Job Discussion Forums

[griffitp12]

Hi all
I'm American, heading over to the Utsunomiya area to teach Kindergarten in a few weeks. I've never had an e-mail capable phone, but it seems like that's the norm and perhaps even socially necessary in Japan.

1.) Is this true?

2.) Am I better off getting a new phone over here before I go or waiting to handle it in Japan? If the latter, how much is the whole package (phone & service plan) likely to cost?

Thanks

[earthmonkey]

Better to get it here, although you may have to wait until you have your Gaijin card in order to get a contract.

You could get an iPhone or Android with Softbank. DoCoMo and AU both have Android phones as well. If you don't need a smartphone, the standard handsets are superior to what you'd get at home.

All cell phones have sms and email.

Cost can be as low as under 2,000 yen per month, or if you want a full data plan, up to around 6,000 for unlimited.

[Mr_Monkey]

Don't buy a phone at home and take it to Japan - it likely won't work unless it's CDMA compatible, which most phones aren't.