Buying a prepaid Softbank phone

I'm staying in Fukuoka for 84 days and need a phone preferably with some data and texting or a fair amount of data so I can message people on an app. I feel that buying a new phone and using a prepaid card may be a bit cheaper (also considering that my phone is not doing so well it might be smarter). I've been looking at this softbank page http://www.softbank.jp/en/mobile/price_plan/prepaid/ but I'm not sure if my understanding is correct. The 30 day plan is \7000 and includes data, correct? All I woud need to do is buy the softbank smartphone and a prepaid card and top it up every 30 days?

Make sure got get their comprehensive instruction book in English.

You have to activate your payment account online before you leave Japan. The instructions aren't always that clear.

Once you do that, you can reload your phone online from anywhere.

If you don't top off your account within, say a year, or set up your payment account online before leaving Japan, the phone becomes useless, and you can never re-activate it.

On the other hand, if you don't plan to visit Japan again any time soon, paying for load to keep the phone activated will soon cost more than simply buying a new phone the next time you get there.

I've found that all the phone models on their web site are usually not available, and you are lucky if there are even two choices when you go to buy. Since all you want is a basic phone, this usually isn't a problem -- just don't get your hopes up that the model you like the best will be available.

I've bought Softbank phones in Osaka and Tokyo, and there has never been a problem, as long as you go to an official Softbank store. If you go to a random phone shop, they will likely tell you that there is no such thing as what you are asking for.