Prepaid In Japan

**Effendi** · 13-09-2006, 09:58

Hello,
I received an e-mail asking for help about prepaid W-CDMA in Japan. I wrote back but a stupid antispam filter of comcast refuses to deliver the mail and put my ip on a black-list and it seems there's no way to solve it, unless spending too much time in something I really don't care.

Anyway, if the lady who wrote me the e-mail reads the forum she can find solutions here in this thread.

Here is her e-mail:

Quote:

Hi... I'm confused and I'm wondering if you could offer a suggestion.* I have an unlocked Motorola V3x with both GSM 900/1800/1900 and WCDMA 2100.* I know that Japan uses 3G technology and not GSM, so I know that the GSM capabilities of my phone are of no use to me in Japan.* What I'm confused about is what kind of SIM card WILL work for me there?* I've looked at your site and read all I can find on the forum, but I'm still not totally clear.* Is a SIM card the same no matter if it's GSM or WCDMA?* Do SIM card brands work for just one or the other?

Is this statement from your site still accurate:

By now there is no prepaid offer on W-CDMA, so the best way to use a dual-mode GSM/UMTS phone in Japan is with a United Mobile prepaid card. The strange fact is that officially there should be no roaming in Japan, but our friends Donald and Stu used their Riiing (now UM) card there with no problems, so we can actually say that it works. Travelsim also states that it works in Japan, with free incoming calls, but no one of our friends have tried by now.

So, am I reading correctly, that your recommendation is to use a United Mobile prepaid GSM card?* Or possibly a Travelsim card?* And this is because Vodafone and NTT DoCoMo don't have 3G SIM cards?

I guess, all in all, I'm looking for a definitive recommendation on a SIM card to use in Japan with my Motorola V3x.* I really appreciate any advice or suggestions you can offer.

and here is my answer which never arrived...

Quote:

Hi,
the problem with Japan is that there are no prepaid offers on the 3G networks, so you cannot buy a Japanese prepaid card, simply because it doesn't exist. So if you want to use your V3x phone the only choices you have are:
- using your local sim card with high roaming prices (if your operator has roaming agreements in Japan)
- using United Mobile, with unknown rates, but still rather high
- using Travelsim, with free incoming calls (someone tested it recently, if I'm not wrong).

So the best option, by far, would be to buy a Travelsim sim-card which has an Estonian number but which should work well, and with free incoming calls, in Japan.
In order to be sure about it I suggest you to open a new discussion on our Forum asking about Travelsim and United Mobile in Japan. There are some American guys which often go there, so they can surely help you more than me.

If you have any question feel free to write me as well.
Bye!

If our Japanese experts have something to add and/or to correct me, feel free to help!

Thanks!

DRNewcomb · 13-09-2006, 12:32

I've tested the Riing (UM) SIM in Japan on a couple of occasions. As I recall, it worked on Vodafone but rates seemd to be undefined. Incoming calls on one occasion were 59cts/min the next time they were over 1 Euro/min. I asked UM about this and they really didn't support roaming in Japan. For this reason I don't really recomend UM in Japan. I have no experience with any other prepaid SIMs in Japan. I've been looking at alternatives to UM but have not tried anything yet.

**Effendi** · 13-09-2006, 16:11

Travelsim should be THE solution... if it's confirmed to work!

jeffharris · 04-12-2006, 20:52

Well, in reality, as soon as you arrive in Narita (and other Japan airports), in the arrival halls are a few phone rental places, and it's like $5 a day, free incoming, and reasonable outgoing (50c a minute to US, etc ...). Even if you leave via another airport, you can return via shipment very easily, if you pre arrange with them upon rental. A better solution overall. You can always forward your foreign cell number to the rented Japan one via Skype for 15c a minute.

DRNewcomb · 06-12-2006, 00:37

You can now rent a SoftBank (ex Voda) SIM for 105¥/day (about $1/day) with free incoming calls but rather spendy outgoing calls. http://www.softbank-rental.jp/inbound/eng/phones/

Since I now have an O9 SIM I plan to test it in Japan as I pass through on my way to Singapore on the 26th. I'll post the results.

Malkav · 06-12-2006, 02:38

i thought that vodafone japan did do a pre pay plan supplying both a phone and a sim card (or whatever they have in its place) however the softbank website mentions this but no real clue as to getting hold of said phone? any help guys/ girls?

DRNewcomb · 06-12-2006, 02:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malkav

i thought that vodafone japan did do a pre pay plan supplying both a phone and a sim card (or whatever they have in its place) however the softbank website mentions this but no real clue as to getting hold of said phone? any help guys/ girls?

Softbank does have a prepaid but it's PDC, not 3G. They also require a Japanese ID to get one.

**Przemolog** · 06-12-2006, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

Since I now have an O9 SIM I plan to test it in Japan as I pass through on my way to Singapore on the 26th. I'll post the results.

Well, we are waiting, especially because the 09 rate calculator doesn't show Japan in the "calling from" list

Also Manx SIMs seem to be about to start roaming in Japan. E.g. globalsim.net shows Japan as "Testphase" with free incoming calls and outgoing to Japan and Europe 39 cents (59 cents mobiles) but to USA it's 1.48 euro (and 1.68 to US mobiles

).

DRNewcomb · 07-12-2006, 00:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Przemolog

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

Since I now have an O9 SIM I plan to test it in Japan as I pass through on my way to Singapore on the 26th. I'll post the results.

Well, we are waiting, especially because the 09 rate calculator doesn't show Japan in the "calling from" list

Japan's not listed on the calculator but is listed in the much longer list of roaming countries. I e-mailed 09 about Japan but got no response.

Malkav · 07-12-2006, 01:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malkav

i thought that vodafone japan did do a pre pay plan supplying both a phone and a sim card (or whatever they have in its place) however the softbank website mentions this but no real clue as to getting hold of said phone? any help guys/ girls?

Softbank does have a prepaid but it's PDC, not 3G. They also require a Japanese ID to get one.

ahhh ballsacks....want to go to tokyo to...damm.......what a bitch.......i dont know if nttdocomo do pre pay though i bet its a similar story, you need japanese id to use it..though thats probablt true with kddi to...

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	(#2 (permalink))
DRNewcomb (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Guru Posts: 1,215 Join Date: 27 Feb 2004 Location: Mississippi, USA Country:	13-09-2006, 12:32 I've tested the Riing (UM) SIM in Japan on a couple of occasions. As I recall, it worked on Vodafone but rates seemd to be undefined. Incoming calls on one occasion were 59cts/min the next time they were over 1 Euro/min. I asked UM about this and they really didn't support roaming in Japan. For this reason I don't really recomend UM in Japan. I have no experience with any other prepaid SIMs in Japan. I've been looking at alternatives to UM but have not tried anything yet.

	(#3 (permalink))
Effendi (Offline) The great Dictator! Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,312 Join Date: 13 Jan 2004 Location: Genova & Sarzana Country:	13-09-2006, 16:11 Travelsim should be THE solution... if it's confirmed to work! Working Prepaids: IT: Wind, Vodafone IT, UNO Mobile; SM: Prima; UK: 3, Virgin; INT: TravelSIM, Truphone. Deceased Prepaids: CZ: Oskar, Eurotel; SK: Orange; DE: E-Plus, Aldi, Simyo; GE: Geocell; AM: Armentel; PL: Heyah, Plus; LT: Tele2; LV: Amigo; EE: Elisa; UA: Kyivstar; NZ: Vodafone; INT: UM, UM+, ICQSim. GSM/3G Phones: Nokia E71, HTC Wildfire

	(#4 (permalink))
jeffharris (Offline) Member Advanced Member Posts: 50 Join Date: 15 Aug 2006 Location: Los Angeles & NY Country:	04-12-2006, 20:52 Well, in reality, as soon as you arrive in Narita (and other Japan airports), in the arrival halls are a few phone rental places, and it's like $5 a day, free incoming, and reasonable outgoing (50c a minute to US, etc ...). Even if you leave via another airport, you can return via shipment very easily, if you pre arrange with them upon rental. A better solution overall. You can always forward your foreign cell number to the rented Japan one via Skype for 15c a minute.

	(#5 (permalink))
DRNewcomb (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Guru Posts: 1,215 Join Date: 27 Feb 2004 Location: Mississippi, USA Country:	06-12-2006, 00:37 You can now rent a SoftBank (ex Voda) SIM for 105¥/day (about $1/day) with free incoming calls but rather spendy outgoing calls. http://www.softbank-rental.jp/inbound/eng/phones/ Since I now have an O9 SIM I plan to test it in Japan as I pass through on my way to Singapore on the 26th. I'll post the results.

	(#6 (permalink))
Malkav (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 283 Join Date: 09 Jun 2006 Location: Malkavian University Country:	06-12-2006, 02:38 i thought that vodafone japan did do a pre pay plan supplying both a phone and a sim card (or whatever they have in its place) however the softbank website mentions this but no real clue as to getting hold of said phone? any help guys/ girls? Current networks: Orange 3g UK, 3 pay monthly, Virgin pay as you go UK, 3UK payg, Tesco payg, Asda mobile Active phones: Blackberry Torch (02), Google Nexus one (Vodafone) Inactive Sims: Oskar Czech R, BT Genie Pay as you go UK. Spare (unused phones) NEC 616, Ericsson t68/i, Nokia 3310, Sendo m550, Mototorola v66i, Motorola a1000.lg u880, Sony Ericsson t230. Orange spv m5000, Samsung z400, Motorola SLVR (Red)!, lobster tv700, spv m700, prada phone, motorola l7e, Skype phone, siemens sl65, blackberry 8810, Nokia 6500 slide X2.