Prepaid In Japan

NoGSMarea · **ID for purchasing prepaid mobile in Japan. -** 10-04-2007, 11:26

I have to tell that the ID requirement for the purchase of prepeid mobile is more strict than before even in the case of Softbank.
I now checked the web pages of Softbank. Now they officially require ID with Japanese address (Driving permit issued in Japan, certificate of foreigner's registration, Student ID from Japanse universities etc.) as well as au.
When it was still Vodafone Japan, some shops accepted foreign passport as ID and it was enough to write the address of your hotel in Japan. But it does not seem to work.

Yazcedric mentions about "anonymously sold prepaid cellphone". I also know their existence. They are sometimes offered even on internet auction sites. But I do not recommend it either. It is completely illegal. Stay away from it.
But, if one of your Japanese friends buys a prepaid cellphone and let you use it, there is no problem. I have already called au and Softbank to get the answer "OK" because I sometimes have foreign researchers visiting me and let them to use one of my prepaid mobile.

Anyway Japanese market of mobile communications is very special. In Japan, almost all the people think that they buy mobile hendset from the mobile operators and they can not understand that the handset and subscription contract can be separate.

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NoGSMarea (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 5 Join Date: 22 Jul 2006 Country:	ID for purchasing prepaid mobile in Japan. - 10-04-2007, 11:26 I have to tell that the ID requirement for the purchase of prepeid mobile is more strict than before even in the case of Softbank. I now checked the web pages of Softbank. Now they officially require ID with Japanese address (Driving permit issued in Japan, certificate of foreigner's registration, Student ID from Japanse universities etc.) as well as au. When it was still Vodafone Japan, some shops accepted foreign passport as ID and it was enough to write the address of your hotel in Japan. But it does not seem to work. Yazcedric mentions about "anonymously sold prepaid cellphone". I also know their existence. They are sometimes offered even on internet auction sites. But I do not recommend it either. It is completely illegal. Stay away from it. But, if one of your Japanese friends buys a prepaid cellphone and let you use it, there is no problem. I have already called au and Softbank to get the answer "OK" because I sometimes have foreign researchers visiting me and let them to use one of my prepaid mobile. Anyway Japanese market of mobile communications is very special. In Japan, almost all the people think that they buy mobile hendset from the mobile operators and they can not understand that the handset and subscription contract can be separate.