Phone for 10 months

I'm going to be in Japan a little over 10 months and am looking for telephone advice. I have an unlocked iphone 4s that I could use, though I am open to purchasing a new iphone if the contract requires it (though the contract would need to be for under a year).

Any Advice??

Thank you!!

Get a b-mobile sim card.

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

Otherwise there aren't any other companies that offer contracts less than 2 years.

I am teaching for 1 year there and will most likely recontract for another.

I read that contract phones are for 2 years like you said and that if your visa is only for 1 year, even if you say you will recontract for another, they will not give you a contract phone. This is true?

I found that the mobile SIM cards typically do not include data, so for those who are interested, I ended up getting pocket wi-fi and purchasing a Japanese telephone number from skype. This way I can continue to use my iphone and get wi-fi while I am at it.

@ akaifishy
just curious how did u come to conclusion that mobile SIM don�f t come with data?
Only prepaid Softbank fit the above, while others MVNO company (not the major3 Softbank/Docomo/AU ) SIMcards are normally with data but without voice call.
Only recent that MVNO SIM card come with voice and data.

I read that contract phones are for 2 years like you said and that if your visa is only for 1 year, even if you say you will recontract for another, they will not give you a contract phone. This is true?

They will give you a contract, but you may not qualify for subsidies and will have to buy the phone outright.

I found that the mobile SIM cards typically do not include data

There are only a few voice sims available and pretty much only softbank prepaid sims don't include data (while their rental sims do). On the other hand, prepaid data sims are plentiful and as you mentioned, a good option for travellers.

Only recent that MVNO SIM card come with voice and data.

B-mobile has had them for years. They're just not fully prepaid.

I'm in Japan on a 1 year working holiday visa, and they gave me a 2 year contract at Softbank, and I did not have to buy the phone outright.

I'm in Japan on a 1 year working holiday visa, and they gave me a 2 year contract at Softbank, and I did not have to buy the phone outright.

It's ultimately up to the individual store, but in most cases they won't let you make a 2 year contract if your visa doesn't cover the contract period.

be warned that if you signup for 2 year contract and take up the discount for phone , as there will be cancellation fees plus remaining cost of the phobe if you cancel the contract befire 2 year is up.
so if your one year visa is up/ not able to renew the above will cost you..

Yes, the cancellation fee varies among the carriers but is typically around 10,000 yen, while the balance of the phone is the same as what you would be paying out over the life of the contract.

Thanks everyone! I decided to go with the pocket wifi ($65/month) and a skype telephone number (under $5 month) and call subscription ($5/ month) because I wanted to use the phone I have now (it contains all of my language learning materials), didn't want to pay fees when I ultimately break the 2 year contract when my visa is up in 1 year, and would like to have wifi anyways. I have been using this method for almost a month now without any problems, so I recommend it to those who plan on staying in Japan short term. Thanks again for all of the advice though. I have passed it on to others in my research team.

good for you and thank you for your reply/update.
would be nice if you could share information on the pocket wifi that you finally signed up with..
whivh company and the pocket wifi is uours to keep or rental based/need to return once contract finish.

No problem!
The website offers weekly and month to month rental on their devices. I got the faster, more expensive of the two options. There is a four month minimum contract for the cheaper, long term pricing. Then it is pay as you go. They provide the envelope and you just drop it into a mailbox when you are finished with the device.
http://www.letinternetjp.com/en/

That was really helpful since I also will be going to Japan for a year and was despairing over my cellphone situation.

I might do this too...