Job Discussion Forums

[Cassie]

Greetings,

I am looking for advice on how I can go about making the all important "Yes, I got here safe and sound. Talk to you when I settle in" initial call to the parental units from a pay phone. Looking at previous posts, I am aware of Brastel, however, it appears I first need to find a convenience store to purchase that brand calling card. Are there any cards I can purchase online prior to heading to Japan? Or do I simply settle for a collect call (ouch)?

Thanks for the feedback.

[stillnosheep]

There are loads of cards in Japan. Just ask the first Gaijin you meet, Lawsons, Circle K, whoever and they'll point you in the right direction.

luv'n'stuff

sns

[Glenski]

Here are three ways to do it completely free.

1. Send an email. If your apartment has Internet already hooked up, and you have a computer with you, do it. Or you could pay a paltry amount at an Internet cafe.

2. Use your computer and a special software to actually speak to your friends/family. Three programs that I know of that are free are America Online Instant Messenger (AIM), Microsoft NetMeeting, and Skype. All you need is the Intenet connection and a headset. The person you call needs to have these, too.

3. Just arrange a code phrase when you call collect. For example, your name is John Doe. Call your parents (Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Doe) collect, but actually make the collect call to YOUR name. When they get the call, they'll know it's from you and can just say you aren't home, and nobody ever has to pay for it. Of course, there won't be any conversation, but at least they will know you landed safely.

[Cassie]

Thanks for the feedback! I think I am definately going for the Jane Doe call if I can't make it to a convenience store right off the bat!

Cheers!

[JimDunlop2]

Honestly, Brastel IS cheapest and easiest. The card itself is free and you can pick it up at many convenience stores.... Not so much anymore for some reason, but your local International Centre, Tourist Info centre, etc will likely stock a few of them..... Or read my shameless plug below ...

Then, you just call a number (toll free) to activate the card, walk into a convenience stores, put 2000yen down on it and you're good to call.

The reason why I recommend Brastel to people is..... 1. cheap. If you are calling from a land line (not cellphone or payphone) you can get about 9yen/min to most commonly called locations (US.,Canada,UK, 10 to AUS, and 15 to NZ). Tough to beat... 2. If you recommend friends and sign them up to receieve a card in the mail, you get 10 free minutes for each friend you peddle this onto. I know, I know.... But still, so far with all the new teachers moving to my city, I've gotten a good hour of free calling out of it, so what the heck? Hey, if anyone wants to have a card mailed to them directly, PM me... It takes about 3 days. (shameless plug even).....

Honestly, I can think of no simpler way to arrange this than Brastel (or similar -- there is at least 1 major competitor but I've only glanced at them in passing. Their rates were definitely higher). It is highly unlikely you will be able to pick up a card that will work in Japan prior to arriving... At least not without paying some absurdly high fee. Calling collect might be a bear b/c I've tried speaking w/ NTT operators and maybe I had bad luck but they didn't speak English and couldn't/didn't transfer me to someone who did.... Not to mention, figuring out what numbers to dial to be able to do this.

Anything else, including getting a home line, cell phone, setting up what Glenski suggested, etc, will take a lot longer than a few days, and my understanding is that you just want to let people know that you arrived in one piece... I agree though, that e-mail is a reasonable alternative to calling, provided that your family back home is hooked up and you don't mind a one-way conversation (so to speak).

[Eleckid]

About the Brastel card, you gotta know that they don't sell them in small cities or suburbs. I live in a suburb & couldn't find one, they told me that I had go to Nagoya by train to get one. So hopefully where you work will have them!

I just went to the head teacher's place to send an email to my parents, which was free. You can also ask your school if it's ok to use their computer. Or if you work at a small private school, I'm sure you can ask them if you can use their phone, & just pay them back. You can also ask another teacher there if you can use their Brastel card only to call your family to tell them you're safe, & pay them back. I think if they're nice enough, it shouldn't be a problem, cuz they should understand the importance of calling their family when you first arrive to tell them you're safe.

Now I use MSN messenger & email. Oh, & there are free services which you use a computer to dial home. So you talk on the computer with a mic & your family just use a phone. That's really cool if your parents (like my mom) is computer illiterate. Hope that helps & have fun in Japan!

[melirae]

If you are coming with NOVA, they provide a Brastel card with your new arrival package that they give you when they meet you in the airport. It only has 500 yen on it, but that is enough to make the calls to let everyone know to made it- it gives you about 15 minutes (I am assuming that you are calling N. America- forgive me if you`re not). When you get ready to use your card, make sure you use a gray phone. There will probably be at least 2 convenince stores near your train stop and one of them will have one of these phones.

You may get lucky and have roomates who have phone service and they will probably have a cheap phone service and will be nice enough to let you make a couple of calls and pay them back.

Good luck!

[AgentMulderUK]

[Cassie]

Great info! Melirae, I am coming with Nova so your reply answers my question!!! Off to the airport! Thanks everyone for the replys!

[Willy_In_Japan]

Forget hard to find Brasstel cards.

Simply go into any 7/11 when you arrive, (they are everywhere) and pick up a 1000 yen KDDI card. Follow the directions that are in english on how to make an International call. Use the grey pay phones not the green ones.


You have to call KDDI, enter some numbers on the card and then enter the phone number you want to call. You get a surprising amount of mins for the money, and certainly the card will tide you over until you secure a phone.....if not just buy another. Its easy.

Willy

[nomadder]

There is another one too that I used which was also good-available at the 7-ll. A higher amount though but you can use a few times if needed (ever think? 2 months earlier and that store would've had to change its name). Anyway where I lived not every gray phone worked for long distance. I only found a few international phones-by the train station is a good bet.

Don't give up if it doesn't work at first. The instructions don't tell you everything. I think you have to wait at some point for a new tone. Something like that. Ask others over there.

[melirae]

If you come with NOVA and are given a Brastel card, it's very easy to recharge once you use up the initial money. You can go into Family Mart (or Lawson's too I think) and put more money on it in 2000 yen increments. You have to use the Loppi machine. The whole thing is in Japanese, but you eventually get to an English menu. First, selsct the second button down from the top on the right hand side- it is blue and has a yen symbol on it. Then a screen comes up with other choices, so look for the "smart pit" button- it's the bottom right one. Once you select that, it takes you to a screen where you can select to continue in English. The smart pit number is located at the bottom left corner of your Brastel card. You chose to add more money to it and then a reciept will print out that you take to the counter and pay there. The cashier will print out something so wait a minute until he gives you another receipt after you've paid. It's really easy and very handy until you have a phone line at your house, which can take a few weeks to get hooked up.