Travel topics
Mobile Phone
Roaming, rental mobile phnes and subscription
Roaming in Japan is possible at last. For a long time, Japanese mobile operators have maintained their unique communication modes which obstructed international roaming. With the introduction of 3G (W-CDMA), many of your 3G phones can be used in Japan. Please refer to links below for specific handsets.
When choosing a roaming partner, your choices are NTT DoCoMo, AU, and Softbank. All three of them have nationwide coverage. NTT DoCoMo is the largest in the Japan.
If you do not have a 3G phone, you could rent domestic phones at the airport. Refer to the list of providers located in Narita Airport below. Rental fees are quite expensive as in any other cities. Providers charge between 250 and 1000 yen per day, and around 100 yen outbound and inbound charge per minute.
If you plan to stay longer than three months and have a "Foreigner Registration Card," you can subscribe to post-pay mobile phones. Regular post-pay subscription is much cheaper than roaming or rental. Monthly fee is around 3,000 yen, 20-40 yen/min for domestic outbound call, and free incoming calls.
Handpicked links
List of cells phones that work in Japan
List of handsets that works in Japan using the network of NTT DoCoMo, the largest mobile operator in Japan.