Job Discussion Forums

tomu · Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1

Even though I've been lurking reading this forum for some time now, this is my first post so - yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

I will be coming to Japan (Tokyo specifically) in 3 weeks from now to begin working at ECC. Of course Im doing a lot of preparation to be ready for getting settled in and one thing Ive spent time researching is keitai service. Im wondering if some of you can share what service it is you use, what you like about it and dislike about it and any tips for setting up service. Naturally many factors are involved such as price, quality of service, and phone models but Id like to hear some other peoples opinions.

bucko2004 · Joined: 17 Oct 2004 Posts: 31

I use Vodafone 3G here in Osaka, have had no problems. Rates are decent too. I pay 800 yen a month and get unlimited sms, email, mms, which is what I use my phone mostly for.

Zzonkmiles · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309

I also use Vodafone in Kansai. The service has been pretty reliable and I generally like their phone selection. They also have a lot of bilingual phones, which is good for you if you can't read Japanese. I receive English newsletters in the mail from them once every three months or so.

Whichever company you choose (Vodafone, Docomo, AU, Tuka), the rates are not so cheap and you don't get a lot of minutes of call time each month. It is not uncommon for people to use plans that offer less than 200 minutes a month. Fortunately, most people only use their mobile phones for sending messages, rather than making calls. But if you do want to talk over the phone a lot, I'd recommend just investing in a land line. Going over your allotted minutes on a keitai plan is deadly to your wallet. I've racked up two or three 25,000 yen bills by accident since I first arrived and have heard of people who've been charged twice that amount.

cevanne · Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 36 Location: Osaka, Japan

They're all pretty much the same Smile

Perhaps you should get a land line if you want to 'talk' alot on your phone. I don't have a landline so I can't give you much info on that... The Japanese tend not to use their cellphones to talk so get used to messaging! It's pretty cheap and fast once you get used to it.

It works out to be about the same price no matter which company you go with. I have AU personally and don't have any problems, but I don't think it really matters. Many of my friends have Docomo or Vodafone. The only thing is messaging between different companies can sometimes be tricky. I have experienced emails that have no body, as have my friends, when getting mail from someone who uses a different company.

All of the companies also have billingual phones. (Although I got a Japanese only one) I would just check out the deals in your neighborhood at the time and go with the one that seems best. You should be able to swing a free phone and maybe some other nice free stuff. AU has customer service in English - I'm not sure about Docomo or Vodafone.

Good luck!! Very Happy

Revenant · Mod Team Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 1109

fizayded · Joined: 17 Apr 2004 Posts: 46 Location: Machida, Tokyo

eh, theyre all pretty even matched id say, docomo and au have some pretty cool different looking phones. Docomo signal usually wont run out if you are in a basement, vodafone might. Yeah, like somebody said, you dont get a whole lot of minutes a month, no free nights and weekends here. I got vodafone cause all my friends have vodafone and it is cheaper to message each other. But the phone service is generally way more reliable here than in the usa and phones are way better.

space · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 44 Location: japan

docomo.

Depends on where you live, but in yamanashi you can still get services if you are hiking around in a valley. Also, if you plan to travel within japan, the service is most consistent. They have excelent international service if you will be traveling elsewhere in asia, etc. The feature list is endless as well.

It is worth the extra $20 a month I ended up paying, IMO.

But... if you are frugal, and are coming to japan to save money... then don't go with docomo.

bailey35mm · Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 2:27 pm Post subject:

My wife and I use Docomo, it's worth it if you can get a family plan on any of the companies. I think all the prices are close to being equal, I think it comes down to where you live, the features you want and how cool of a phone you want. I think AU has the coolest looking phones, but some of them lack some features.

The Dog Ate My Keitai · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 67 Location: Japan

IMO:

Best family plan: AU

Best individual plan: TU-KA

Most popular among foreigners living in my area: Voda (useful to know sometimes when exchanging address books w/ friends)

This is all based only on my own personal experience, using "bang for my buck" as sole criterion. Had both Au and Tuka, now have AU...

In addition:

Most English support: DoCoMo

Ability to purchase without a gaijin card: DoCoMo

Ease of acquisition for a foreigner: NOT DoCoMo (unless paying by credit card, 30,000 deposit required. However, if you do pay by CC, not required to present gaijin card as ID)

Best international presence: Voda