Japanese phones in United States?

I want to use a Japanese cell phone in the United States. I need to be able to text, take pictures, and make phone calls without any problems. I don't need to use the internet. Is this even possible? I know it’s possible to unlock phones but I don’t fully understand that concept… I love the design of Japanese phones. I’ve also heard they are of better quality than phones sold here in the USA.

Some phones can be used in the US to varying degrees, but you will have to do your homework to figure out which particular models can be unlocked and what carriers they will work on. Taking photos and making phone calls shouldn't be a problem, but as you suspect there may be some issues with texting (mms and/or sms may require some configuring to work). If you don't mind the drawbacks and can handle the technical side of things then go for it. However if you want your phone to just work then you may be sacrificing a lot of function for form.