"Dan Rempel" <drempel@islandnet.com> wrote in message

> > Available at practically any convenience store.
>
> I thought those phones had been discontinued, or at least made nearly
> impossible for foreigners to use.

If you are not a resident in Japan forget it (or ask a Japanese friend).
What they have in combinis in Osaka are tsuka pre-k, and now they check your
address not only when you buy the set, but also later, they write and call
you to confirm you're still here and still yourself.

The case of the OP is different because his in-laws live in Japan and can
take the phone at their name/adress. And in his case, the card telephones
are certainly more expensive than the in-laws getting an additional ketai.
The problem is if
you don't use your card telephone for a number of monthes, they cancel the
line. Then you have to repay 10000 yen (and regive a proof of adress) to get
a new number and use it again.

Kuri