Prepaid mobiles - once again

Hello.

So I'm planning to go to Japan in August for about four weeks and I think it would be safer to have a mobile, so I can contact friends if I'm too late or something.

I still have two older mobiles from my one year in Japan. One is from kddi, and was originally a contract-mobile. And the other one is from vodafone (don't know why they still sold it back in August 2006) and was a prepaid mobile.

I was wondering if somehow it would be possible to just use these old mobiles with a new number in prepaid-mode again. I know japanese mobiles don't have a sim-card... so I'm not sure if it would work. But I hope that this way it would be cheaper, than buying a third japanese mobile.

If it won't work, what are currently the cheapest offers for a prepaid-mobile? My friends (who hold an alien registration card) would help me to apply for one of these,so I shouldn't have problems get a prepaid mobile that way :)


I would be realyl happy about some answers.

Tina

I was wondering if somehow it would be possible to just use these old mobiles with a new number in prepaid-mode again.

It depends on your phone model.
Not all contract models can be used as prepaid.

As "meringue" said: It depends on the model.

Btw. what do you mean by "it would be safer"? - I think that Tokyo is extremely safe compared to other big cities around the world. (or maybe i got you wrong?)

Have a good trip.

Thanks a lot for your answer ^^

Thomas: you got me wrong ^^ I only meant it in case I want to meet someone and am too late or don't find the person right away :)
And oh well maybe just in case, when I'm stuck somewhere in the wilderness of Tokyo, Kyoto or Hiroshima...it could be usefull XD
( I swear me and my gfriends almost got lost once in the one temple area in Kyoto!)

Uhm the phone from vodafone is that ugly yellow thing, I saw it on the Softbank-page yesterday as well. It's the Sharp V302SH.

Just in case it won't work. What does a set with mobile and prepaid card (3000yen) cost right now? Couldn't find any prices on the homepages :-/

I forgot an important thing.

SoftBank Mobile terminated new 2G subscription (both prepaid/postpaid) on March 2008. So your V302SH can no longer be used.
They now offer 3G prepaid phones.
http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/en/prepaid/3G/

If I were you, I'd just rent a cell phone or go without a phone, it will surely save you the headache especially if you're only going for a month or so.

I mean (as ancient as this may sound) public phones are still around and you can always call your friends in case of emergencies.

Meringue: Ok, thanks a lot :) At least I can leave the phone here and save the space and weight for other little things.

Garret: well I did a bit of calculation. And for about four weeks a rented phone would be about 9000yen plus costs for calling. If the prices for prepaid phones are about the same as two years before I'll pay like 7000yen and already have 3000 yen for calling and sending messages. And my friend might pay half the price for the phone itself, cause she wants to use it later as well (shortly before she leaves Japan and has to give back her contract phone)

Well thanks a lot for the help ^^ I safes me the time to find out all these things in Japan.