[blimp]

the golden rule is that u need a alien registration card to be able to buy a non pre-paid phone, which is the one u should get if u r in japan for a longer period of time. i've heard stories that this can be avoided if u tie ur credit card to the bill, but i am not sure how common that is or if even possible.

getting an alien registration card does unfortunately take some time, up to a month. what some do is to get a friend to subscribe. so if u got a good friend here it might be a good idea to ask him/her.