Rent mobile phone or sim card?

Hi. I am going to Japan in May for 2 weeks and have a few questions regarding renting a cell phone.

1. Should I order a phone now and have it sent to me or rent one at the airport. Which is cheaper?

2. Can I rent a Sim card if I have a 3G phone? Which is cheaper/better?

3. Which company is the best?

4. Most companies seem to offer free incoming calls. Is that ALL incoming? Most of my calls will be incoming from the US does that make any difference? I don't think I will be making any out going calls. So will I only be charged the daily rate?

Thank you so much for the help!

1. Should I order a phone now and have it sent to me or rent one at the airport. Which is cheaper?

Check out this company:
http://www.myjapanphone.com/index.html

They has a good offer right now if you book in March.

But getting a phone at the airport is simple and quick and the prices aren't all that much different. See this page for more info on what's available at Narita:

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/service/list/svc_19.ht...

2. Can I rent a Sim card if I have a 3G phone? Which is cheaper/better?

Yes, I believe it's more expensive than just getting a rental phone. See above links to shop around.

3. Which company is the best?

I've heard good things about
http://www.myjapanphone.com/index.html

But I've never personally used them. I haven't seen much difference in the rental phones except the price which you can shop around for beforehand.

4. Most companies seem to offer free incoming calls. Is that ALL incoming? Most of my calls will be incoming from the US does that make any difference? I don't think I will be making any out going calls. So will I only be charged the daily rate?

Free incoming is standard for rental phones. I would avoid a company that doesn't have free domestic and international incoming as its easy enough to find a company that does offer it. Yes, it would just be the daily rate if you don't make any outgoing calls.

Thank you so much for the help!

You're welcome. See this page for more info concerning phones in Japan:

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

1. Should I order a phone now and have it sent to me or rent one at the airport. Which is cheaper?

You'll need to shop around. The prices can vary a lot and the total cost will depend on how long you'll stay and where you'll have the phone delivered. Some companies charge a little per day with larger delivery rates, while others offer internet booking with airport pickup (and discounted internet rates). It all depends on the specific company. Personally I'd look for one that has internet booking with airport pickup.

But getting a phone at the airport without a reservation is simple and quick and the prices aren't all that much different. See this page for more info on what's available at Narita:

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/service/list/svc_19.ht...

2. Can I rent a Sim card if I have a 3G phone? Which is cheaper/better?

Yes, I believe it's more expensive than just getting a rental phone. See above links to shop around. It may be better depending on your situation.

3. Which company is the best?

I've heard good things about
http://www.myjapanphone.com/index.html
They have a good offer right now if you book in March. But I've never personally used them. I haven't seen much difference in the rental phones except the price which you can shop around for beforehand.

4. Most companies seem to offer free incoming calls. Is that ALL incoming? Most of my calls will be incoming from the US does that make any difference? I don't think I will be making any out going calls. So will I only be charged the daily rate?

Free incoming is standard for rental phones. I would avoid a company that doesn't have free domestic and international incoming as its easy enough to find a company that does offer it. Yes, it would just be the daily rate if you don't make any outgoing calls.

Thank you so much for the help!

You're welcome. See this page for more info concerning phones in Japan:

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