How to buy a pre-paid phone?

[Andocrates]

So I have been here for 2 weeks now totally shut off from the world because no one will sell me a pre-paid phone. Did Japan pass some law on prepaid phones? They say (in overly complicated Japanese) I need a gaijin card to buy a prepaid phone, but if I had a gaijin card I'd buy a real phone. I'm here for 10 more weeks on a passport. Any thoughts?

[gkanai]

Ah, the Catch-22.

Yokoso! Japan

[FG Lurker]

So I have been here for 2 weeks now totally shut off from the world because no one will sell me a pre-paid phone. Did Japan pass some law on prepaid phones? They say (in overly complicated Japanese) I need a gaijin card to buy a prepaid phone, but if I had a gaijin card I'd buy a real phone. I'm here for 10 more weeks on a passport. Any thoughts?

Yes, you now need ID to buy a prepaid phone. As you correctly guessed it was a change of the law.

Your best bet is to buy a phone used. They should be available on Yahoo Auctions and also for sale in some sayonara sales. Or, if you have a Japanese friend who doesn't mind signing up on your behalf you can try that route too.

[yellowlightman]

How recently was this law change?

Either way, guess it's a good thing I held onto my pre-paid phone from last summer. Hopefully when I get back this fall I can find some pre-paid cards that will work with it.

[oyajikun]

How recently was this law change?

Either way, guess it's a good thing I held onto my pre-paid phone from last summer. Hopefully when I get back this fall I can find some pre-paid cards that will work with it.

You will need to get it reactivated if it has not had any credit in it for any more than 3 months. Cost something like 5000 yen, basically the same amount as a new prepaid phone..

[FG Lurker]

How recently was this law change?

Either way, guess it's a good thing I held onto my pre-paid phone from last summer. Hopefully when I get back this fall I can find some pre-paid cards that will work with it.

Vodafone Prepaid FAQ:
http://www.vodafone.jp/prepaid_en/faq/index.html
(If you don't buy a card within 180days of your last one expiring you lose service and have to re-register.)

English info on the changes and registration requirements:
http://www.vodafone.jp/prepaid_en/news/keiyaku_e.html
(Basically you must register by October or you lose service.)

[Zycuron]

I once read something about renting a phone at narita airport.
Wouldn't this be an option? I don't think you need a gaijin card for those.

[FG Lurker]

I once read something about renting a phone at narita airport.
Wouldn't this be an option? I don't think you need a gaijin card for those.

I've seen this at KIX too. I think they're pretty expensive though.

[Kuang_Grade]

Here's one of phone rental folks..http://www.pupuru.com/en/standard_en.html

Examples of Payment Calculations
[ ( Basic Fee + 399 Yen x the number of rentals days ) + Plan ] x
No. of phone + Postage(840 Yen) = Payment

If you want to rent a phone for 5 days:
[2625 Yen + 1995 Yen( 5 x 399 Yen) + 3150 Yen(starting phone credit)] x 1 + 840 Yen = 8610 Yen*

Basically, 3500 yen to start, plus 3150 yen cell phone time (and the rates are pretty rotten too), plus 399 yen per day.


vodafone also does it as well.
http://www.vodafone-rental.jp/en/rental_phones.htm

J-SA51(PDC Type) - Phone Rental with local number
Handset Rental Fee 525 yen / Day *
Handset Insurance Fee 210 yen / Day *
Voice Calls Domestic 105 yen / Minute
International Calls Refer attached table
SMS 15 yen / message

As for a summary of what has happened as of late, I found this piece from Feb
http://www.thefeature.com/article?articleid=101394

Then the politicians got involved. The basic charge was that the prepaid mobile was at the root of much of Japan's crime. The Japanese police suggested that in the first half of 2004, prepaid mobile phones were used in 93% of phone frauds where criminals posed as relatives in urgent need of money, and in 66% of cases where fraudsters charged victims for services they did not receive. The former is a delightful scam known in Japan as "ore, ore" ("it's me, it's me"), in which a caller, posing as a friend or relative in distress, asks for a transfer of cash in order to avoid jail or a beating by gangsters. The cost of this was estimated to be over $75 million. A police spokesman was also happy to link prepaid phones to drug trafficking, murder and robbery cases.

The suggestion was then made to the Japanese parliament that prepaid could be banned. This is where the story starts to get a little murky. NTT DoCoMo seems, with very little to lose, to have supported this proposal. It was quoted as saying it would stop selling prepaid phones from March 2005, but NTT DoCoMo's official response is that it is "still deciding this internally and nothing precise has been decided at this moment."

The other operators were naturally up in arms, as were non-Japanese trade bodies who thought both non-Japanese corporates and citizens (who typically use prepaid) were being discriminated against.

Finally, a compromise has been reached in the Japanese parliament. There will be much more stringent security checks on the use of prepaid. A bill is going through parliament which will prohibit the transfer of prepaid phones to third parties, with violators facing prison terms of up to two years or a maximum fine of 3 million yen ($28,500).

For Vodafone K.K, this has meant three things: one, it has begun unilaterally terminating services for prepaid mobile phones that have been used in fraudulent billing and other crimes (estimated to be around 200 accounts). Two, for new users it has been asking for proof of name and address, which it has checked before supplying the phone. Three, it will soon start checking the identities of its entire prepaid user base.

Some Japanese commentators had suggested that NTT DoCoMo would be happy to see this legislation as it would deter the prepaid plans of rivals but this does not seem to be happening. Vodafone K.K is planning to extend its range of prepaid handsets and packages in 2005. It will also offer picture messaging to prepaid users for the first time.

One would think if the cell phone companies were sensible, they would come up with some solution for those on tourist visas that only required showing/recording your passport info...like a prepaid set up with a hefty deposit...you buy the phone and put down 15000 yen deposit but you can sell back the phone for 50% of what you paid for it when you leave and you get the deposit back). You'd think that a document good enough to get you in the country (passport) would be good enough to get you a phone. After all, it's not gaijins doing all the ore ore stuff.

[Blah Pete]

[Taro Toporific]

So I have been here for 2 weeks now totally shut off from the world because no one will sell me a pre-paid phone.?

NTT and DoCoMo ... FUCKEM!

Just use Skype or get one of these IP phones.

[Kuang_Grade]

For those looking for the short term/tourist solution, this page on Narita Inat. Airport's site has quite a few cell phone renters and links to their respective sites...quite a few different pricing angles and phone options among the various providers...Sony Finance apparently disinfects each phone when returned.
http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/service/list/svc_19.html