Temporary Sim Card w/ Japanese #

[ur19877]

Hi guys...wanted to share some detail regarding a SIM card w/Japanese # that I used during my last visit (last week)

This post is geared to temporary travelers and not residents..

If you have done your research, getting a SIM card with a Japanese number is not common place for a tourists... but it is possible.


Company name is mobal: https://www.mobal.com/japan-sim-card/?source=2503

You need to buy the SIM card and then sign up for service... there are various plans but I got the card for 25 USD on amazon and paid 4K yen for 15 days of voice, text and 7 GB of data. There are some other charges for phone calls and rules, but I won't go over it here.. you can read the site.

Setup and activation is easy and I didn't have to use an APN on my iPhone, which was cool. I find APN's annoying to setup.For me, it worked out to be around $65.00 for 5 days of calling..so it was not cheap, but I found it convenient when calling DH's and gave them my number, so they could call me if they needed to... At a couple of places, they used this number to sign up for memberships going forward..

Again, I know this is not a cheap option, but I got one to mitigate some risks and sticky situations that I have been through in the past....an example is the girl not being able to find me at a meeting spot, and I only had my US number.

Wanted to pass this along..

 

[foertis]

Thanks for the tip, I was just looking for something like that. It is more conveniant to use a phone you are familiar with, than a hire-phone.

 

[TokyoML]

What did the phone number begin with?

090-xxx, 080-xxx, 070-xxx, 020-xxxx or the dreaded 050-xxxx-xxxx?

 

[ur19877]

What did the phone number begin with?

090-xxx, 080-xxx, 070-xxx, 020-xxxx or the dreaded 050-xxxx-xxxx?

070 prefix

 

[Sudsy]

070 prefix

That's not going to last long.

There are strict regulations on usage of registered mobile phone numbers (090-xxx, 080-xxx, 070-xxx, 020-xxxx) in Japan, which is why they're not available to tourists.

These guys will get shut down - or their offerings restricted - once they come to the attention of the Ministry of Communications.

 

[meiji]

That's not going to last long.

There are strict regulations on usage of registered mobile phone numbers (090-xxx, 080-xxx, 070-xxx, 020-xxxx) in Japan, which is why they're not available to tourists.

These guys will get shut down - or their offerings restricted - once they come to the attention of the Ministry of Communications.

What's the difference between this and 'renting' a SIM though? There's plenty of official sources where you can do that, and those are standard non-050 numbers.

 

[Sudsy]

What's the difference between this and 'renting' a SIM though? There's plenty of official sources where you can do that, and those are standard non-050 numbers.

In order to legally rent a SIM with a non 050 number, the provider is supposed to verify that you have legal residence in Japan. Unless, of course, they recently changed the laws - but usually those sorts of changes come active in June.

 

[AnotherTag]

I have always been able to rent a SIM card with phone number from Softbank Rental: https://www.softbank-rental.jp/en/rental_japan/sim_card.php

They do require you to provide your passport and they make a copy of it everytime you rent to make sure they can trace you back.

 

[ur19877]

I have always been able to rent a SIM card with phone number from Softbank Rental: https://www.softbank-rental.jp/en/rental_japan/sim_card.php

They do require you to provide your passport and they make a copy of it everytime you rent to make sure they can trace you back.

Softbank was my carrier and I also had to upload a picture of my sim card.

 

[Sudsy]

I have always been able to rent a SIM card with phone number from Softbank Rental: https://www.softbank-rental.jp/en/rental_japan/sim_card.php

They do require you to provide your passport and they make a copy of it everytime you rent to make sure they can trace you back.

That’s not actually SoftBank - it’s an Australian company skirting local laws.

 

[AnotherTag]

That’s not actually SoftBank - it’s an Australian company skirting local laws.

Yeah it's not the real SoftBank, but I doubt rental company can use the word "SoftBank" without the actual company's blessing.

As for skirting local laws, I know you have to be a resident with at least 6 months VISA to apply for a phone number, but I guess "rental" is the gray area if not spelt out right as illegal / legal.

I went ahead and googled for the laws and this is what I found (Q&A regarding the prevention of unlawful cellphone uses): http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/d_syohi/050526_1.files/Page443.html. Section 5 talks about foreign visitors and it seems to say that as long as verification is done with passport, it's fine. Section 10 talks about the paper trail that must be established, so I think those companies are not skirting the laws but rather following the laws.

 

[Sudsy]

Rentals aren't particularly grey - IDs have to be confirmed for any telecoms device rented or contracted in Japan. The page you linked doesn't talk about number assignment, but about the overall equipment regulations.

Our telecoms vendor is coming by the office later in the week - I'll try to remember to ask them about that, I do remember some of our contracted specialists from overseas not being able to obtain rental phones from them directly because they weren't our employees.

 

[Karbon]

Just for the info, there was a free to use smartphone in my room at the Cerulean Hotel in Tokyo last time I went. You could access internet and - I think - place calls.
It seems to be an external company that provides the phone and it is loaded with info on Tokyo and there are probably ads too. I did not use it as I had my own data simcard and did not need to make phone calls.
In addition I have no idea of what they do of the info they collect from you (internet browsing history, number dialled, etc ...). When it's free you are the product ...

 

[meiji]

As for skirting local laws, I know you have to be a resident with at least 6 months VISA to apply for a phone number, but I guess "rental" is the gray area if not spelt out right as illegal / legal.

Even getting an 050 number I think you are supposed to say that you have a residential visa - when you sign up for a Japanese number with Skype, they have you check a box (but no proof is needed -- or wasn't years ago anyway). When I got my first phone contract with B-Mobile back in the day, I had to scan and upload proof of residence from the ward office (but that was for an 080 number)

 

[AnotherTag]

Even getting an 050 number I think you are supposed to say that you have a residential visa - when you sign up for a Japanese number with Skype, they have you check a box (but no proof is needed -- or wasn't years ago anyway). When I got my first phone contract with B-Mobile back in the day, I had to scan and upload proof of residence from the ward office (but that was for an 080 number)

Yeah, in Skype's case they are probably skirting the laws since they don't ask you for definite proof of residency by that definition, they still have that checkbox!

Another way I know is Twilio. You can buy a phone number and pay by the month from them for the 03 and 050 area codes for VoIP. No proof of residency or anything. It's more for business but still lol. There are probably other sources without one having to give proof.

In this thread the argument is mainly about visitors and phone number rentals and whether they are legal or not for visitors to rent a SIM or phone with working Japanese phone number. Looks to be legal to me as long as the companies you are renting from are doing their due diligence with document verification and copies, but then again, I am not a lawyer so just an opinion.

 

[Sudsy]

Looks to be legal to me as long as the companies you are renting from are doing their due diligence with document verification and copies, but then again, I am not a lawyer so just an opinion.

Our telecoms vendor was just through, and clarified - it's unlawful to give a phone number to a non resident, but like many laws in Japan, it's largely unenforced unless someone causes problems.