Phone & Internet in Tokyo

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Phone & Internet

Calling Within Japan

Payphones come in various colors, including pink and green. Most pink-and-red phones, for local calls, accept only ¥10 coins. Green-and-gray phones accept ¥10 and ¥100 coins as well as prepaid telephone cards. Domestic long-distance rates are reduced as much as 50% after 9 PM (40% after 7 PM). Telephone cards, sold in vending machines, hotels, and a variety of stores, are tremendously convenient because you will not have to search for the correct change.

For directory information on Tokyo telephone numbers, dial 104; for elsewhere in Japan, dial 105. These services are only in Japanese, but the NTT Information Customer Service Centre, open weekdays 9-5, has service representatives who speak English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Chinese.

Contact

NTT Information Customer Service Centre (0120/364-463 toll-free).

Calling Outside Japan

Many gray, multicolor, and green phones have gold plates indicating, in English, that they can be used for international calls. Three Japanese companies provide international service: KDD (001), Japan Telecom (JT, 0041), and IDC (0061). Dial the company code + country code + city/area code and number of your party. Telephone credit cards are especially convenient for international calls. For operator assistance in English on long-distance calls, dial 0051.

Access Numbers

In the U.S.A.:

KDD (Japan)IDC (Japan)JT (Japan)AT&T Direct

800/222-030000/539-11100/66-55-11100/44-11-111MCI WorldPhone

800/444-444400/539-912100/66-55-12100/44-11-121Sprint International Access

800/877-464600/539-13100/66-55-87700/44-11-131

Calling Cards

For as little as ¥1,000 ($9) pre-paid telephone cards can be bought at station kiosks or convenience stores and can be used in virtually all public telephones. Pre-paid cell phones are also available at some kiosks.

Mobile Phones

Japan is the world leader in mobile phone technology, but overseas visitors cannot easily use their handsets in Japan. So if you really need a cell phone while you're in Tokyo, rent one. Phones can be rented on arrival at SoftBank (formerly Vodafone) outlets at both Narita and Kansai airports. Rental rates start at ¥525 a day, excluding insurance.

Contacts

SoftBank (44/1635-33251. www.softbank.co.jp). Cellular Abroad (800/287-5072. www.cellularabroad.com) rents and sells GMS phones and sells SIM cards that work in many countries. Mobal (888/888-9162. www.mobalrental.com) rents mobiles and sells GSM phones (starting at $49) that will operate in 140 countries. Per-call rates vary throughout the world. Planet Fone (888/988-4777. www.planetfone.com) rents cell phones, but the per-minute rates are expensive.

Internet

These days, Internet access is as easy to find as water on this island nation, and many Internet cafés operate into the wee hours of the morn to placate those in need of an online fix. Prices range from free online access for paying patrons to [y]500 or more per half hour. Phone jacks are the same in Japan as in the U.S. Many hotels have ADSL or Ethernet connections for high-speed Internet access. Ethernet cables are usually available to buy at hotels if you don't bring your own. Wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) is popular and available for free in many subway stations, coffee shops and hotel lobbies; so bring that LAN card with your laptop.

Despite its name-brand popularity, Yahoo Café has no available phone numbers and the Web site is only in Japanese, but it has locations in Narita and Haneda airports, as well as the Shingawa Prince Hotel.

Manga Land is another popular Internet café chain that has more than two dozen locations throughout the city.

For a list of Internet café locations in and around the city, visit Enjoy Tokyo's Web site, which is listed below.

Contacts

Cybercafes (www.cybercafes.com) lists over 4,000 Internet cafés worldwide.

Manga Land (03/3408-3750)

Enjoy Tokyo (www.009.upp.so-net.ne.jp/enjoytokyo/culture/internetcafe2.html.)