buying mobile phone from Japan

Hi all,
I'm from Malaysia, and will be traveling to Japan this June with few of my friends. One of the item that i'm dying to buy while in Japan is a mobile phone.
So, before the day of my traveling day, i would like to know if it is possible for me to buy a mobile phone that can be use in my country (Malaysia).
Probably any of you readers here could suggest to me the phone model so i can find it easily while i''m in Japan later.
Thank you very much!

I donLt know what kind of net is used in Malaysia, but in general terms Japanese phones cannot be used outside, except for 3G phones; but anyway, you may still lose some uses of your new phone like internet connection or TV since phones in Japan are sold with the idea to be used together with a Japanese provider. So thatLs it.

You won't lose internet, it is based off of networks. If it is a 3G international phone yes any phone will work there (as long as it says international lol). I have a stupid Softbank phone and it is 3G worked in Korea along with the internet. TV is a different thing, because it is tuning off into different frequencies.

thanks for the info, Malaysia do have providers that support 3G phone, if that is what you mean Aerond. So, does that mean i can buy one and use it here in Malaysia? I'm interested with this new model from Sony Ericsson, W54S, but i don't know whether it can be use here. And, do they use the same SIM like in Malaysia?

Thank you for your help

Lissa,

As far as I know, you cannot buy a mobile phone in Japan unless you actually live in Japan.

What you cannot buy are SIM cards if youLre not a resident, but you can freely buy and use mobile phones :)

Aerond wrote:

What you cannot buy are SIM cards if youLre not a resident, but you can freely buy and use mobile phones :)

I wonder if we are talking about the same country here?

This is just my experience at one store, but they would not let me buy a phone without signing up for a contract. And you need to be a resident to sign up for a contract.

What you cannot buy are SIM cards if youLre not a resident, but you can freely buy and use mobile phones :)

SIM cards are not sold at all in Japan as Japanese phones don't use them. However you can rent SIM cards (for use in Japan on your own phone) at Narita Airport.

Non-residents cannot buy mobile phones in Japan. You can only rent them.

Japanese mobile phones will work in Malaysia when used with a Japanese Service provider. It is completely different to use a Japanese mobile with a Malaysian service provider and will be difficult, if not impossible, to do so.

See this page for more information on phones in Japan:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2223_top.html

You can buy unlocked cellphones in Japan. Just make sure it is a dual mode phone (both GSM/CDMA).

Your best bet is to try looking at some of the shops that advertise 'Duty Free' in Akihabara.

If you do manage to get a dual mode phone, you might have to reset the network setting to seek out a GSM signal, as most Japanese phones default to CDMA.

BTW I am writing this on a Softbank 911T from the U.S.

"Japanese Cellular Phones FAQ"
http://euc.jp/misc/cellphones.en.html

Can I buy a GSM phone in Japan? Is it cheap?
http://euc.jp/misc/cellphones.en.html#gsm


"You will be disappointed if you are expecting that GSM phones may be also cheap in Japan like other electric items."

Warui wrote:
You can buy unlocked cellphones in Japan. Just make sure it is a dual mode phone (both GSM/CDMA)

thanks for the reply, but do the phones you mentioned above using a SIM card?? i still have confusion over mobile phones in Japan, whether or not I can buy one that can be able to use in my country. Thank you for your help