone asks about phones and wifi, because they're very useful things that work very differently in Japan VS the UK/US. I've looked around for answers elsewhere but haven't come across these specific questions.

Thanks amigos.

I'll most likely need one for calls from jobs, and I found http://rentafonejapan.com which seems to be the cheapest option for renting long term.

The cheapest option for long term is to get a Softbank prepaid phone. One year can be done for less than 25000 yen vs around more than 2-5x as much for a rental phone. They come with unlimited email, but no internet connection.

Would I be better off renting from them, or buying an old phone from somewhere like Sofmap to use for just to make/receive domestic voice calls? If i did that, where would I get a simple pre-paid sim that'd work with whatever phone I end up with? (I'll probably aim for something from Softbank or Docomo.)

Prepaid voice sims are not common. They are pretty much only offered by Softbank and are cheapest and easiest to get in combination with a prepaid phone, so if you want to go this route then just get the prepaid phone. Again, no internet.

If you need voice and internet, then consider a voice/data sim from b-mobile. The last time I priced them they were about 7000 yen per month including unlimited data. Voice was charged by the minute.

Part two: I'd like to use my iPhone there, just for the internet, so I need to rent a personal wifi thing, again long term. Anyone know any places that charge a friendly, flat monthly fee?

Look up long term wifi rental on the forum. There was one service mentioned that was aimed at residents and was pretty cheap over a year.

1. Are the calls from work from the USA or not? If they are, install a Google Voice app or alternative and you get a free USA number they can reach you at.

2. If it's from Japan phone numbers, you can always see if you can buy a MNVO sim card (a sim sold by a non-carrier). There are tons, like Bic SIM http://www.biccamera.com/bicbic/jsp/w/service/bicsim/onsei.jsp Allows you to text, call, and data.

Yahoo and others, too. https://store.ymobile.jp/sim/

3. You simply unlock your iPhone prior to leaving (call your current carrier to arrange this), make sure the iPhone has frequency support for Japan (typically, if iPhone 4 or newer, yes), and simply pop in the MNVO sim card when you get here.

4. If you must, get a native/resident to help buy the MNVO sim for you.

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5. Otherwise, simply go WiFi only with Skype and a Skype Japan phone number plan. Anyone can call you when you're in a wifi zone (or near a wifi portable hotspot). Friends here in the US have been able to get away with this for over a year - they're always at home, at work, or at school where there is wifi. When driving (thus can't take the call), no problems when they don't pickup.

But in Japan, you'll find that most friends have LINE. Simply signup for it and you'll be able to call friends all day long over wifi.

If you need voice and internet, then consider a voice/data sim from b-mobile. The last time I priced them they were about 7000 yen per month including unlimited data. Voice was charged by the minute.

That must have been a while ago. ;) Currently, you get that for 2780 yen (and voice then costs 20 yen per 30 seconds).

http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/bmsim/index.html

That must have been a while ago. ;) Currently, you get that for 2780 yen (and voice then costs 20 yen per 30 seconds).

Thanks, yea it's been a few months and in the meantime a lot of new products came out that really drove the price down. I'll keep these new 3000 yen offerings from bic and b-mobile in mind in the future.

Just a few more quick comments:

1. Are the calls from work from the USA or not? If they are, install a Google Voice app or alternative and you get a free USA number they can reach you at.

I do the same thing to receive calls from my family. Note that I do not consider this a reliable way of receiving calls. They don't ring as normal (calls go via the google hangouts app) and don't reliably connect through. On the other hand its a cheap option if you are planning to go with some sort of mobile data plan only.

But note that receiving calls on Japanese mobiles is free, even from international numbers.

4. If you must, get a native/resident to help buy the MNVO sim for you.

Presumably they would be a resident if they are on a visa that allows them to stay for one year, so they could purchase this themselves.

5. Otherwise, simply go WiFi only with Skype and a Skype Japan phone number plan. Anyone can call you when you're in a wifi zone (or near a wifi portable hotspot). Friends here in the US have been able to get away with this for over a year - they're always at home, at work, or at school where there is wifi. When driving (thus can't take the call), no problems when they don't pickup.

I've also done this, and it comes with several caveats. I find Skype a more reliable than google voice, but it can be problematic to need to be near wifi to receive/place calls. So this may be an option as long as you will reliably be spending time in a hotspot, and it is not vital that you are always reachable. If you must take calls for work while outside of your office or home then I don't recommend this method.

I won't be getting work calls from home (The UK) but I figured I'd need a phone number to apply for jobs and receive calls from them. The place I'm staying doesn't have a landline. I can't use my iPhone there because (At least according to one place I looked) your phone needs to display a certain logo indicating that it'll work in Japan, which mine doesn't. Maybe British phones are on a different frequency or...something...?

I'll be on a year's working holiday visa, so the prepaid phone from softmap combined with the b-mobile sim sounds like the best option from what you guys have said (Thanks!)... Would that work? I can't read Japanese, so I can't read the b-mobile link!

I can't use my iPhone there because (At least according to one place I looked) your phone needs to display a certain logo indicating that it'll work in Japan, which mine doesn't. Maybe British phones are on a different frequency or...something...?

The mark that they are referring to is just that the model has been validated for compatibility, and it's a common misconception that your phone must have that mark to work in Japan. Modern foreign phones generally are not validated, but typically still work as long as they are unlocked.

I'll be on a year's working holiday visa, so the prepaid phone from softmap combined with the b-mobile sim sounds like the best option from what you guys have said

I suppose you mean a SoftBANK prepaid? Note that a prepaid and a b-mobile voice/data sim would be redundant. In that case just get the b-mobile sim card which you can probably use in your iphone (model, carrier?).

I have an iPhone 5c. I have no clue if it's locked to the carrier I use at home (O2) or not O_O If it is, is there a way to unlock it in Japan?

Ah! I can unlock my phone here easily! So the b-mobile sim would be the best after all! Thanks everyone :3 Is there an English page for the unlimited data sim you guys mentioned that's around 3000y a month? The only English page i found from bmobile had different sims on it for short visits.

No, there is no English page for those products, you will probably need to have a Japanese speaker help you with this because you will also need to submit a copy of your resident card as a proof of identity.

Also, payment is by credit card only, so don't cancel your home credit card while in Japan because on a WH visa it will probably be impossible to obtain a Japanese one.

I don't have a credit card at all! It's Visa Debit. I'm required to get a residence card from the government office within 14 days of arriving, will that work? I don't have any Japanese contacts at the moment so if not, I gotta go back a few steps.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00QQ4GRFG
Hold on! Is this the one!? Couldn't I jus get it from here?

A Visa debit card should work too. All Visas, Mastercards, etc. are considered credit cards in Japan even if they're actually debit because Japanese debit cards work on a completely different network.

If you arrive at Narita, Haneda, Chubu or Kansai airports, you should get your resident card immediately. But even if you don't, when you go register at the city hall you can ask for copies of your residency certificate, which work as well.

Where are you planning to stay in Japan? You probably won't have a standard private apartment, or at least not right away, so you will probably stay at a guest house or some similar establishment, where the staff should be happy to assist you with this.

Even if you get a b-mobile card from Amazon or another seller, you still have to go through b-mobile for the activation process and your monthly payments.

That's a good idea!
I'll be living in a gaijin house run by Sakura house, so perhaps I can ask the staff at their office to help me with it, or maybe someone from Hello Work. I'll be staying a year on a working holiday visa and I'll get in at Narita. Thanks so much for your help everyone, I've seen this topic all over the place so I appreciate your patience and help!

On a general tech point, a UK 3G phone should work on Japan's 3G network. I have a Japanese flip phone that works in the UK with a Vodafone SIM and a Nokia 515 that works in Japan. Just double-check the frequencies.

4G may be more of a problem.

However, if you want the Japanese extras, 1seg TV, quake alert, Mobile FeliCa etc, you'll need a Japanese phone.