The Phone Thread! read if u traveling to Japan

[Housetek]

This will be my 7th time back to Japan. I arrived June 1st and currently staying in Takanawa.

Every time i come i rent a phone for hundreds of dollars! Bills get pretty expensive.
Docomo Wants up to 300 for 2 months and other companies are around 120-130 a month.
But this time i went with a Skype/ Softbank combo.
Ill explain.

There is softbanks all over Tokyo, the one i went to was in Roppongi across from the Almonds in the crossing.
They speak Very fluent english and will set you up with a phone within a hour.
TO buy a prepaid phone its 70 dollars you can pick from 2 models and 2 colors for each. *black, blue, and white and black*

This phone you can keep for ever, no need to return or mail back, its Yours.
All you need to do is buy a top up card for 3k Yen or 5k yen.
Its 90 yen per minute but its free incomming.
So you can call some one hang up and they can call you back and you get free incomming calls.

Text msging is 15 yen per text and free incomming.
They also set you up with a free soft bank email account
*yourname* @Softbank.ne.jp
mine is Housetek @softbank.ne.jp

okay so heres where the Skype part comes in
I like to keep in contact with all of my friends and family from the states and i want them to call me freely when ever they want.
So on skype for 12 dollars i bought a US number for 3 months in the area code all my friends and family live in.
its a PA/NJ number.

Then i put call forwarding on, and have all my calls from my skype from the US
forwarded to my japanese Prepaid Cell.

So my friends and family can call me ANY time they want with out being charged international rates and all of their phone calls go directly to my skype which then forwards them to my Prepaid in which i get Free incoming calls.

Pretty nifty.
So if your looking for a phone in japan, instead of buying one at the airport you can try my method.

Which will cost you 70$ for the start up phone which you can use forever, 12$ for 3 months of Skype number i also put 25 dollars into Skype credit but i always have skype credit on it just in case i want to call internationally back home. and then the Prepaid top up is 3k yen for 60 days.

my last phone which i got from Narita airport cost me 150 dollars for one month
and a previous one cost me 150 for 2 weeks!

so i believe this way will save a lot more money. also its very convenient cuz once you have the phone and you want to Top up next time you come back to japan you can buy a topup card at Any AMPM, lawsons or Sunkus.

so if your traveling to Japan soon and need a phone and need more instructions how to acquire one, just pm me or mail me.

-Htek

[samokan]

yes, the best option is get a softbank/vodafone prepaid fone, rather than international roaming or phone rentals.

this are the current models that you can choose from

Prepaid Mobile Model Lineup Pre-SoftBank Models | SoftBank

[Housetek]

O Ty for the phone links =)

i got the V403, but in blue... not that crazy rainbow haha.

[samokan]

does it comes with a camera? most of the old model don't have.

by the way, the prepaid card is good for 3 months, so be sure to consume the load within that span of time

[Housetek]

yes it has a camera on it =)

the person at soft bank told me it would last 60 days.

the only thing that i spend money on is Text msgs, otherwise i jus call and hang up on people =P

[samokan]

well if your friends are also softbank user, just let them be the one to call you, if they are using postpaid. Softbank to Softbank call are free till 9 pM, then after 9pm, it still free for around 200 m minutes.

SMS and MMS are also free, but since you are using prepaid, you are charge

[Ruix]

Prepaid phones are a pretty good deal, but didn't they pass a new law that requires customers to present valid identification as a Japanese citizen or their Alien Registration card in order to buy one?

Its supposed to prevent illegal cell use.

[Housetek]

Originally Posted by Ruix

Prepaid phones are a pretty good deal, but didn't they pass a new law that requires customers to present valid identification as a Japanese citizen or their Alien Registration card in order to buy one?

Its supposed to prevent illegal cell use.

all you need is a passport and the address of where you are staying

[Yggdrazzil]

Lol my mate wanted one, but I remember standing outside of the softbank store in Roppongi Hills, the one you were talking about, we were too scared to go up and ask if they know english, lol.

[Housetek]

Originally Posted by Yggdrazzil

Lol my mate wanted one, but I remember standing outside of the softbank store in Roppongi Hills, the one you were talking about, we were too scared to go up and ask if they know english, lol.

they do, all you have to say is Sumimasen, Eego De Daijobu Desu ka?

Excuse me is english okay? and they'll get a english speaking representative.