Communications In Japan

[pear]

Hi Guys,

I've heard mixed messages regarding using our mobile phones in Japan.

I've got an iPhone on a vodafone plan, will it work over there? also have a nokia 6110 Navigator.

2nd, Wireless Internet access - I know some cities in Asia have large areas of "Free" wireless internet.

I'm travelling to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo. what's the deal?

if free is hard to find, is there providers you would recommend or stay away from?

Cheers

[wrxkilla]

I called my provider 3 today and they have set up my mobile will roam fine in Japan when I leave on Sat.

I think it may be mixed messages from the past with people taking older phones over when Japan is 3G network?

[elrodeo666]

I was in Oz last year and iphone was sweet there and have been bouncing to Korea and Tawain this year and global roaming sweet as there too so you should have no problems here but turn off Location and Data roaming otherwise you will be up for a fortune. When I'm o/seas I just turn data roam on to download mail and then switch it off.

Trust me , I did trip to Oz and got stung ￥150,000 for a months bill. I used my phone like I do here and got caned!!

Wifire is everywhere, some fre some not. Usually pretty cheap if you have to pay. Find a internet cafe and you'll be sweet if you need alot of internet access and chat up the candy while your there, you never know your luck!

[RBwhatever]

When I went over none of our phones worked. We were all with telstra, and telstra said yeah it'll work......it didn't.

Anyway the deal is, you've got to hire a phone when you get there.

Docomo, au by KDDI and SoftBank are the main mobile service providers. And don't try and buy one of their phones, it won't work back in australia.

more info here:http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2223.html

[Mr. Keets]

Newer 3G/quad band type phones should work, 2100Mhz is what you need, just make sure your account is set up for roaming.. The other option is to hire one, which is what I did. A bit pricey but it arrived at my hotel ready to use and it was all done via credit card.

[sleeper_et]

Phone wise can't give much advice but for wireless download net stumbler and walk around.

What I found was that not many people lock down their wireless network so you will probably be able to find some 'complimentary' wireless near any

bigger buildings.

[pear]

thanks guys.

I have global roaming turned on and both phones support 3G, so should be fine.

with free wireless, I'll be trying Skype mobile.

cheers

[Munkyb0y]

i just got back, and my vodafone n95 picked up softbank network automatically. no probs.

but be warned, it wont be covered in your cap plan. so you'll be charged on top of your usual bill.

Edited June 14, 2009 by Munkyb0y

[AGE]

What I found was that not many people lock down their wireless network so you will probably be able to find some 'complimentary' wireless near any

bigger buildings.

Yep thats what i found last year.

I'm in the same boat with the iPhone and Vodaphone. I spoke to someone @ Vodaphone and they said that the iPhone will work no worries, and to watch what you download with 3G...cause any data while global roaming would be charged @ 1cent per Kb

I plan on just keeping the iPhone in Airplane mode and having the wireless turned on.

[Slide]

None of Australia's networks work in Japan be it prepaid or on a plan, even if they are set to roam globally.

Telstra is the only one that worked for about 5 km in the whole of Japan for a useful time and its so terrible they don't even list Japan as a part of the roaming global network. On a plan it is supposed to work with Telstra though 3 phones and all 3 major AU carriers later and its just easier to get a sim over there.

You must have a 3G equipped phone and the cheapest and best means of communication is a Japanese sim from either Docomo or Softbank etc. They also have the best international rates.

Companies like Ekit that do international sims are the biggest waste of money ever, its nearly cheaper to call international from a hotel. There are Docomo stores and Softbank stores, retailers everywhere and chances are they will flag you down in front of the shop anyway.

[Mr. Keets]

As i'm buying a new phone, Nokia N79 , while i'm still OS I've done a bit of research into the phone deal.

From memory and other mobile phone discussions we've had here I didn't think you could purchase a prepaid sim or phone in Jp with out alien registration...I was wrong. After a search of various mobile phone forums, makes SAU look a little less sad lol, with various schemes on how to do it including an Egyptian guy in a Softbank shop who will unlock your forgein phone and supply credit...no lie. I came across this site. Never heard of them before...new?

http://www.telestial.com

Now I haven't used this service so I don t know what it's like but if it's true...problem solved, providing you have the compatible unlocked phone

[@ndrew]

None of Australia's networks work in Japan be it prepaid or on a plan, even if they are set to roam globally.

Telstra is the only one that worked for about 5 km in the whole of Japan for a useful time and its so terrible they don't even list Japan as a part of the roaming global network. On a plan it is supposed to work with Telstra though 3 phones and all 3 major AU carriers later and its just easier to get a sim over there.

You must have a 3G equipped phone and the cheapest and best means of communication is a Japanese sim from either Docomo or Softbank etc. They also have the best international rates.

Companies like Ekit that do international sims are the biggest waste of money ever, its nearly cheaper to call international from a hotel. There are Docomo stores and Softbank stores, retailers everywhere and chances are they will flag you down in front of the shop anyway.

Well that's not entirely true as I’ve just returned from Japan and was using my mobile the whole time.

I'm with 3 and i was using a Nokia E71 roaming. Had no issues whatsoever with receptions, but it is very costly!

[wrxkilla]

None of Australia's networks work in Japan be it prepaid or on a plan, even if they are set to roam globally.

mate, my 3 mobile has worked everywhere i have been in Japan for the last week. no coverage issues at all.

I have a Sony Ericsson K800i on a 3 plan. Other carriers may have issues, but for anyone using 3, my experience has been great.

I have extensively used my phone in Tokyo (all over the place), Nagoya, Osaka and Nara.

So I challenge the fact you say its easier to get a sim over there. Why would you when it works perfectly.

please dont post your opinion as a clear fact as it can mislead people using this website for info.

cheers

michael

[fireball]

my imate jasjam with optus roamed around japan just fine

[Beer Baron]

any aussie dual band GSM phone will not work in japan. BUT ANY 3G phone will work fine. I've used both aussie vodafone and aussie optus sim cards in japan with no problem at all (except for the massive bills afterwards!). just make sure you have global roaming enabled by your phone company before you leave aus.

having said that since you get absolutely raped on the cost the best idea is still to buy or rent a japanese cell phone. also get one that can only make local calls. as the ones that can make international calls charge a shitload for both the local and the international calls. and the local only ones can of course still RECEIVE international calls (even though they mostly wont mention that). so then anyone international can call you and it wont cost you anything, and you can still call any japanese cell phone or landline. and for international calls use your aussie mobile, or calling card or skype depending on your chosen budget to convenience compromise.

but bottom line is in japan 3G aussie phone = ok. dual band GSM = no good.

I for a few years now have had a japanese cell phone that I kept and just recharged when I was in japan. it was Tsuka pre K (pre paid) but they have switched over to softbank now.

I've also hired from http://www.jalabc.com/rental/domestic_eng/index.html for my gf when over there. the ABC service is great as you pick-up and drop off at the airport and the cost is pretty reasonable. plus you get JAL mileage points. SUGOI!

[Mr. Keets]

Richard, do you need a resident alien rego to get the pre paid or can you just use a passport?

[Beer Baron]

You can buy a prepaid phone and sim card from SOME places without an alien card. just a passport but they all have different requirements and some will require an address in japan etc. it can be a bit of a hassle. personally I just got a mate in japan who had an adress and an alien card to sign up my account for me, but I do remember another mate doing it on his own, with some limited help but it took about half a day (4 hours+).

really unless you are staying more than say 4 weeks, or planning to go there at least twice a year for the foreseeable future then the hire phone is the way to go for most people.

the only reason I stuck with my pre k one was that it was nice to keep the same number from trip to trip, and I liked the horrid old school phone, and being pre-paid made it easy to control what I spent (and it could call local and international at different rates where as the hire phones if you go international you get stung hard on local calls).

[Slide]

mate, my 3 mobile has worked everywhere i have been in Japan for the last week. no coverage issues at all.

I have a Sony Ericsson K800i on a 3 plan. Other carriers may have issues, but for anyone using 3, my experience has been great.

I have extensively used my phone in Tokyo (all over the place), Nagoya, Osaka and Nara.

So I challenge the fact you say its easier to get a sim over there. Why would you when it works perfectly.

please dont post your opinion as a clear fact as it can mislead people using this website for info.

cheers

michael

Hi Michael

I simply stated that the 3 (# three) major networks in Australia do not work.

With the majority of the country being apart of the Vodafone, Telstra and Optus brood, the "3 Network" wasn't a targeted demo nor was it one of the providers i use or one i said dint work. It is a minority that was overlooked though not in rant.

Using an iphone pretty much everywhere in Japan the 3 big networks were useless and as above even if they had of worked Softbanks international service was much cheaper than any other options i have looked into and used and previously i had spent upwards of $2000 on international calls.

Heavy volume or even nowhere near what i use people would benefit from at the very least looking into it.

A few calls back to home while you are over there though most wouldn't even bother with a mobile.

Heck you can call from any hotel or Shinkansen in your travels so for most even spending the $25-50 unlocking your phone would simply be better spent on international calls at the hotel in that situation.

No misleading information here mate, just not a 3 user along with a lot of other people.

Pre-paid coverage with generally all networks also differs in most countries as well.

[elrodeo666]

Ok this will probably open a can of worms and get latent abuse of the jap system but if you are staying more than 15 days in Japan you can apply for a Alien card.

I've done before when err..had no visa and was doing the old visa hop. You just need an address. I even registered a company and got bank account.

You just tell them your here buying a car and need the card for all the paper work. On the back it will have in ping pong that it is a temporay card so you wont be able to get on a phone co. plan but you can get pre-paid..

[Kozeyekan]

Hi Michael

I simply stated that the 3 (# three) major networks in Australia do not work.

With the majority of the country being apart of the Vodafone, Telstra and Optus brood, the "3 Network" wasn't a targeted demo nor was it one of the providers i use or one i said dint work. It is a minority that was overlooked though not in rant.

Using an iphone pretty much everywhere in Japan the 3 big networks were useless and as above even if they had of worked Softbanks international service was much cheaper than any other options i have looked into and used and previously i had spent upwards of $2000 on international calls.

Heavy volume or even nowhere near what i use people would benefit from at the very least looking into it.

A few calls back to home while you are over there though most wouldn't even bother with a mobile.

Heck you can call from any hotel or Shinkansen in your travels so for most even spending the $25-50 unlocking your phone would simply be better spent on international calls at the hotel in that situation.

No misleading information here mate, just not a 3 user along with a lot of other people.

Pre-paid coverage with generally all networks also differs in most countries as well.

Uhm, why would you say that the three major networks wouldn't work?

My voda N82 works fine.

The only problem might be tel$tra's phones, as they run off the 850mHz band for NextG, rather than 1900 or 2100 that everyone else in the world uses.

What your saying was right, about five years ago.

Newer 3g phones should have no problems at all, provided you have international roaming on. Most countries though, it'd be better to just get a new sim.