CL wrote:
> Dan Rempel wrote:
>
>> Michael Cash wrote:
>>
>>> On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 05:25:51 GMT, <shepshep1@excite.com> brought down
>>> from the Mount tablets inscribed:
>>>
>>>> Hello, my wife would like to buy a cheap prepaid mobile phone to use
>>>> the
>>>> next time we visit Japan. You can buy one as cheaply as ?20 in the
>>>> UK and
>>>> that includes ?5 credit, is there a similar deal available in Japan?
>>>> Thanks for any information.
>>>
>>>
>>> Available at practically any convenience store.
>>
>>
>> I thought those phones had been discontinued, or at least made nearly
>> impossible for foreigners to use. I was going to get a ridiculously
>> expensive keitai from Telecom Square, but if those little toy ones are
>> still available it would save me a bundle. Are you fairly sure us gaigin
>> can still purchase and activate the things?
>
>
> Assuming Vodafone still exists this morning, you can get a phone and the
> first card for about ichi-man all in.  New cards are available at any
> Seven-Eleven.  Overseas connect rates suck, big time.
>
> You will need a valid ID, though.  I have helped a number of foreign
> visitors buy them.  The Vodafone-only shops have always been more open
> minded about what constitute ID.  Some of the multi-brand shops wanted a
> gaijin torokusho and would not even look at a passport or accept my home
> address when I offered to buy the phone for the people I was with.

I'll be visiting, same as the original poster, and so my only real ID
will be a passport. Last time I was over noone would sell me a phone on
that basis, but Mike's post led me to believe that's changed. Still like
to know a bit more about the current situation, though.

Dan