Cellphones in Japan

Having a cellphone during your time in Japan can make the difference between enjoying your free time a bit, and enjoying it a lot. It's the one tool that massively simplifies making friends, so we absolutely recommend either bringing your own (if you can confirm that it works in Japan) or renting one here.For rentals in Japan, we recommend you to rent one through AIRS, a rental cellphone provider. They offer cheaper rates to GenkiJACS students than other companies, and credit card payment.

If you plan to bring your own phone, confirm with your cell phone company that your phone supports Japanese 3G networks. Also confirm the roaming charges, so you aren't hit with a big bill at the end of your stay!

If you won't bring your own phone, use the chart below to decie which rental option is best for you.

Comparison of GenkiJACS and AIRS Rental Cellphones

	Prepaid	Standard short rentals	AIRS
Rental cost	None, but you must buy the phone for about 7000 yen	Around 3,500 yen per week	500 yen per week plus 1000 yen return postage fee
Payment method	Prepaid: buy talk time at store in set amounts	Billed to credit card at end of stay	Billed to credit card at end of stay
Per minute cost (domestic calls)	Around 120 yen	90 yen	80 yen
Per minute cost (international calls)	depends on country	depends on country	100 yen
Cost to receive calls	Free	Usually free	Free
SMS	Up to 60 yen per message	Up to 100 yen per message	20 yen per message (domestic), 80 yen per message (international)
Cellphone pickup	From store when you purchase	Usually at airport upon arrival	At GenkiJACS on first day of school
Cellphone return	No return necessary	At airport upon departure	By post on last day of stay in Japan
Deposit	None	Depends on company	None, but credit card details must be provided
Charge for damage to phone	None, but new phone must be bought	Depends on company	Up to 20,000 yen or more, depending on damage (insurance available)

 

Procedure to apply for an AIRS phone:

1. Fill out the reservation form on the AIRS website.
   1. Make sure to read the Terms and Conditions carefully.
   2. Type your email address twice, to confirm.
2. When your booking has been confirmed, you will receive an email with details, and a link to their credit card form.
3. Fill out your credit card details on the secure form.
4. Your phone will be sent to GenkiJACS, to be waiting for you on the first day of classes, along with a return envelope. Put this return envelope in a safe place.
5. Use your phone for the duration of your stay.
6. On the last day of your stay, put your phone in the return envelope, and drop it in a post box.
7. Your credit card will be billed for rental and calling charges after your phone is returned safely, and you will receive a receipt by email.

Apply for an AIRS phone for the duration of your stay now!