Phone Rental in Japan?
Matt G. writes:
Just saw your post on the cool new KDDI phones and was wondering what you yourself do for a phone if/when you go to Japan. I'm heading there next month and am investigating rentals vs. buying, etc. I won't leave till October 24, and will probably be out there a month or so -- just long enough that I can't go without.The only time I was ever in Japan I just went without a phone, so I'm a lame duck here. Any globe-trotting readers have a good solution for Matt?So far, Go Mobile looks like a good solution: nice phones, decent price. Only problem is you only get 60 minutes talk time till the 75-cents-a-minute pricing kicks in. I'd love to know what your readers think!
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Only advice I can give on this ... I had a great flyer from our plane ticket agency .. sounded really cool and easy .. and when we arrived at the airport, sure enough, THAT offer was not available anymore .. only some other, more expensive offer ...
Other things I had researched at that time wanted to send the phone to an address in Japan ...
that was about a year ago .. I hope things have gotten cheaper / easier now ... otehrwise .. just stay being a lame duck ... but If you are there over new years .. do a fukubukuro (lucky bag) somewhere (preferably apple store, ginza)
Just get a prepaid SIM for an unlocked GSM phone at the airport. I managed to get an unlocked RAZR for $130 which I use as my travel phone (as a bonus, the RAZR can be charged off a computer's USB port).
Or perhaps try: http://www.maxroam.com/
Skype phone?
I use "ABC Rental" when I'm in Japan (partnered with JAL, I think). Cheaper than most, default handset is a crummy but servicable au flip-phone (as of August 2007). As a US consumer I was unprepared for honest, up front pricing with no hidden fees and great service (no, I don't work for them). Even cheaper is sim card rental, in the unlikely event that you have a phone that will work there. Mine did not. Here is a list of all of the rental places at Narita: http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/service/list/svc_19.html
The likelihood of you getting a phone that is anywhere near as cool as what you'll see on gadget sites is slim to none -- but bear in mind that most rental places will cripple the functionality of handsets anyway -- reducing it to simply a phone. No qr code scanning. No google in japanese. Just a phone. With a ui you can't read.
Note: Outgoing calls add up -- incoming calls are free. Text people and have them call you back if they're friends (or at least friends enough to be appreciative of the ~$1 a minute it costs to call them.)
--John
i second what john said.. just rent a phone @ the airport, it is most convenient.. also, if you want to have any hope of meeting up w/ ppl in tokyo.. you will need a phone..
I don't know much about renting phones in Japan, but unless you have a non-tourist Visa and an Alien Registration Card (gaijin card) you won't be able to buy a phone in Japan. They used to let you get by with a passport and a credit card, but that's no longer viable. Prepaids are likely a possibility but even then the major providers, AU, Softbank, Docomo, will provide you with more hassle than you'd like.
I think the best choice for a month long stay is to actually buy a prepaid ketai in a conbeni store with the help of a Japanese friend (As a result of a new law aimed at stopping illegal cell phone use, from april 2006 it is necessary to have some form of Japanese official document to get prepay or new contract cell phone service). You will be able to keep it functioning for several months if you charge it with enough yen.
Go Mobile is cheap because it doesn't have a daily rent but 100 yen per minute for a local call is quite expensive since it's the same international rate I pay to call Japan with my SoftBank keitai when I'm back to Italy...
I just got a 'Softbank' (owned by Yahoo) prepaid cell phone. That is one company that allows you to get a cell without a permanent Japanese address.
Cost me 7500 yen to purchase the phone, and minutes are sold on cards in most convenience stores in 3000 and 5000 yen increments. I was there for 2 months and spent about 30,000 yen total, but the cell was decent and had a clunky but functional English interface. Good deal if you plan on returning to Japan.
Having spent most of last summer (yay college!) in Japan, I recommended MyJapanPhone http://www.myjapanphone.com/ The phone I got was a close to top-of-the-line Softbank. Only downside is that the calls were a little pricy (.60 USD/min for calls within Japan) but with free incoming calls, and free voicemail, its not to bad.
I've used Rentafone Japan once before and had a good experience.
http://www.rentafonejapan.com
My Japanese friends scoffed at the "old" cell phone I was supplied with, however.
If you're planning on coming to Japan on more than one occassion I definately think buying a phone is better in the long run than renting one. I've had three prepaid vodaphones over the years (now softbank) and while the initial payment is steep I think in the long run it balances pretty well.
the 3,000yen cards actually go a long way if you do what Japanese kids do and use your phone primarily for e-mailing. Do your LD via skype and your longer calls at the hotel and one 3,000yen card can easily last a month.
Plus the phone will stay active for six months without replenishment and you can keep your number for another three months without a new card. So even if you come biyearly it's a good deal.
Otherwise it seems any of the cell rental places are about the same. Some weigh better for a short term (daily rate but lower minutes) and some have higher rates with no daily better for longer stays. None of them provide the newer model phones so if it's tricked out tech you want you'd do better to get a friend with a gaijin card to pick you something up on a monthly plan.
Check out Cubic Telecom for your travel needs
I used go mobile.. excellent service, didn't seem very expensive, decen tough phones.
they were also very good when my hotel got changed at the last minute, they tracked me down to my new hotel and got me a new phone asap.
though if you have a 3g phone you seem to be able to get good coverage in tokyo at least.
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You'd be dumb to rent a phone. i did the first time i went.. ended up paying over $300 with RIDICULOUS per minute rates. don't do it.
Get yourself a prepaid phone for Softbank, or maybe AU (KDDI)... i don't remember every seeing someone with a DoCoMo prepaid..
If you don't want the trouble of trying to sign up in a store - you dont have to! People (like me) move out of japan all the time and try and sell their prepaid phones before they go (because they are useless outside japan, except its a cool souvenir - don't get that with a rental) - so you can check these three classifieds, look for something labeled 'prepaid':
http://metropolis.co.jp/classifieds/biz.asp?action=home&pid=29 - i see some from 3000 Yen right there.. this awesome free magazine is available free all around tokyo's hangouts for foreigners too
http://www.gaijinpot.com/classifieds/?search_area=all&search_category=13 - lots of choices...
http://www.tokyonoticeboard.co.jp/classified.html#SWPCTele - this classified magazine is available free all around tokyo's hangouts for foreigners too, too bad its so ugly
thats it... if you happen to be in denmark i have no less than 4 prepaid phones collected from friends leaving the country before i did.
-Sean
I used JAL ABC cell phone rental service back in June and the rates were very reasonable. It was an AU phone - nothing incredible, but it worked fine with some help from a colleague to figure out the menus (I don't read Kanji!).
It's right in Narita airport international terminal. Just don't forget to return the phone before you get on the plane back home, like I did!
Fortunately, Northwest's flight attendant at the gate returned my phone for me and JAL/ABC billed my credit card and sent me a receipt in the mail. My company paid less than $40 for ten days of use. (I don't talk a lot, but I think it was a good deal)
A Softbank purchase can easily be cheaper than a rental. Check into it.
Whatever you do, keep the cost in perspective - with a phone number, you may win friends and influence people in Japan. Without one, you will not.
-Steve-O
Ok, some of these guys have the right idea but they might not know about recent japanese law changes.
To combat the use of illegal phones, you CANNOT purchase a phone, preaid or contract, unless you have a gaijin registration card, which you need to apply for at the ward office of wherever you're staying. You need this card to buy a phone.
To rent a phone, DO NOT rent at the airport, it's expensive.
Myjapanphone is a good choice, as is
http://www.pupuru.com/en/index_en.html
Pupuru for cheap phones.
The easiest way to take a mobile to Japan is get a 3G phone. I have a Nokia N95 and a E61 both are 3G and both work fine in most of Japan. Some rural areas don't have 3G networks. This means you use the same phone and phone number the world over.
As a UK resident the N95 is on T-Mobile and the E61 is on an O2 contract.
If you are intending to be a resident for a period then renting is probably a better solution.
Hello!
I'm a student just out of highschool taking a Gap year and am leaving within the next month as well to Japan!
I was researching phones and which phones worked there since someone told me that GSM phones are a no go.
I'm looking to get the N95 since my Eten X500+ had terrible reception.
I'll be arriving in the Narita airport as well and be spending most of my time in the Tokyo area with people I know there.
Otherwise, when I leave is all dependent upon when Canon announces their bi-annual rebate sales as I've just taken an interest in DSLR photography.
As for the N95 though, even though it's a fantastic phone, that means that we'll have to be spending all of our airtime on roaming charges, is that right? also the people IN Japan who call me will have to be calling a US area code, which may be expensive for both them and myself in the end... no?
Since I assume that the blog owner is yourself and that you have to approve before you post my previous comment, I'd be happy to talk more about your plans in Japan at FlamingSnowman11@gmail.com if you're interested that is.
I'll be there for just over a month as well.
When you are in Japan, go to Yodabashi's camera store, ask anyone they will show you where it is, its the most famous camera store in Japan. Remember to ask for the tax refund, and also an extra discount when buying memory cards etc. with the camera, their lenses are second to none and they have a huge selection for the pro's in their lenses store across the road.
For roaming in Japan, check out this Roaming comparison site: http://www.roamingsims.com/country/japan.php
They list most of the roaming charges and roaming providers in Japan and which roaming sim card is the best to use there too.
Have a fun trip, Japan is amazing..
I rented an MyJapanPhone for my son who was travelling in Japan in March. I was very grateful for the assistance via e-mail that I received from service@myjapanphone.com. We needed to extend the reservation and I had many questions. They were all handled with ease. I appreciate the fact that I could rely on MyJapanPhone service, it was affordable, and flexible terms.
I recommend www.MyJapanPhone.com to the one who would like to rent a phone in Japan, MyJapanPhone sometimes has free rental promotion and you can check it on their latest promotion page.
My friend got a phone through Rentafone Japan
www.rentafonejapan.com
It worked well and not expensive as they program phones with a cheap calling system.
WAY cheaper calls than other other rental companies he looked at.
Also very nice service when he called the number on the back of the phone to ask questions.
My Jpaan Phone in last post above say free rental.... that is if you pay ridiculous shipping charges and a minimum usage fee (and high call charges)!!
I know this entry is very old, but for anyone (like me) who is getting to this site from the first page of Google results even today...BE CAREFUL with gomobile.
I didn't get any surprises because I always read TOS and FAQs thoroughly and therefore I did not sign up with them, however, they want a 50,000yen (that's about 500 dollars...) deposit when you rent a phone through them. They state that it may take up to 2 months after you've returned the phone for them to unblock the 50,000 sum from your account. They don't effectively charge it, but they block it, so it's as good as gone for however long you use the phone, and 2 months thereafter.
To be honest I find that ridiculous.
Also, Softbank no longer sells prepaid phones to people who do not have an alien registration card *with more than 90 days left on it*, so even if you came to Japan as a tourist for 3 months, and then got your visa extended for another 3 months and thus qualified to get an alien registration card, since the renewal (and thus the card) can only be for 90 days, it would *not* work.
The only way are the other 2 companies listed here, unfortunately they don't provide you will cell phone email and don't let you access the internet so if you plan on communicating with any of your Japanese friends while here you're basically screwed since most communication is done by SMS or long mail.