Telephone and Mobile Communication in Japan
We'll break this up into a few major sections:
Important Phone Numbers in Japan
What number do I call in case of emergency?
- Police Department: 110
- Fire Department: 119
- Ambulance: 119
What number do I call?
- Directory Assistance: 104
- Domestic Collect/credit card calls: 106
- JR's English Language Telephone: (03)3423-0111
- Postal Services Information (in English): (092) 752-8504
- Telegrams Domestic: 115
- Telegrams International: (03) 3344-5151
- Telephone Repairs: 113
- Time: 117
- Weather: 177
Getting a Home Telephone
How can I purchase/sell/rent a telephone line?
In Japan you need to first "buy" a telephone line before you can have telephone service. To do this, you need lot's of ID and lot's of cash! The standard process is to go to your nearest NTT office (Japan Telecom) and apply. You'll need proof of your current address so you'll need your Alien Registration Card and other ID* (see below about ID). It costs 72,800 yen plus an installation fee which could cost another 10,000yen. You can then sell your telephone line to somebody when you leave Japan.
Want to save some cash? Buy a "used" telephone line from someone who is leaving the country or has an extra line. The average price is between 40,000 - 65,000yen. Want an even cheaper line? Check out the resell market among Japanese. For some reason, the lines seem to be bought and sold much more cheaply among Japanese than among foreigners.
Alternatively, you can rent a line. In some cases, it is not possible to make international calls from rented phone lines, so be sure to check the conditions of use carefully with the rental company before you agree to any contract.
Note about ID: You can never have enough ID when you apply for something here in Japan so take EVERYTHING!! Your passport, your Alien Registration Card, your proof of residence, your signature, your hanko (stamp), your bank book, your driver's license, your birth mark, your Japanese friend! Many places even ask for your friend's ID too! You can argue with them about it or you can save yourself some time and just show it!
International Calls
Can all telephone's dial overseas?
No!! Believe it or not! Not all Japanese land lines can dial to international numbers. If you have a rented phone lease then you sometimes can't dial international. What you should do instead is use one of the many call back services. You dial the access number then your id number and then the number overseas. Many companies use Internet lines so the connection sometimes isn't so great but it is VERY CHEAP!!
What is Call Back?
Call Back is a great way to save money using a system which circumvents having to pay Japanese phone companies. It's a little bit of a hassel, but most companies claim you can save up to 80% on international phone calls. If you regularly call home you should definitely be using this service.
Mobile Phones
How do I get a mobile phone?
You can get a mobile phone at nearly every store in Japan now! The stores get a commission on your monthly bill so every man and his dog are selling mobile phones. You have to show your Gaijin Card and your passport. Your visa must also be valid for at least 3 months. So if you're here on a tourist visa or if you're about to renew your visa you should get a prepaid mobile phone (See below). Most mobile phones are free and some places even pay you to apply for one! New model phones will cost around 3,000 yen or more. There are different packages according to your needs but the monthly basic fee is about 3,500 yen (this usually includes several minutes of phone calls).
What's a prepaid phone?
This is your best friend if you're here for a short period of time or if you only need to receive calls or send text messages. Prepaid mobile phones do not require id, or minimum monthly payments. You buy your phone (usually free-2000 yen) and a prepaid card for about 3000 yen or 5,000 yen. You dial a number to activate your credit then you're away! Compared to a monthly contract of an average minimum of 3500 yen you're doing very well! But if you do dial out one minute costs about 90 yen calculated in minute chunks rather than in seconds like a regular mobile phone. Also check the expiration date on the phone. These phone numbers expire after about a year. Please note that not all companies offer prepaid phones in all areas of Japan.
Where can I buy prepaid telephone card credit?
You can buy credit for your prepaid mobile phone at selected convenience and appliance stores. But be careful!! Sometimes you can only buy credit for your phone in the region where you bought the phone, e.g., if you buy a prepaid phone in Nagoya, you may not be able to buy credit for it in Tokyo.
What is i-Mode?
i-Mode was developed first by NTT in Japan. It is basically Internet and email for mobile phones. It is very popular in Japan now and many Internet sites also have i-Mode capabilities - for example, cinema times and dating sites (check out Asoboo!)
Telephone and Mobile Communication in Japan: Other Sources
Forums
Questions/comments? Go to the Communications Forum
Phone Directory Links
- The English Town pages. Your online phone book
- Japan Yellow Pages. Published biannually every June and December, includes over 28,000 listings covering hundreds of industries and businesses.
International Call Links
- World Link Japan - Direct dial service offering savings of up to 90% on international calls from your cellphone or landline. Also works for domestic calls.
- i-Tel Long Distance. Save up to 80% on international telephone calls.
- Alpha1 International Callback Telephone Service. Offers the lowest rates with the highest fiber-optic quality on calls to and from Japan.
- SoftBank Telecom. Good savings on international calls and easy to use system for dialing from your home/mobile phone
Phone Company Links
- NTT. The world's largest telephone company. Know about the place where a lot of you money will go!
Mobile/Cellular Links
- eurotechnology.com. A great FAQ section on i-mode - what it is, using it, and developing for the i-mode platform.
- KDDI. A large conglomerate of phone companies merged into one. Provides comprehensive, global telephone services
- MyLine. Has a new one carrier service starting in 2001.
