Taking an iPhone to Japan, how much would it cost?

[MusicEnthusiast]

Suppose I were to get an iPhone and wanted to travel to Japan. If I buy a Japanese SIM, this means I would avoid roaming charges. How much extra would it cost to operate in Japan compared to the US? Do they run on the same bill as the US carrier I would use? (I don't have Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T, so this is why I'm asking for future reference).

 

[Macman45]

A Guide To Japan

And your phone usage:
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+65953

 

[Amnesia87]

Suppose I were to get an iPhone and wanted to travel to Japan. If I buy a Japanese SIM, this means I would avoid roaming charges. How much extra would it cost to operate in Japan compared to the US? Do they run on the same bill as the US carrier I would use? (I don't have Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T, so this is why I'm asking for future reference).

If you want to do this you need to make sure you get a phone that is Unlocked.

 

[thedigitalfox]

Just an FYI (I spent a year in Japan): You will not be able to get a SIM from any of the carriers in Japan without a visa that is valid for MORE than 90 days. You can rent SIMs at the Airport, but pretty much nowhere else, and none of them are the micro SIM size. You return the rental SIM when you are finished with it, so if you cut it down to size you will get charged for damage.

For prepaid and contract SIM or phone purchases by foreign nationals, Japanese phone companies take photocopies of your visa, entry permission sticker, and passport photo page and fax them to their head office for verification with immigration, so there really isn't a way of talking your way into them giving you a SIM, even if you speak Japanese.

 

[sou1 so1di3r]

Just an FYI (I spent a year in Japan): You will not be able to get a SIM from any of the carriers in Japan without a visa that is valid for MORE than 90 days. You can rent SIMs at the Airport, but pretty much nowhere else, and none of them are the micro SIM size. You return the rental SIM when you are finished with it, so if you cut it down to size you will get charged for damage.

For prepaid and contract SIM or phone purchases by foreign nationals, Japanese phone companies take photocopies of your visa, entry permission sticker, and passport photo page and fax them to their head office for verification with immigration, so there really isn't a way of talking your way into them giving you a SIM, even if you speak Japanese.

what the heck!?

 

[dljeffery]

Check out Global Advanced Communications.

I haven't rented a SIM from them, but I recently rented a 3G hotspot from them for a month. Easy process if you are flying into Narita; pick it up at the post office there inside the airport. When you leave, just drop it off at a post office or in a mail box (they provide a postage paid envelope for the return).

They say they have SIMs compatible with iPhone 4, so these must be micro-SIMS. The rental charge basically only covers unlimited data (about $180 for a month, at current exchange rates; rates are considerably higher, per day, if your stay is much shorter). There is about a $13 credit on there for making calls, but aside from that, you'll be paying by the minute. Skype is the way to go for calls, unless you actually need to receive them (ringing into your iPhone) as well.

 

[yourmother]

Just an FYI (I spent a year in Japan): You will not be able to get a SIM from any of the carriers in Japan without a visa that is valid for MORE than 90 days. You can rent SIMs at the Airport, but pretty much nowhere else, and none of them are the micro SIM size. You return the rental SIM when you are finished with it, so if you cut it down to size you will get charged for damage.

For prepaid and contract SIM or phone purchases by foreign nationals, Japanese phone companies take photocopies of your visa, entry permission sticker, and passport photo page and fax them to their head office for verification with immigration, so there really isn't a way of talking your way into them giving you a SIM, even if you speak Japanese.

Exactly right. If you only have a tourist visa or you feel like it will take a long time for u to register with you local government (took me more than a month). RENT a phone at the airport

 

[blunti]

what the heck!?

i second this.