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.