Keitai woes

[Mr Doricar]

[Mr Doricar]

Guess this should be in Fucked Advice or Ghetto. Sorry about that

[Mike Oxlong]

There are other rental companies that rent out mobile phones to visiting celebrities & business people. I briefly met a guy from Kyoto years ago while on holidays and he said he ran that sort of company. Don't remember the name of it or his competitors, but there are other rental options besides the airport.

Here is a website that seems like it is the same guy I remember...

http://www.rentafonejapan.com/

[maraboutslim]

Well shit, once you guys help with this question, i'll take the advice on the straight up shortterm rentals as well. We'll be in Tokyo/Okinawa for ten days at the end of February and all the info on the internet about phones is really confusing.

[Mr Doricar]

Dont want a rental guys. Thanks anyway.

I guess easiest option is buy a prepay softbank, or face the music and see how much I owe since they cancelled my contract.

[maraboutslim]

Looks like Mike's recommendation of rentafone is the way I'll be going. One phone and one mobile wifi thing ought to do it for us.

Anyone know about skype in japan? If I bring my laptop or wifi device like an iphone or ipod touch, can i call japanese cell phones or land lines via skype? does the receiver of the call get charged anything? (last i knew, incoming calls are free on japanese cell phones, right?)

[FG Lurker]

Dont want a rental guys. Thanks anyway.

I guess easiest option is buy a prepay softbank, or face the music and see how much I owe since they cancelled my contract.

You can't get a phone contract until you have a gaijin card (or at least the docs to show you applied for one). Do you still have a visa? If you have a visa or are getting that straightened out before you return then go to the ward office immediately upon your return and apply for a gaijin card. The ward office will give you a "temporary gaijin card" (piece of paper) when you apply. Take that paper, your passport, and your Japanese health insurance card (if you have one) to a large (and hopefully not too incompetent) Softbank branch and get everything sorted out.

If you are coming back on a tourist visa while you get your other visa sorted out then you're fucked as far as getting any sort of phone contract in your own name goes, including prepaid phones. Get someone to buy you a prepaid phone that you can use until you get things sorted or get your wife (I think you said you were married?) to sign up for a Softbank contract and you can get a phone as a family addition to her contract.

[Samurai_Jerk]

A couple of things:

I got a phone without a gaijin card by showing my passport with a valid visa and a valid credit card. That was in 2005 when Softbank was still Vodafone though.

For future reference, you can (could?) get reentry permits at the airport. I don't know if it's guaranteed but it can't hurt to ask. My then girlfriend who was American did it about 10 years ago when we took a trip to Singapore. She had forgotten to get one.

BTW, in theory, if they took your gaijin card, they invalidated your visa too.

[GomiGirl]

This makes no sense.. how can you upgrade to an iPhone 4 without signing a new contract?

Your story is just too bizarre to sound plausible. Visas and contracts dont just get cancelled without good reason.

But the short answer is, without a gaijin card, visa etc you cannot get a phone in Japan - prepaid or otherwise. So either get a rental (why you reject this so vehemently is also a mystery) or suck it up and use a payphone.

[wuchan]

But the short answer is, without a gaijin card, visa etc you cannot get a phone in Japan - prepaid or otherwise. So either get a rental (why you reject this so vehemently is also a mystery) or suck it up and use a payphone.

Yes you can, you just need a japanese co-signer who has a phone line linked to the same account. Mine is in my name, the primary number is my phone and the bill comes in my name (in katakana). My wife ant I went in, filled out all the paperwork, stamped the paperwork with both of our marks and they never asked for ID from either of us.

[Mr Doricar]

This makes no sense.. how can you upgrade to an iPhone 4 without signing a new contract?

Your story is just too bizarre to sound plausible. Visas and contracts dont just get cancelled without good reason.

But the short answer is, without a gaijin card, visa etc you cannot get a phone in Japan - prepaid or otherwise. So either get a rental (why you reject this so vehemently is also a mystery) or suck it up and use a payphone.

That's why I said to cut a long story short.

Have spouse visa - but first year which was due to exp. on Dec 16th. I left Japan on Nov 13th in a hurry as I needed an operation. Left J hospital on Friday evening, flew Saturday morning. Therefore didn't have time to get re-entry visa from immigration.

Next, started my iphone contract 2 years ago last Sept, around September time I went to the store and asked if I could upgrade to iphone4. They got me new contract (another 2 years) and said come back in 2 weeks to collect the new phone. There was a 2 week wait for the iphone4. 2 weeks later I was in a hospital with broken leg and other injuries.

Following me so far?

Then, like I said 6 weeks later I flew out of the country, and haven't been back yet. In the mean time I contacted SB via phone and told them my sorry story and said I'll be back in February and will come to store to pay my missed payments from September to now. They told me my contract was cancelled.

my iphone3g was broken in the crash, so I don't have a working phone, or a contract, and I owe SB monthly payments from Sept -> Feb.

Fuck me, always a drama with me. Hope this year is a bit smoother!

[BigInJapan]

Was it not possible for your wife to go into Softbank and clear things up regarding your contract?
Or has she been with you in England the whole time?

[Mr Doricar]

She was in England, but now back in Japan. First 6 weeks in hospital I didn't even consider it as I was drugged up and didn't really give a shit, then when I flew back to UK I was drugged up and didn't give a shit for the first few weeks. After that I wanted to tie up all my loose ends like contracts etc. but was too late by then

[Doctor Stop]

However, I then had a motorbike accident and broke my 3G, and was in hospital for 6 weeks, followed by flying back to UK for extra surgery bla bla bla.

Is there a video of YouTube that might, or might not be, of your accident?

[Mulboyne]

I hope you're on the road to recovery, if that's not an inappropriate metaphor.

It sounds like you are going to need a new contract and phone number anyway. What's to stop you from asking your wife to get another phone in her name which you can then use when you get here? There must be a reason why you don't fancy doing that because otherwise it would seem to be the simplest option.

[Mr Doricar]

Is there a video of YouTube that might, or might not be, of your accident?

Nope, lucky for me there wasn't any evidenc...cameras present!

[Mr Doricar]

There must be a reason why you don't fancy doing that because otherwise it would seem to be the simplest option.

But of course there is. I wouldn't be on this website unless I was a fucked gaijin with issues. Asking the wife is a NO GO

[Mike Oxlong]

Does that mean your "accident" was a Woodsesque low-speed single vehicle accident while doped up on sleeping pills and trying to dodge a psycho (aren't they all) wife with a nine-iron and a wicked slice...?

[Mr Doricar]

Kinda yeah!

[maraboutslim]

I'd paint "she was" below that and drive that car with pride!

[Brasco]

I just got a Galaxy S on Docomo. Their contract automatically locks you back in for two years if you don't cancel it within a month of it expiring... I think I'd prefer that it gets cancelled.

[FG Lurker]

I just got a Galaxy S on Docomo. Their contract automatically locks you back in for two years if you don't cancel it within a month of it expiring... I think I'd prefer that it gets cancelled.

I'm pretty sure that you aren't locked in if you haven't bought a discounted phone that is attached to the new contract. You should be able to cancel without penalty as long as you give a month's notice.

On a different note, how do you like the Galaxy S? What did you have before?

[Coligny]

I'd paint "she was" below that and drive that car with pride!

Dood... that's a beemer... aren't they sold with these kind of stereotype included... ?

[Brasco]

I'm pretty sure that you aren't locked in if you haven't bought a discounted phone that is attached to the new contract. You should be able to cancel without penalty as long as you give a month's notice.

On a different note, how do you like the Galaxy S? What did you have before?

Yup, that's the one... got the 50% discount.

The Galaxy S is a good bit of kit, great screen, very user friendly and the reception is spot on (although I guess this has more to do with Docomo's coverage than the phone itself.) I was after the iPhone 4 but Softbank were being assholes over the 26month minimum on the visa. It's essentially the same deal as the iPhone4, so if you aren't already bought into Apple kit already, it's probably more bangs for your bucks, but otherwise it's might be smart to stick to the same as they'll synch easier.
I had a Nokia 6500 Slide on an 18 month contract back in the UK... phones have moved on a lot since I got it, so I'm no expert on the latest smartphones.

[Mr Doricar]

[Doctor Stop]

iPhone 4 is overall a better device, but Docomo has better coverage.

[Brasco]

[quote="Mr Doricar"]All I want from my iphone, or any other phone I guess is the following]

The short answer is yes. According to the website, they are planning to port Jisho to Android, but I haven't seen a release date. There are lots of Japanese dictionary apps available, using Jim Breens EDICT dictionary. Aedict and wwwjdic are the recommended ones (and both free).