How do we use our cell phones in Japan?

Hi there,
Sorry if this has already been covered but if anyone can give me some insight I'd appreciate it.

Basically I will be in Japan for a month and would require two phones. Please tell me which if any is my best option in terms of price/convenience.

-Oh I have a Japanese passport if that makes a difference.
-We need 2 phones (both of us will be in Japan calling eachother).
-We need to receive calls from Canada.

Which is the best option?

1. Phone rental through Pupuru or other companies renting to foreigners.

2. Taking our iphone 3G and Blackberry Bold 9000 3G and do international roaming if that is possible (our carrier in Canada is Fido) and turn international roaming on.

3. Taking our above Unlocked phones and purchasing a pay as you go SIM in Japan.

4. Buying 2 Nokia phones which were mentioned in the thread that work in Japan solely for the purpose of this trip.

Thanks so much!

My provider T-Mobile is offering the Sony Ericsson TM506. This phone is 3G has UMTS/HSDPA 1700/2100 and GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/1800/1900.

Both T-Mobile and Sony Ericsson Customer Service say this phone will work in Japan.

Should I believe them?
Thanks!

Yep the TM506 will roam just fine in Japan. In fact I found several instances of people doing just that in google :)

I've been studying this issue for days & my head is spinning! Every time I think I find a phone that will work in Japan, I find that there are different versions of that phone! I'm finally fixating on the Sony Ericsson TM506. Are there any surprises with this phone that I need to be aware of, or can I assume if it's a TM506, it will work in Japan?? Thanks so much for this post.

I brought some Japanese phones off ebay I think that will be another way around that issue with the phones.

I think that will be another way around that issue with the phones.

What issue are you trying to get around? Note that second hand Japanese phones are locked to their carriers and would likely not work with a foreign SIM card. They may work with a rental sim, however provided that it is obtained from the same company that originally sold the phone.

You'll need a 3G Phone and that's about it. I havent had any problems roaming in Japan. When purchasing the phone see if it's 3G enabled. The IPhone has 3G, but for some reason it routinely fails at connecting to NTT Docomo when roaming, the other operators are fine.

The Sony Xperia X1 connected to both voice and data on Japan's DoCoMo & Softbank Networks. When closer to larger cities like Tokyo or Osaka, the phone automatically went 3G on Softbank. In the more country areas like Chiba, it used DoCoMo's network and the display for data and voice read H.

The phone was using a United States T Mobile sim card with the international roaming service activated prior to embarking for Japan.

These handsets come unlocked and should work with any network's sim card both foreign and domestic. Probably cheaper to get a pay as you go sim card for your phone in Japan. 40 minutes of talk time and about 10 emails cost over $180 which was significantly cheaper than renting a phone. Probably half the cost of renting a softbank phone.

The phone was using a United States T Mobile sim card with the international roaming service activated prior to embarking for Japan.

40 minutes of talk time and about 10 emails cost over $180 which was significantly cheaper than renting a phone. Probably half the cost of renting a softbank phone.

It would probably have been quite a bit cheaper to rent. Rental phones and SIM cards can be found for as little as 100 yen/day with call charges typically being 100 yen/minute outgoing, free incoming, and the average email costing only a few yen. Based on your usage you could probably have spent as little as a third to half of your final bill over a two week trip. Roaming on an international plan is generally a bad idea in Japan, and for most travellers the best option is to rent a cell phone at the airport if they will need a phone. See this page for rental services offered at Narita Airport:

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

Hi, just to make this thread complete.
As i have no need to call home (use skype) and do not have a fancy GSM/celular in normal life i just buy one or two phones in Japan during my trips. So we can keep in touch when we do our own things ( do not like shopping..except for Akihabara but...) end for emergencies.
Softbank (i believe this is the only company, http://mb.softbank.jp/en/prepaid_service/) has a selection of simple to more advanced prepaid telephones with an English manual and partly English menus. Also they have an English speaking helpdesk. The cost for the simples model is about 8000Yen (do not remember the exact amount and it includes 1000Y or so prepaid cost).
The administration takes for some unknown reason a couple of hours (you need a passport and the hotel address.)
The GSM has some functions like email but i never understood how this works (as the manual does not explain all details, just the needed things to use the GSM for telephony).
The prepaid GSM does not have a SIM. Also the subscription ends after about a month if you do not use it. You need to add money to it within a year to be able to use the phone again. This basically means that after the trip you can dump the GSM
It would be nice if a kind of exchange was possible between departing and arrival travellers (most likely not legal because the prepaid phones are tied to a specific name).
There are not to many softbank offices/shops where you can arrange this but i know a shop in Akihabara (a year ago). So if anybody want the address i can look it up (on google maps).
BTW Prepaids are sold in a lot of shops but as foreigner you can buy them only in some designated offices/shops or you need a Japanes resident that vouch for you.
As we will go again to Japan early next year i like to hear if something can be done smarter..

To clarify parts of the previous post:

The cost for the simples model is about 8000Yen (do not remember the exact amount and it includes 1000Y or so prepaid cost).

Handsets start at around 5000 yen and come with no credit. Prepaid credit can be purchased in 3000 and 5000 yen increments and expires 60 days after activation. The phone number expires 360 days after your most recent prepaid credit expires.

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

The administration takes for some unknown reason a couple of hours (you need a passport and the hotel address.)

You should be able to purchase and have your phone up and running in just a few minutes. A few hours is extreme, and it usually take less than 30 minutes to fill out the paperwork and walk away with a functional phone.

The GSM has some functions like email but i never understood how this works (as the manual does not explain all details, just the needed things to use the GSM for telephony).

GSM is a phone protocol, not a handset. Note that Japan doesn't use GSM rather they use the 3G system instead.

The prepaid GSM does not have a SIM.

Again, I'm assuming by GSM you mean handset, and I believe that all models currently offered by Softbank utilize a SIM card.

Also the subscription ends after about a month if you do not use it. You need to add money to it within a year to be able to use the phone again.

As mentioned above, credit expires 60 days after activations, while the phone number expires 360 days after your most recent credit expires.

There are not to many softbank offices/shops where you can arrange this but i know a shop in Akihabara (a year ago). So if anybody want the address i can look it up (on google maps).

BTW Prepaids are sold in a lot of shops but as foreigner you can buy them only in some designated offices/shops or you need a Japanes resident that vouch for you.

Softbank stores in Shibuya, Roppongi, and at Narita Airport are confirmed to only require a passport and hotel address to receive a prepaid phone.

As we will go again to Japan early next year i like to hear if something can be done smarter..

For most people on short stays (less than a month or so) it will be cheaper to get a rental phone instead of a prepaid phone. The calling charges are the same, but rental costs start at around 200 yen/day. Compared to 5000 yen to purchase the handset and the possibility of unused prepaid credit, the prepaid doesn't become a better choice unless you will be using it for 5+ weeks.

Thanks for the clarifications. Remember that what I said was from memory so the amounts and timeframes where just to give an indication how it works.

The cost for the simples model is about 8000Yen (do not remember the exact amount and it includes 1000Y or so prepaid cost).
Handsets start at around 5000 yen and come with no credit. Prepaid credit can be purchased in 3000 and 5000 yen increments and expires 60 days after activation.

5000+3000 makes 8000. So my guess was not that far off. The only difference was the credit.

The administration takes for some unknown reason a couple of hours (you need a passport and the hotel address.)
You should be able to purchase and have your phone up and running in just a few minutes. A few hours is extreme, and it usually take less than 30 minutes to fill out the paperwork and walk away with a functional phone.

I bought 3 times a prepaid phone (one with a Japanese friend). For those 2 other buys I had to come back 2 or 3 hours later so they could process whatever they need to process. I could not wait for it for let�fs say half an hour. The one I bought with my friend was registered on my friend name and took only a few minutes.

GSM is a phone protocol, not a handset. Note that Japan doesn't use GSM rather they use the 3G system instead.

In �emy�f country they normally refer to a handset or a mobile phone or a cell phone or a handy or a whatever as a GSM (whatever the technical details).

The prepaid GSM does not have a SIM.
Again, I'm assuming by GSM you mean handset, and I believe that all models currently offered by Softbank utilize a SIM card.

I opened (out of curiosity and because it had no longer any value) the two models i still have laying around (the third I gave away to my friend) and they definitely do not have a SIM (removable thumbnail card). I believe even that if they had or the new ones have a SIM it is useless. Most likely it will have some proprietary format that you can not use the handheld anywhere else in the world (whatever the protocol) and most likely you can not make the phone SIM-free.

As we will go again to Japan early next year i like to hear if something can be done smarter..

For most people on short stays (less than a month or so) it will be cheaper to get a rental phone instead of a prepaid phone. The calling charges are the same, but rental costs start at around 200 yen/day. Compared to 5000 yen to purchase the handset and the possibility of unused prepaid credit, the prepaid doesn't become a better choice unless you will be using it for 5+ weeks.

Based on a 4 week stay (~30 days, duration of most of my trips) the renting comes to 30*200=6000Yen. I do not how the call per minute price compares between prepaid and the renting. Also I do not know if any extra charges you need to add to the daily rental fee (insurance, administration, deposit etc, return cost if returned at different airport and so on). Maybe somebody can add this to this thread. But for me on my longer trips (1 month) I stick to buying a prepaid (unless somebody comes with a good alternative).

To make the country more tourist friendly, i wish that Japan came up with a cheaper prepaid system. (Last couple days I spent in Germany. There you can buy a prepaid phone for Euro 15,- including 10 Euro credit!! Too bad I could use my normal GSM!!)

Thanks for the clarifications. Remember that what I said was from memory so the amounts and timeframes where just to give an indication how it works.

No problem. You memory was pretty close, and the clarifications are to give you accurate current info so that you and everyone can better plan their trips. I've included a few more below:

I bought 3 times a prepaid phone (one with a Japanese friend). For those 2 other buys I had to come back 2 or 3 hours later so they could process whatever they need to process. I could not wait for it for let�fs say half an hour. The one I bought with my friend was registered on my friend name and took only a few minutes.

I have also purchased numerous prepaid phones. Perhaps it depends on where you are getting it from, but the administration has always taken about 30 minutes for me (the time it took for me to fill out all the paperwork).

In �emy�f country they normally refer to a handset or a mobile phone or a cell phone or a handy or a whatever as a GSM (whatever the technical details).

For the rest of the world however, GSM and 3G is often and confusing issue when figuring out if their phones will work in Japan. Better stick to the actual meaning of the words rather than nicknames that can cause confusion.

I opened (out of curiosity and because it had no longer any value) the two models i still have laying around (the third I gave away to my friend) and they definitely do not have a SIM (removable thumbnail card). I believe even that if they had or the new ones have a SIM it is useless. Most likely it will have some proprietary format that you can not use the handheld anywhere else in the world (whatever the protocol) and most likely you can not make the phone SIM-free.

I don't know how old the models you have are (most likely over a year old if they have expired), but the most current ones do have SIM cards. The one I purchased 3 months ago does. The card appears to be the same one you can rent from softbank meaning that it is likely usable in an unlocked phone, however this would be rather pointless since you can get a prepaid SIM card for less than the cost of the handset/SIM combination. Regarding the handset itself, you are correct in that is likely very difficult to unlock. The concept of unlocking phones is practically unheard of in Japan, and the handsets in general have lots of proprietary functions that break when used on other carriers.

Based on a 4 week stay (~30 days, duration of most of my trips) the renting comes to 30*200=6000Yen.

That is correct. I've also seen a few deals around the net that include two handsets for that price as well, further increasing savings.

I do not how the call per minute price compares between prepaid and the renting.

They are typically the same. Industry standard is approx 100 yen/min domestic outgoing for both methods.

Also I do not know if any extra charges you need to add to the daily rental fee (insurance, administration, deposit etc, return cost if returned at different airport and so on).

Optional fees include insurance and delivery costs. But they are optional. You can get a good idea of all the fees involved for both rental and prepaid from the narita airport site that I posted previously.

Maybe somebody can add this to this thread. But for me on my longer trips (1 month) I stick to buying a prepaid (unless somebody comes with a good alternative).

One month is where it just starts to even out depending on your usage. Just choose what works best for you, and if you prefer a prepaid then go that way. If you travel less than a month, however, then a rental will pretty much always be cheaper.

One of the biggest factors that is often overlooked is unused prepaid credit. With a rental you pay for what you use. While with a prepaid you have to buy in 3000 yen increments. But since usage costs are basically the same, the savings is made when you use the phone longer than 25 days. That is when you will start saving the 200 yen/day rental fee. So a good way to figure out if you are really saving money by going with prepaid phones is to add up the days of your trip over 25 days, multiply by 200 yen/day, and then subtract out whatever leftover credit you had on that trip. That will basically add up to your savings.