I finally got a Japanese SIM card for my phone, and it was easier than I thought it would be. Mostly.

Japan has 3 major competing cell phone companies, Softbank, au, and NTT Docomo. Of the three, NTT Docomo is the one that is the most compatible with cell phones designed for North American networks. It seems like going with Docomo would be the way to go,correct choice, however, it doesn’t stop there!  That network is also shared by over a dozen MVNOs, or basically providers that are selling a service on the Docomo network, some of which are regional, and more and more are popping up all the time.

Since getting my phone connected now was a higher priority than finding the best possible deal, I went with the first option that seemed like it would suit my needs, IIJmio. After trying to sign up at several other places and being told I need to 1) Possess a Japanese credit card, which would take at least a couple weeks to get, 2) Have to buy a new cell phone, as they can’t guarantee my phone will work on their networks, or 3) A combination of both, a salesperson at AEON eventually relented and allowed me to purchase a SIM. He seemed very reluctant to sell it to me, as he wasn’t sure if my VISA card would work, but admitted I’ll be able to switch payment methods if that is the case.

Compared to Canada, where we screwed over by cell phone companies, Japan’s cheap cell plans are very reasonable. I chose a generous amount of data (6GB/Month), and their more expensive voice plan (domestic calls are free up to 10 minutes in length, there was a cheaper option of 30 seconds per call), and including all the fees, its going to end up being around ￥3000~3500 per month, which is under $40 CAD. For comparison, just the data part of a 6GB plan at Bell is $60. Maybe if we had MVNOs, we could get some actual competition going.

After getting the SIM set up, the APN set up, switching my Google account to have a Japan address so I can download Japanese apps, and then download the IIJmio phone dialer (necessary – for some reason), I’m all set. Next up, getting a bank account and finding an apartment. I hope they go as smoothly as this.