The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[Escape-To-88]

Thanks man,
Had antoher question about mobile phones.
My girlfriend just spoke to a friend who is a pilot for BA. He is Japanese and uses his english mobile phone in Japan, ditto his brother who lives there.
I was under the impression NO u.k mobiles worked in Japan???
Cheers

[dave heats]

nah mate, UK phones can work over there. They just need to be compatible with a certain frequency or bandwith or whatever its called.

Also, companies such as vodafone offer "passport minutes" which let you use your contract minutes abroad (albeit with an initial connection charge).

A quick google search should sort you out with more info

[Escape-To-88]

Well bugger me! Even the bloody prof in the Uni I'm staying at in Japan said they didn't work, bloody ill-informed sods
Thanks man, I'll give my network a buzz tomorrow.
Did google a few things and couldn't find many answers but I'll look for 'passport minutes' cheers dave.

[Richard.John]

Just get a Japanese mobile!

[Anpanman]

Good God!! If I ever wanted to emigrate to another country then it is most definitely Japan!!

Everything about it was amazing!! The people were amazingly friendly, everywhere was clean, public transport ran on time...amazing!!

obviously there's a small amount of "Wow factor" in there as it was my first ever trip but, seriously, I'c trying to think up ways that I could get out there and stay.

Glad you had a good trip, yep really nice place isn't it

Oh, and ahem, 151 days and counting

[asnozz]

58 days and counting lol

[Emir]

I'm off to pick up 200 quid in Yen from the travel agents later. Expect muchos questions about credit/debit card usage, travel expenses etc. later on tonight...

[Richard.John]

It has been stated many times before but.........

Credit cards = widely accepted but some small stores still haven't joined the 21st century. Also you may have to jump through security hoops as well as they may phone your bank in the UK to check.

Debit cards for cash = only in branches of Citibank or Post Office ATMs. Japanese Bank ATMs generally don't accept cards issued abroad,even though they have VISA written on them. Stupid, but true. 　

[JU!]

Well bugger me! Even the bloody prof in the Uni I'm staying at in Japan said they didn't work, bloody ill-informed sods
Thanks man, I'll give my network a buzz tomorrow.
Did google a few things and couldn't find many answers but I'll look for 'passport minutes' cheers dave.

Ye they def work, I had to tell Vodafone I was going to Japan and used my K800i fine it can sometimes be awkward for people to call you though, as I think sometimes they have to use +44 in front of your number. If your living in Japan though I advise buying a Japanese phone I will def be buying one when I get there in Nov. P.S Don't use your Internet on yr phone to look at e-mails in Japan this cost me a bomb. As a result I got a £398 bill when I got bck!!!

[Escape-To-88]

Cheers JU!, have to wait a few weeks for my alien registration card to come through apprently until i can buy a japanese mobile out there, hence I wanted to take one with me just for calls in the first few weeks.
cheers

[Anpanman]

58 days and counting lol

...there's always one who beats me

[dave heats]

escape-to-88 , you can buy pay as you go vodafone phones in yodabashi. Theyre ****ing ugly, but quite cheap and you can buy top up cards from family marts (on english vending machines). You dont need an alien registration card to buy one either!

Would do the trick until you can walk into a vodafone store and sort out a contract and a nice shiny new phone.

[Richard.John]

Update: Vodafone = Softbank

[Escape-To-88]

Cheers guys! Will go that route! I land in Osaka for a week to begin with so will find something in DEn-Den town I guess, cheers

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Im living in Bangkok now, contracting and would ideally like to go straight to Japan, alas few japanese companies seem to recruit here so whats the situation regarding getting working visa's whilst there on a tourist one?

Do many places recruit locally, or is it still illegal

I work in IT, have been a company director have MCSE/CCNA, a degree but would teach english to pay the bills for a while,

Cheers