Cell phones and lack of ARC: What are my options??
 

Here's my situation.

In the beginning of September I will be a student at a university in Japan. We will at this time go to our town halls to apply for Alien Registration Cards. These cards are, from what I've read, what allows foreigners to get phones and contracts.

Here's where my dilemma begins though. I will be in Japan for a week in July and a week in August where I will need to communicate with a friend so having a cell phone seems pretty essential. Since I won't have my Alien Registration Card, what are my options? One of my friends in Japan told me that I might be able to do a pre-paid phone. Is this my only option?

Uhh, I won't say I'm 100% sure. But I think thats kind of bs, that you need an "alien registration card" to get a cell phone. I had a cell phone with some kind of monthly payment when I was there on a tourist visa.

Well, I was told by the school that I am going to that an Alien Registration Card is necessary in order to buy a phone in Japan and I've also read this elsewhere...

So, does anyone else have some input as to my dilemma?

You do need a ARC to get a phone plan and the regular phone models.
I'm not sure about the prepaid, but last year, my Japanese friend had to buy my prepaid phone for me, I don't remember if it was because of the ARC or not...but Henbaka seems to have had no problems, so...

If you're only going for a week, maybe you can consider renting a phone at the airport? I don't remember the fees, but they're probably on the expensive side, and if you limit your talking time and have friends call you instead of you call out, I don't think it's a bad idea. There are multiple cellphone counters at the Narita arrival halls so you can just shop around there.

I did a quick Google search for "japan rental phones" and tons of sites turned up, but most of have the phones mailed to you within the US before you leave, and I'm not sure where you currently are, so Narita rentals seem the easiest.

Renting might be better than getting a prepaid, especially if you're gonna be in Japan from Sept onwards and plan on getting a regular phone. Last summer, my prepaid cost around 7000 yen for the phone alone, and I could buy talk time in 3000 or 5000 yen increments. That's about 10000 yen for two weeks, which depending on how much you're gonna use it, may not be worth it.

But if you're interested, I used Softbank:
Prepaid Service | SoftBank
And another:
KDDI au: Prepaid Service
I've never used au, so not sure if they work exactly the same as Softbank.

Hmm prepaid and rental are the only two ideas I can think of for now...but hope that helps a little.
Btw, what university are you going to in Sept? Are you going as an exchange student?

Thanks so much for the help Crea! Yeah, since I will only be there for a week I will definitely go with the renting a cell phone. I will look into whether I should get one at the airport or have one mailed to me.

I am going to be attending 関西外大 (Kansai Gaidai) as an exchange student.

I tried to get a prepaid phone yesterday and you will definitely need a ARC even for prepaid. The guy behind the counter told me that 1 year ago it was possible without. So i will have to wait another 2 weeks to get my card and than a cellphone...

Just get an old person to vouch for you as your "host father" and you can get a pre-paid phone in less than 30 minutes. I did it at softbank with my real host mother, and I brought nothing except money.

Hello,

I'm sorry I think I may have made a mistake saying that. It was no problem for me to get a phone, but I just remembered I bought it via my language school. Maybe that was the reason for why it was so easy. I don't know.

Prepaid phones are often used for crimes and the regulation changed fey years ago and now you definitely need to show some kind of valid ID.

I'm Japanese but even I had to show my driver's license to buy it so since newly arrived foreigners do not have any records other than ARC, the govt. thinks it's a good idea.

But since someone else can buy phones for you, it is pointless.

Anyways, good luck with getting one.

Is it true that some US phones work in Japan if they are 3G?

The phone needs to operate on the UMTS 2100 frequency if you want to use it in Japan. The current number of such phones available in the US is limited with most being high end smart/pda phones. You would then need a Japnaese sim card, rental sim card, or your US cell phone provider would need to have international roaming available.

So I will be going back in August with a student visa. Will this be enough to buy myself a phone and a plan? Or do I still need the ARC?

Also, if I got someone else to buy a phone and plan for me, would it be best just to go to somewhere like Yodobashi-Camera and buy one there on my credit card and then have my friend get the plan for me? Would that person then have to pay for my plan until I can get it all in my name/credit card #? And if so, how would I go about getting it all transferred to a new name/credit card #?

Thanks

Ok, so I've been talking to a japanese friend of mine and it seems that my plan to buy the phone separately won't work because you need to buy phone there to get the plan as well.

So if I got someone to buy a phone for me how would this work exactly? Don't they already have a phone in their name? And aren't contracts for 2 years? And once I get my ARC would I be able to transfer my information so it was charging me instead of her??

/confused

I'll be heading there with a student visa in Sept. and have been looking around phone sites and such, but am just speaking from what I've found and not experience, so you might want to double check with someone.

I believe most of the standard phone plans are for 2 years but they definitely offer 1 year plans, but you might not get the discounts and would pay more for new phone models than the 2-year customers. Or you could just get the standard 2-year plan, cancel after a year and pay a penalty?

Also, why not wait till you've gotten your ARC to get a phone? I talked to a friend who just finished his exchange, and he said once you register at the local office, they give you a temporary card that acts as your ARC which is valid for opening phone and bank accounts (then the real ARC comes in the mail 2 weeks later or so). You could probably settle in, visit your local office and then get a phone plan in a few days.

Well that's how I'm HOPING it'll work for me anyway....:p

Wait wait wait... you get a temporary ARC? I guess if you do get one of those then it shouldn't be a problem since you won't have to wait the 2 weeks...

Can anyone else confirm this?

This is a valid info.

You get a temp one and the real one get mailed in 2 weeks.

What I'm not sure is whether you can use this temp one to get a phone since it looks like a piece of paper.

But if the local govt is issuing it, it has to be a valid ID.

Ok, good to hear... then I should be able to get a cell phone rather quickly.

The school I will be going to said that the application for the Alien Registration must be made at the city hall of your residence (i.e. for most of students, it is Hirakata City Hall). I will be doing homestay so I will most likely not live around Hirakata, does this mean that it would be bad to file for ARC at Hirakata City Hall and that I would have to wait until I know where I will be living?

The reason I'm asking if it's ok to do it at Hirakata City Hall and not where I may live with host family is because I will be arriving in Japan on August 23rd and I won't know where my host family lives until September 2-5th.

I think you have to check with your school.

Cos the address you put on your ARC is supposed to be where you live.

Maybe they allow students to use the school address on the ARC.

Otherwise, you need to know where you will be living, along with the document issued by your school saying exactly where you live.

If I find out more, I will let you know.

Damn, it's become complicated again, haha. I will email my school asking.

Thanks for your help!

ざんねんだから、it's Saturday over there so I probably will not here back for a couple of days :\

I found this site and as you can see, you need a specified address for the ARC.

http://www.moj.go.jp/NYUKAN/nyukan02-01.html

So you need to have a residence first if your school is not helping.

If I need a specific address and if my school doesn't allow me to use the school as residence then let's say I do homestay for a semester and then move into an apartment somewhere else. I would have to go to the new city hall to change my residence on my ARC I'm guessing, right?

Yes, every time you move, you are supposed to register at the local office.