Job Discussion Forums

[Master Shake]

Hi,

I arrived in Japan on Monday and I'd like to call someone. I've already got an unlocked Nexus 4 Android smartphone which I bought in Sept. in Poland (GSM, UMTS). I'd really like to avoid buying a new phone. All I need is to make make/receive occasional short calls and send text messages. Data would be nice, but I can manage without it.

Can anyone recommend a prepaid or monthly plan for my needs? I plan to be in Japan for 1 year. I've looked at Softbank's web site, but it's lacking in information and bmobile only does data.

[rtm]

[Master Shake]

Will a VOIP number work the same as a normal phone number in Japan?

I guess I could sign a contract with a company like Softbank which includes a cheap phone and then use the SIM in my smartphone, correct?

[rtm]

[Master Shake]

I visited NTT DOCOMO today.

Their micro SIM cards work with my European GSM phone.

For voice calls, on all plans they charge 20Y per 30 seconds of talk time. It's free to receive calls. Text messages (SMS) cost 3Y to send within Japan.

If you want a month to month contract, it costs 1,486Y per month. A 2-year contract costs only 743Y per month, but if you cancel before 2 years are up, you have to pay 9,500Y.

All the above is without any data (which I don't think I'll need; I'm old school). She told me it costs about 6,100Y for a 3GB of data per month.

The woman in the shop said that all carriers charge about the same rates for voice calls (i.e. 20Y per 30 sec.). Can anyone confirm that this is the case?

[Master Shake]

So after 5 visits to mobile phone shops and 2-3 hours spent talking with sales representatives, I finally have a Japanese SIM card & calling plan for my smartphone.

This is by far the most painstaking, tedious experience I've ever had trying to get basic mobile service in any country.

I ended up going with DOCOMO because they had the lowest rates and were the most flexible about setting up a bare bones voice & SMS plan: 743 JPY a month + 20JPY per 30 seconds of talk time and 3JPY per SMS.

A few things I've learned about Japanese mobile companies.

1) They will not hesitate for one second to tell you that what you want is impossible, against the rules etc. just to get you to go away. You'd think they want your business, but all the uncertainties of dealing with a foreigner seem to outweigh the benefits.

2) If you want to use a foreign purchased phone with their services, do NOT tell them this. Some companies will charge you a higher rate simply because you have a smartphone, regardless of the plan you wish to use. Or they may insist that your phone will not work on their network, even if you know damn well that it will. Tell them you will use the cheapest Japanese flip phone and bring one of these in with you to show them, if possible.

3) Short-term prepaid options suck. Either they're ridiculously expensive, require you to buy a phone, or place restrictions on who you can call/SMS. Better to get a long term or month-to-month plan. Just watch out for the high early cancellation fees. Mine is 9,500JPY.

4) Bring as many documents with you as you can carry - cash card, residency card, passport etc.. There seems to be a strong desire in Japan to set up automatic withdrawals on your account to pay rent, bills, gym, etc. Personally, I'd rather just remember to pay every month. Cancel your credit card payment as soon as you sign the contract and request a paper bill be sent to you instead.

5) If you don't like the answer one shop/branch gives you, just go to another. Like I mentioned, they often don't tell you the whole story or leave out important details. Don't get discouraged if one shop gives you the runaround, move on to the next and eventually someone will help you.

[Inflames]

[mitsui]

Some foreigners may quit their jobs, leave Japan and not pay their last phone bill, not to mention their electric, gas, water, and Internet bills, and local tax bill.
So that could be one reason you had a hard time.

[Didah]

"This is by far the most painstaking, tedious experience I've ever had trying to get basic mobile service in any country." -- MasterShake

MasterShake -- Yokoso -- Welcome to Japan.

If you think getting phone service is tough ... this is just one of many painstaking, tedious, and I'll add frustrating experiences you will have during your time in old Nihon.

It looks like you were very thorough in your research. Having lived in Japan before Starbucks, COSTCO, Ikea and more English speaking help -- at least you can be frustrated and vent your frustration with a clerk who speaks a little English. Back in the day, I had a problem with NTT (owns DOCOMO) with a landline. On the phone in Japanese, I was told to press 2 for English. After being on the line for about 30 minutes listening to a tinny mechanical rendition of "Green Sleeves" a young office lady answers the phone. I say hello. She says hello and then I explain the problem. At the end of my explanation there is silence. I say hello again and she says "no English." Welcome to Japan.

As for cell phones, back in the day, it was an impossible task for foreigners to get them. It was your experience on steroids with no English translation and no real interest in doing business with foreigners (there are only about 1 million in Japan with about 100,00 from English speaking countries and the West). I actually was in a start up company that had a deal with AU as an agent to get foreigners and U.S. military cell phones. We translated the contracts, activated the phones and provided customer support. When they saw the business they were missing, they took it back and let it die on the vine because they didn't want to deal with gaijins. Well, there was always phone cards but that was a different time. Glad things have improved.

Again, welcome to Tokyo and your baptism of fire with Japanese ineptness, retail jujitsu and inane bureaucracy.


moshi moshi

[Master Shake]

Honestly, Didah, I had a similar experience on the helpline to Docomo a couple weeks ago. Times haven't changed as much as you think!

In Flames, I don't agree that the problems I encountered in Japan 'happen everywhere.' I've set up mobile phone service in 4 countries, including Vietnam and Thailand. None of these were 1/4 of the headache it was to set up a phone in Japan. To use your own words, why should it take an hour or more to set up simple prepaid service?

Oh well, at least it was relatively simple to set up a Shinsei bank account.

Finding an apartment wasn't too bad; I ended up going with Leopalace.