Quote:
Originally Posted by SHAD0W
Rent a phone? Wow that sounds expensive!
Can you not buy cheap pay as you go sims like you can here? I could find a cheap 3G phone here and then get a sim while in Japan?
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You could but you have to make it is 3g W-CDMA 2100Mhz phone. (2100Mhz I believe if memory serves for Asia, not 1900 in Europe and the States). Those are not easy to come by outside of Japan and Korea, plus the phone has to be unlocked, and be supported by the carrier your rent the sim from in Japan, and convince the Softbank folks to rent you the sim with your foreign phone. Then you have to return the sim before you go back to the airport. Softbank shops that rent the sim chips only are few.
I'm remember the Softbank prepaid sim not being cheap either for access to the network...
I keep mentioning Softbank because as far as I know they are the only ones that partially rent Sims
Rental phones are more economical for a short trip (a week to a month) vs. a prepaid cell outside the airport as they start at like 6000. You have more choices with services and phones with Prepaid vs Rental. If you go prepaid cell phone versus rental you can buy more time easily and better economically if you make lots of calls long or short.
Bottom line, no prepaid sims are not readily available like they are in the States or Europe. Also it is just a fact you are not going to have a mobile phone cheap in Japan unless you get a contract which is something you can't get unless you are going to be there a good while.
International calls and payphones: even if you need to make an occasional international call you can buy international calling cards (before you go to Japan, At&t and such) to make a international call by dialing a local access number from a land-line in Japan.
AT&T PrePaid Phone Cards: International Rate Finder
Check to see if there is any additional fees from using the calling card from a pay phone vs. non pay phone land line.
Don't stress about it though... If you are going for a month or less and you need to be reachable by somebody (so they can call you) get a rental. If you just need to make the occasional call only, go rental or payphone.
Now lets talk about dial up internet access ^^/
Note that Free WIFI is not readily available in Japan like it is in the states. So don't get any ideas about IP phoning.. Some Internet Cafes will let you IP Phone; some don't because of the noise.
Nothing is really cheap in Japan as far as communications in comparison to the States or parts of Europe.