So after a longggg few weeks of not having a phone, and all of the associated problems of not being able to contact people whilst out, and running up a high bill on my English mobile, I finally went out last week to get one!
I met Shunyo at Musashi-Sakai station to go and have a look around the mobile phone shops in the area. Instead of just going to a network branch, we went into a shop that sold phones from all of the different networks; sort of like a Phones 4U or Carphone Warehouse place. The cheapest deal was on Docomo, whereby I got a two-year contract, and a free phone. What most people seemed to get was the pre-paid option from Softbank, but despite the 9,000 contract cancellation fee, it actually worked out cheaper altogether to get the two-year Docomo contract. I pay 1100 yen a month (under a tenner), which gets me unlimited emails. The Japanese use emails a lot more than texts, as they're much cheaper! Another advantage is the fact that you can email computers from your phone, as well. I know this is a usual features in smartphones anyway, but my new phone isn't a smartphone, just a basic one. I don't get free texts or minutes with this contract, but that doesn't bother me as I only really intend to use the email.
I got a free handset with my contract. It's not too bad, though! It has a 5.1 megapixel camera and an electronic Japanese-English dictionary, among other things.
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| A warning screen I don't understand |
So I'm glad I can now finally keep in touch with other people in Japan! It was a bit of a fuss actually trying to buy it. It's not like at home where you can walk into any Argos and pick up a pay-and-go SIM card for £1. For a start, you have to be 20 here to get a phone. Ridiculous I know, but after getting Mum to fax over the photo and address page of her passport to prove she gave her consent for me to have one, I could start on the paperwork, which I won't even begin to go into, as it was hugely boring and typically Japanese in it's pointless bureaucracy.
So yes, if you're yet to get a phone, I recommend you go into a shop where you can compare deals from different networks, as they're generally less biased, and have a good range of recommendations for different deals, depending on what you're after. They're also often willing to jump on the computer to research anything they're not 100% sure about, which just seemed to be my annoyingly precise questions about data charges and roaming, so fair play to them.
So yes, if you're yet to get a phone, I recommend you go into a shop where you can compare deals from different networks, as they're generally less biased, and have a good range of recommendations for different deals, depending on what you're after. They're also often willing to jump on the computer to research anything they're not 100% sure about, which just seemed to be my annoyingly precise questions about data charges and roaming, so fair play to them.
That's all to talk of on the mobile front, but I've decided on another feature of my blog; I'm going to have a 'photo of the day' at the end of each post. There is so much strange stuff here in Japan (as I'm sure you can all imagine) so I thought I'd photograph anything hilarious I see and stick it on here :) I'll annotate them to try and give a bit of context, too.
Although, I haven't seen anything funny today, besides the picture below, which I found on the internet. But after this post they will all be photos taken by me in Japan!
James
Photo of the Day
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| I don't think this needs a caption. |
All the likes
ReplyDeleteI love the 'Photo of the Day'!
ReplyDeleteHi again!
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering about the phone-getting process and have a few questions about it.
Since I'm underage, I suppose I'll need my parents' consent as well. You mentioned that you had to have your mom fax over some stuff. Did that have to be faxed to the telcomm company itself? Or is it possible for me to prepare all such documents before flying over?
Also, I'll need a bank account to get a non-prepaid phone, right? Do you know about how long it takes to get a bank account? (as in how long from the date I walk in and register until the bank book and ATM arrive in the mail?)
Thanks!!!
Bethany
Hello again!
DeleteYeah, my mum faxed a photocopy of the photo page of her passport, but only because I'd heard that getting a 20 year old friend to vouch for me would be enough (it wasn't).
To be honest I don't know whether or not you could prepare all those sorts of documents before arriving in Japan; I don't see why not, so give it a try. I would have done if I'd known I needed parental consent.
You don't need a bank account to get a non-prepaid phone! My bills just arrive in my postbox every month, and all I have to do is take them to any konbini and then pay the shop assistant with cash. I didn't get my bank account until a couple of months after getting my phone.
Getting a bank account is really quick. It might take an hour or two in the actual bank, but they give you your bank book there and then after you sort out all the details. The cash card took about 4 or 5 days to get to me in the post, I believe, so it's all super 便利!
Hope this helps, let me know if you need me to help with anything else :)
James
Oooh!! That sounds awesome, then!! That's a really convenient way to pay bills :D So that means I can arrive on a Friday, settle all my Resident card stuff and by Sunday I can buy a contract phone? I'm kind of overly-dependent on my phone, so I can't live too long without one, haha!
DeleteThanks so much for answering my questions again!
It's good isn't it! I'm not sure you'll be able to sort your gaijin card at the weekend though cos the city office might be closed...but on Monday you'll be able to. It takes a few days to receive the card, but they should offer you some document which lets you open a bank account or get a phone before your card arrives. I got two of them, and I think they're ¥200 each? Something around that price.
DeleteYeah, I left it about a month before getting a Japanese phone...up until then I was using my British one, and running up rather large bills back home oooops :p
No problem, let me know if you have any more questions :)
Ahh there's a new Resident Card system and it's not the Alien/Gaijin one anymore, so it'll be issued at Narita when I enter and I can settle the address stuff in a few hours, especially since I'm likely to arrive Friday morning! So that means even more convenience~ ^o^
ReplyDeleteOhhh yes, you're right! I did read a couple of things about that...lucky you! So you won't be referred to as an 'alien' ha...nice! That is convenient isn't it! :)
DeleteIndeed!! The process will also be a lot more convenient, but I wonder how long I'll have to wait at Narita.. :/ And if they'll take my photo on the spot or use the one I submitted for my visa..
DeleteThe wait at Narita was not long as I expected, when I arrived in Summer. Once you join the 'alien queue' it's not bad at all. They do take your photo there, as well as your finger prints, but I don't know which photo they'd use for your card....
DeleteICU told me they'd probably use the Visa photo but they're not totally sure because it's a new system to be implemented mid-July... Plus I'd have to wait for them to finish making my card, and many others' cards too, before I can leave. ;_; I hope to check into the dorm in the morning, get my address registration sorted and get a bank before the dorm orientation in the evening! I hope I actually make it to the on-campus dorms in the first place, though!! :/
DeleteHey again! I suppose you're prolly back in the UK by now, right? Congrats on completing your year at ICU!!!
DeleteI actually have one more question about settling-in stuff as my move draws nearer (next month!!!). It's mainly to do with bank stuff.
Since the legal age in Japan is 20, does that mean I need parental consent to open a bank account too? :/ Also, do you have any recommendations with regard to which bank to choose? Which is most convenient, foreigner-friendly, has many ATMs Tokyo-wide, has ATMs near ICU etc. etc. etc. Anything would help!
Thanks!!!
Hello there! Yes yes I'm back in the UK and enjoying it a lot!
DeleteI actually waited until I was 20 to get a bank account. I was 20 two and a half months after arriving in Japan, so I just waited...I'm not sure about the parental consent thing, but I imagine it's the same as getting a phone.
I recommend you get an account with Mitsubishi UFJ. They have a branch in Musashi-Sakai, right by the station (you'll be spending plenty of time in Mushashi-Sakai), as well as an ATM on campus at ICU, and plenty all around Tokyo. You'll be able to use your MUFJ card in pretty much all ATMs anyway, so it's all good :)
If you have any more questions, you might as well add me on Facebook haha - you seem to have a lot! :p www.facebook.com/james.sebright
James
Hey!
DeleteThanks for answering all my questions, haha! And yeah, I'm really anxious since I'm gonna be there for 4 years and gonna be without my parents for the first time in life, so I'm finding out every single thing I can before I go over. :X
Have you heard of Japan Post Bank? I heard there's a branch on ICU and that minors might be able to get an account there, so I was considering that too...
Alrighty, I'll go look for you on Facebook, haha~