Australian Mobile phone in Japan

My daughter is travelling to Japan (Osaka) in May for a few months teaching
English.

I'm getting conflicting advise from Optus. In the past, with Global roaming
switched on, the arrangement worked in Indonesia and Europe, but looks like
Japan may be a different story.

I'm hoping some-one out there have *actual* experience and can advice :-

1/. Will her current Australian mobile phone work in Japan (Osaka) with global
roaming switched on ?

2/. If not, what is the cheapest option ? Hire or buy a phone in Japan with a
pre-paid card ? It would mostly used for SMS messages to Australia, and
perhaps the odd urgent phone call within Japan.

Many thanks,

"Casual Looker" wrote in message
...
My daughter is travelling to Japan (Osaka) in May for a few months
teaching
English.

I'm getting conflicting advise from Optus. In the past, with Global
roaming
switched on, the arrangement worked in Indonesia and Europe, but looks
like
Japan may be a different story.

I'm hoping some-one out there have *actual* experience and can advice :-

1/. Will her current Australian mobile phone work in Japan (Osaka) with
global
roaming switched on ?

No. There is no GSM in Japan. Only the recently-introduced 3G (Third
Generation) mobile, but roaming charges are high.

2/. If not, what is the cheapest option ? Hire or buy a phone in Japan
with a
pre-paid card ? It would mostly used for SMS messages to Australia, and
perhaps the odd urgent phone call within Japan.

You can hire a phone either at the airport or have it delivered to your
hotel. Hire charge around 700 yen/day and call charge around 200 yen/min
domestic. PAYG phones are sold mainly at convenience stores. Vodafone and
Tu-Ka have good rates. Handset from around 5,000 yen and top-up card 3,000
and 5,000 yen. Call rate 60-100 yen/min inland, 200-300 yen international.
It will be cheaper to use a calling card from payphones for calls abroad.
Most Japanese phones don't support international SMS, but you can send
e-mails. Most cheaper phones only have Japanese display, and even with the
help of a short English manual, finding your way round the phone isn't easy
without good local language skills.

Alec

(Casual Looker) wrote in message ...
My daughter is travelling to Japan (Osaka) in May for a few months teaching
English.

I'm getting conflicting advise from Optus. In the past, with Global roaming
switched on, the arrangement worked in Indonesia and Europe, but looks like
Japan may be a different story.

I'm hoping some-one out there have *actual* experience and can advice :-

1/. Will her current Australian mobile phone work in Japan (Osaka) with global
roaming switched on ?

2/. If not, what is the cheapest option ? Hire or buy a phone in Japan with a
pre-paid card ? It would mostly used for SMS messages to Australia, and
perhaps the odd urgent phone call within Japan.

Many thanks,

Indonesia and Europe uses the GSM system (which was initiallly used in
Europe), the Australian provider Optus also use the GSM system.

As for GSM system in Japan

http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_jp.shtml

http://www.vodafone-rental.jp/en/

It seems that only 3G GSM phones that is capable being use in Japan.



For regular communication and emergency uses, I think that it's better
for your daughter to rent a local phone with a returnable deposit. If
you want to use text communication between Japan and Australia, better
get the one that is capable of e-mail services.

http://www.vodafone-rental.jp/en/phones_rent.htm

http://www.vodafone-rental.jp/en/phones_roam.htm

http://www.vodafone-rental.jp/en/rates.htm

No!! It won't work. You CAN hire phones, but for a stay of some months that
would be too expensive. Buy a phone in Japan with a pre-paid card, as you
suggested - is the best option!!

Be aware that Japan is very different when it comes to ATM's and the use of
credit cards too!! Tourists who stick to the usual paths are often unaware
of the facts that most Japanese ATM's only take Japanese cards; while credit
card use is unusual. Cash is very much KING in Japan!! Fortunately personal
crime is almost unknown.

As she will discover - Japanese Banks are slow and bureaucratic beyond
belief. She is in for a most interesting experience - Japan is fascinating,
not least because of the enormous contrasts within its culture.




"Casual Looker" wrote in message
...
My daughter is travelling to Japan (Osaka) in May for a few months
teaching
English.

I'm getting conflicting advise from Optus. In the past, with Global
roaming
switched on, the arrangement worked in Indonesia and Europe, but looks
like
Japan may be a different story.

I'm hoping some-one out there have *actual* experience and can advice :-

1/. Will her current Australian mobile phone work in Japan (Osaka) with
global
roaming switched on ?

2/. If not, what is the cheapest option ? Hire or buy a phone in Japan
with a
pre-paid card ? It would mostly used for SMS messages to Australia, and
perhaps the odd urgent phone call within Japan.

Many thanks,

"Casual Looker" wrote in message
...
My daughter is travelling to Japan (Osaka) in May for a few months
teaching
English.
2/. If not, what is the cheapest option ? Hire or buy a phone in Japan
with a
pre-paid card ? It would mostly used for SMS messages to Australia, and
perhaps the odd urgent phone call within Japan.

Basically mobile phones are cheaper than regular phones... you have to buy a
line in Japan to even get a telephone installed. Used ones cost about
US$200 last I checked. Plus you need to buy a phone - which technically is
supposed to be NTT approved. They check when they install the line. These
cost a fair bit as well. Go with the mobile. Finding pay phones is a pain
in the butt... especially cuz they seem to be disappearing at a fast rate.
No one uses them.
When she gets to Japan she will have to apply for a foreinger's card. Once
she has that card she can buy a phone. She can pay US$150 for one of the
newer models (including camera, mini-tv, and I don't know what else) or get
last year's model for $20 or a model that is a year and a half old for a
penny. The model that costs a penny will have text messaging capabilities
and a colour screen. No need for a camera (or the mini-tv). Then she gets a
service contract. There are tons of options. I have Vodaphone. Docomo is
the other major company (I had a bad experience with them though). Tsuka
and Au are other service providers. All of them will have two or three
phones with English capability - she should buy one that has it. Not sure
about the other companies, but Vodaphone sends a bill in English too.
I believe it costs 300 yen a month for the e-mail option (text messages).
The calling within Japan is about 4000 yen for 1 hour of calling time a
month. She'll use it more than that though probably. They are like an
extension to your head here - *everybody* uses one.
Liz