Telephones¶
Town Page¶
Town Page (formerly known as City Source) is an English yellow-pages-type book for Western Japan, printed by NTT (Nippon Telephone and Telegraph). To get a free copy of the latest East Japan Town Page (including Kansai info), fill in a copy of the form printed here and fax it to them. (Tel: 06-441-0066/Fax: 06-446-6066). They can sometimes be found at NIFS and at the Tourist Info Center in the Central Public Hall (Chuo Komin-kan). Note: English white-pages-type directories are not available for Nara-ken!
International Calls¶
DON’T make a long call using operator assistance!!! You WILL be charged the full business day-time rate no matter when you call! Don’t do it! If you have to ask the operator to place a call, keep it short.
Whether at a pay phone (green with gold plate or gray) or at home, the dialing procedure is the same. First, dial the code for the dialing company (if at home, you will need to sign up for IDC and ITJ; KDD seems to come as a set deal). Then, dial the country code (a list of these may be found at the beginning of the City Source guide). Finally, dial your number; if you have any problems, try omitting any “0”s at the beginning of the number you are dialing.
Most of us who’ve been here for awhile know of the old trick for getting the lowest phone rate: have your parents pay. Here’s how to do it:
Call your parents collect.
Your parents answer, the operator asks if they want to accept a collect call.
Your parents say “No.”
They call you right back.
This lets you talk on USA rates, or the rates of wherever you’re from, instead of Japanese rates (a simple calculation should be enough to convince you which is better).
Call-back services¶
There are some new companies that have worked the above principle into an international service which is 40-60% less than the Big Three (KDD, ITJ, IDC). Using these services, you dial the number and hang up. The service calls you back and connects you with whoever you’re calling, so you get billed according to USA rates, no matter where you’re calling to. Since USA rates are probably the lowest in the world, this is a good deal. The Big Three have lowered their rates, but nothing compared to the massive discounts offered (e.g. ¥42/min to the USA) by WORLD LINK (03-5386-3858). World Link charges no startup fee, no monthly minimum fee, has a 24-hour flat rate, multiple payment options (best rate is using credit card), etc. Other such services: INS (03-3247-0052), TELEMATRIX (03-3299-8286), and SWIFT (06-753-4943). Check Kansai Time Out, the English papers, or other gaijin info sources for details on other services. Stories abound that some call-back services care “creative” in billing customers’ credit cards–irregular billing procedures, added fees, etc.–so check the conditions carefully before using such services.
Long-Distance, Low Rates¶
0088 is a long-distance (Japan-only) discount dial service similar to MCI in the States. It’s a spin-off company of JR, and uses optical cables along JR routes. You won’t get much of a discount calling to Osaka, but it takes a bit of the cost out of calling Kyushu or Tokyo, or even Hokkaido. * NOT for international calling! Tip: I use this service whenever I call outside Nara-ken or Osaka, to help me keep track of where my phone expenses are going. Pick up brochures in major JR stations (look for the number 0088).
Toll-Free¶
Numbers beginning with “0120” are toll-free.
Home phones¶
Those of you who have phones already installed can skip this section. There are two alternatives for the rest of you: buying or renting a phone line. A new phone line costs around 72,000 yen; a used one (look in Kansai Time Out, or have your colleagues find a broker) runs around 50,000 yen (HOWEVER, you will become liable for any bills attached to a used phone line once you buy it. Have NTT give you the green light before you pay!). It costs approximately 2,500 yen/month to rent a phone: cheap short-term, but if you’re staying around, buying’s your best bet (because you can sell later).
MAKE SURE before you rent or buy that you will be able to make international calls.
Domestic & International Mail¶
The JET Memo has a run-down on the basics of mail in Japan, so we won’t repeat that here. It is, however, a good idea to get a little postal scale at a stationery store: it looks like a little postman. Saves some time.
For ¥200, you can get an English/Japanese guide to post office services. Sometimes, they’ll give it to you free (what a bargain!). Ask for the “Post Office Guide” at any post office. If they don’t have a copy there, they can surely order one.
