Mobiles or Walkie talkies?
 

Hi again =3

We're exploring the possibel venues in short distance communication for our trip.

We are leaving the option of renting mobile cellphones open.

However, right now, we are considering walkie-talkies.
Are the North-American frequencies 'illegal' there in Tokyo? How would I go about figuring that out?
Are there companies that rent them out? Would it be more bennificial to purchase them over-seas? How would walkie-talkies compare to mobile cellphones?

It's my first time planning a trip. x3
So I will likely have alot more questions like this.
Thank you for your tollerance and feed back~ <3

I'm not sure about the frequency usage in Japan, But the main difference between mobiles and 2-way radios would be range. If you get good quality ones, 2-4 miles should be no problem. (although this varies with terrain, tall buildings, hills and such can reduce it) I have a pair of Motorola Talkabout T6250's That we use on drives and cruises, and I've managed to get almost 5 miles on them between cars on flat roads.. In city, it's usually down to about 2-3, but I'm in a pretty dense area.

Purchasing powerful walkie talkies will be cheaper than renting cell phones as long as you don't mind the curious looks when you speak on your walkie talkies.