Another Phone question.

Hi all. I am hoping that someone can give me some definite answers about this. I have a Nokia phone (the N97 model) and am signed on with Australiafs 3 network. Before I go and get it unlocked, I have a few questions...

Last time I went to Japan, I took my LG phone (signed to the same network) and it worked fine. Of course, it was really, really expensive to use over there on roaming. I am going for a much longer time this time and a lot of the trip will be spent on my own, so I really want an accessible phone that I can use in case of emergencies and also boredom. My phone bill came to a whopping $270 just for six days of random twittering and a few text messages home.

So I guess I want to know if the N97 will work over there and also, if it is possible to get a prepaid card through a Japanese provider? If so, how do I go about it? Or is there another option that I am not considering.

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

The N97 works on the 2100mHz frequency so it should be able to roam fine in Japan. I checked three's international data rates, but they aren't well documented. It seems that you will be charged $20 per text plus your regular fees, and they don't specify other data charges (i.e. internet). See their site here:

http://www.three.com.au/pricing?mod=International

You're probably better off with a softbank prepaid sim, who's data rates are equally ambiguous (data communication is charged by time rather than size for some reason). Their usage guide says that you can only sms other softbank phones however, but you can get unlimited mms for 300 yen/month.

http://mb.softbank.jp/en/prepaid_service/

Yes, 300 yen per month unlimited mail with Softbank prepaid.
You can send SMS using phone number as address to only Softbank BUT you can receive SMS from phones abroad (can't send... or reply).

--- the following I just put on another form reply but relevant here so I copy---
You can also send emails to computers or phones supporting e-mail (e.g. Docomo / AU) and send SMS via email-to-SMS gateway such as
Brastext -
http://www.brastel.com/Pages/eng/SPC_sms/
Maritex -
http://www.maritex.jp/

You can also send e-mail to US phones (and they can reply), and those of some other countries, as long as your know which carrier the recipient use.
The major ones are-
USA
AT&T phonenumber@txt.att.ne
Sprint phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile phonenumber@tmomail.net
Verizon phonenumber@vtext.com
Virgin Mobile USA phonenumber@vmobl.com

UK
O2 phonenumber@o2imail.co.uk
Orange phonenumber@orange.net
T-Mobile phonenumber@t-mobile.uk.net
Vodafone phonenumber@vodafone.net

Canada
Rogers phonenumber@pcs.rogers.com
Virgin Mobile phonenumber@vmobile.ca

Australia
Optus phonenumber@optusmobile.com.au

For a fuller list of carriers, see-
www.notepage.net/smtp.htm
www.tech-faq.com/send-text-messages-free.shtml

... just forgot to point out that you won't be able to get a prepaid SIM for your Nokia phone -from last autumn they no longer will let you have a prepaid SIM without either buying a prepaid phone or taking along a Softbank phone (they now have to register a Softbank phone IMEI to the phone number... although you can change phones later).
Even then , without a gaijin card it will be difficult as thy are not supposed to let non-residents have SIMs