I thought that getting a mobile phone in Japan would be easy. After all, this is the land of gadgets and gizmos. But this is not the case. A prepaid phone is out of the question. The company I'm working for advised me against it since I had to buy cellphone loads and sending SMS and making calls are not cheap here. (In the Philippines, I have a prepaid phone with lots of unlimited text and calls promos.) I had to really buy a cellphone on planned basis.
Here are some tips I could share:
 |
| my first phone in Japan Photo Credit: http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/r-plus/item/17376/ |
1. Get your cellphone from AU
This sounds like an advertisement but if you're a foreigner who just came to Japan, AU is the place to buy your phone. Softbank and Docomo are quite strict with gaijins. If you have a visa valid only for a year, they wouldn't sign you up. To save you from the hassle of pleading to sell you a phone, just go to the nearest AU branch.
2. Ask for English-speaking customer support or bring a Japanese friend
If you have a friend who can translate for you, then ask him to come along with you. If not, just ask the staff for an English-speaking customer support. The first time I went to an AU shop, it took me an hour to know that I cannot get a phone yet because I lack a document. Such wasted time! The second time I went to the same shop, the staff immediately called customer service much to my relief.
3. Bring your residence card, passport and bank book.
All these three are needed to get a phone. Bring all of them. I had only a year in my visa but AU still released me a phone. I told them I plan to stay here for two or three more years. By the way, don't lie on renewing your visa if you don't plan to. The new residence card makes it easy for companies to track you down so you can't escape your payables. Most probably, you can be held up at the airport before your departure.
4. Don't be fooled by cheap phones and cheap service plans
 |
| my upgraded phone Photo Credit: http://www.cariszone.com/categories/electronics/cell-phones-service/apple/phones/iphone-5-16gb-factory-unlocked-white.html |
I had my first phone for 0 Yen. The phone was free then I got the cheapest plan worth 980 Yen. It was ideal if I want to save. But I was wrong. Because the service was cheap and the phone was free, the phone functions and services were so limited I had no choice but to go beyond the limit of the plan. I was paying more than 6,000 Yen a month which is almost the same amount my friend is paying for an iPhone. After several months, I switched my phone to a Smart phone with minimal increase on my monthly budget for cellphone.
Though getting a cellphone might not be as easy as it is in my country, what I really appreciate are the staff who tried their best to help me out and understand what I need. I got my phone and got a taste of accommodating Japanese service.
Though getting a cellphone might not be as easy as it is in my country, what I really appreciate are the staff who tried their best to help me out and understand what I need. I got my phone and got a taste of accommodating Japanese service.
