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hi guys

we are coming over from Australia to ski at xmas time and not sure what us tourists do regarding using our phone to call home etc. when reading up on it they say international roaming on your phone is very expensive and getting a sim card in japan is not the way to go cause you have to be a citizen I think?? can anyone offer some advice on what they have done as I am now very confused! thanks

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You can also buy a sim card or a rental phone at Narita. If you can get wifi and you have Line/Viber/WhatsApp or similar you can call other users back home for free.....same with FaceTime....Skype is free to other Skype or incredibly cheap (2¥ a minute or something ridiculous) to landlines....but you need WiFi

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Getting a regular phone number off a sim for a short time is tricky for non-residents. Prepaid sims for data aren't though.

 

The government also says its going to provide lots of free wifi for tourists (presumably paid for by mugs who live here) so maybe someone who knows about can comment. I think you have to show your passport and collect a card at various tourist info places.

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Anyone who can afford a foreign holiday to come to Japan can pay for their own bloody wifi! :grandpa:

 

I sometimes think Japan is more keen on lots of tourists coming and saying "Japan! Sugoi!" so it can sit back in some complacent "utsukushii kuni, Nihon" glow than actually trying to make some money off them to pay for stuff. Like health care for the 25% of the population over 65. Or the Olympics even.

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There was actually something on the tv last night on that subject.

 

Some obasan running a small eating place in Kyoto, being asked to remove their big sign outside. Replacing it would cost 100man (really?!?) and the town won't help. But it's a new rule to take down signs and make the city pretty rather than full of advertising noise.

 

Some dude commented on it would be a shame if Japan was changed due to the pressure of foreigners. It's like the default bullshit isn't it. Don't suppose Japanese people themselves want nice looking towns, oh no.

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Saw that.

 

Felt like slapping that dude. Japanese people don't appreciate their towns looking nicer?

 

I always cringe at some of the run-down awful buildings here. With such beautiful natural surroundings, it's such a shame.

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Domestic tourism is also way down over the past twenty or so years.

With the population shrinking and aging and having less money, there are winners and losers, and will be more in the future.

Any tourist town would be wise to clean its act up if it wants Japanese people to keep going there, to say nothing of overseas tourists.

Calling yourself "yumei" for some reason, however spurious, and dishing up the same soba and soft creams as everywhere else won't cut it. People aren't that stupid.

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They probably are stupid to be honest. Its just that having less money wisens them up a bit.

 

You can take loads of things older Japanese people used to be into and stick "banare" on the end of them. kuruma, ski, beach, onsen, tabi, terebi, kekkon.

With domestic tourism, things maybe aren't as bad as they could be with the cashed up baby boomers all hitting retirement about now.

Give it 10-15 years though and most of them won't be genki enough for bus trips to Kyoto, Kamakura etc. and the new generation of retirees will be fewer, have less cash, and will be more likely to have living parents to look after.

There's going to be a lot of people sucking air through their teeth and saying "kibishii". As an optimist, I'd like to think that people who made some effort to make their area more attractive will have fared better than those who didn't.

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You can also buy a sim card or a rental phone at Narita. If you can get wifi and you have Line/Viber/WhatsApp or similar you can call other users back home for free.....same with FaceTime....Skype is free to other Skype or incredibly cheap (2¥ a minute or something ridiculous) to landlines....but you need WiFi

Hi Little J try this link

http://japan-wireles...TYcUaAizd8P8HAQ

 

You get a pocket WiFi with unlimited Data use for $3 a day. The reception is not has good as Softbank or Docomo but reasonable. You can used your FaceTime, Facebook Messager or Skype to call home. You can call any Japan phone number with your credited Skype account even if they are have not downloaded the Skype software. If your Japanese it cost Y 5000 a month with unlimited data use. Also can use up to ten devices so if your in a group you can all use it and share the cost.

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