Japan phone and Internet FAQ
This is an introductory guide to phone services in Japan with information about NTT, MyLine, cheap alternative providers, broadband Internet (ADSL, DSL, Cable) and more.
Moving to Japan and setting up basic phone services will require some time and effort, but it's clearly worth the time to do it right the first time. I hope this guide will help you get started well.
- How do I get phone service started when I move to Japan?
- What is NTT?
- What is MyLine?
- What is the difference between MyLine and MyLine Plus?
- How do I choose a MyLine provider?
- Can I change my MyLine provider later?
- What are the cheapest services?
- Can I use a US based broadband phone service?
- What if I don't speak Japanese?
- What if I want to hook up a fax machine?
- How do I get Internet access?
- How can I get online to check my email?
- How do I pay my phone bills?
- How do I dial in an emergency?
Note: The following information is based on my research and experience when we moved to Japan in 2002. Some of the information may be out of date now or inaccurate now, so you should double check important details.
How do I get phone service started when I move to Japan? (top)
You will most likely start by contacting NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) to set up your basic phone connection. Depending on where you live, you'll use NTT East (English information) or NTT West (English information). Each of those English pages should include toll free numbers. The best way to start is by calling that number. Follow the voice prompts and you're on your way.
You will have to choose whether to "buy a subscription right" or lease your line from NTT. Except in some exceptional cases, you should LEASE a phone line rather than buy one (new or "used"). A subscription right costs over 70,000 Yen (about $600) versus around 500 Yen per month to lease a line. I suggest you lease an analog phone line (not an ISDN line). You must have an analog line to get ADSL (high speed Internet) or to use a standard modem.
You will have to apply for basic phone service from NTT. This is usually done by fax (at least that's how it was when we arrived in Japan). You can find fax machines at just about any convenience store. If you don't speak Japanese, just point to the fax and look helpless. The usual cost is about 100 Yen. After sending the fax, you will receive information by mail which should include an activation date (most likely several days away). If you have further questions, ask a Japanese friend to call NTT for you and talk to a live person. That's what we did (my wife, who is also Japanese, was very busy unpacking). Better yet, have your Japanese friend help you from the beginning. But keep in mind that eventually you're going to have to interact with NTT and your utility providers, so you'll need to either speak Japanese or learn how their English support systems work.
NTT will offer upgrade options. For example, touch-tone dialing is considered an upgrade (the default is pulse dialing). Other optional features include call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail, caller ID, etc. Be advised: the added features are not cheap.
An alternative to NTT...
Cable (CATV) is a great alternative to NTT. CATV has its own network that completely bypasses NTT. Your realtor can tell you if your new home is CATV ready or help you find a place that is. With cable service you pay separate charges for TV, Internet and phone services, or I think you can get an all inclusive package. It's not cheap, but the phone rates are much cheaper than NTT. Of course, many foreigners in Japan emotionally require cable TV to watch their favorite shows, sports (in English), etc.
Another possibility...with YahooBB
The YahooBB broadband phone service may be another alternative to NTT depending on where you live. Usuallly, you still have to pay NTT for basic service even if you have ADSL. But YahooBB owns their own network, so they can offer complete phone service. BUT if you go that route, I don't think you'll be able to dial "110" (the Japanese equivalent of 911). You may also have truoble dialing Japanese toll free numbers. But you'll save a fair amount of money. See the section, "What are the cheapest services" below.
What is NTT? (top)
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation was established in 1952 and for 33 years it had a monopoly over most domestic phone services in Japan. In 1985, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone became a private company, and in 1998 it reached the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. NTT has been a tremendously profitable enterprise, aided by the lack of real competition. In recent years, laws have been passed to try and reform this situation by taking away NTT's monopoly position. In 1999, NTT was reorganized into several entities including NTT East and NTT West, all under the banner of the NTT Group. The reform measures have improved the positions of competing carriers, culminating in the establishment of the MYLINE option (see below). NTT now has to face its competition on a more level playing field, but NTT continues to in many ways dominate the telecommunications industry. This is due to many factors. First, NTT still controls most of the telecommunications infrastructure. Regardless of what domestic carrier you choose, you will most likely pay a monthly fee to NTT for use of their phone line. Furthermore, NTT has branched out (as Japanese companies are known to do) into a broad spectrum of services, including ADSL (OCN) and cell phones (DoCoMo), where they continue to dominate the competition. This brings up a final factor working in NTT's favor. No matter how much the competition may discount their rates and improve their services, Japanese people in general are not bargain hunters. Most Japanese people will knowingly pay a higher rate for a well known service, rather than switching to an up-and-coming provider. And when they buy their first cell phone or use the Internet for the first time, they apply the same rule.
What is MyLine? (top)
Due to reforms that ended NTT's monopoly of phone services, phone customers in Japan can choose their primary phone carriers. This ability is called MyLine. MyLine carriers are organized by the MyLine Carriers Association. The purpose of the MyLine program was to create healthy competition in the domestic phone industry. Prices have certainly fallen, but not as low as some would like. Keep in mind that MyLine carriers are NOT necessarily discount carriers. Some are noticeably cheaper than NTT, while others are not. Furthermore, there are OTHER services available outside the MyLine system that offer even better rates.
You can read about MYLINE in English at the official MYLINE Carriers Association website. It's a good website with lots of good information.
What's Different between MyLine and MyLine Plus? (top)
MYLINE PLUS basically locks you in with one MyLine provider for all four categories, and it makes it more difficult to dial into another service. Some providers will give you a discount if you choose MyLine Plus. In my opinion, we are better off with our own international long distance provider. We also chose a MyLine provider (Tokyo Denwa) that is just plain cheap rather than one with all sorts of "discount" programs that few people really understand.
How do I choose a MyLine provider? (top)
The various telephone companies will give you a form on request. Apply by sending the completed form to the phone company or to the MyLine Center. MyLine services covers four categories of phone calls: local calls, in-prefecture long distance calls, out-of-prefecture long distance calls, and international calls. You can choose one MyLine provider for all four categories, or choose a separate carrier for each one. You'll receive separate bills for each one that you choose. By the way, even if you choose a MyLine service, you can switch over to other providers for specific calls just by dialing a different 4-digit access code. Be careful, because you can easily do this by mistake. I dialed "011" (the prefix for international dialing used in the USA) by mistake for a month and got hit with a huge phone bill. I can't remember what company picked up those calls, but the rates were sky high.
For questions or to request application forms, contact the MyLine Center toll free at 0120-000-406 (English) or go to their website. For help registering with a MyLine provider go here, for a list of MyLine providers go here, and for the main English homepage go here.
Alternatives...
You can also (that is, simultaneously) use T-1 or G-Call. They are not part of the MyLine Carriers Association. It will take about two weeks for your choice(s) to take effect. Until then, or if you never send in a form, the default provider will be NTT whether you like it or not (so be sure to take care of this). By the way, the two services above can also help you save on cell phone rates...
Can I change my MyLine provider later? (top)
Yes. You will have to fill out a new form, and there is a service charge each time you make a change.
What are the cheapest services? (top)
For calls throughout Japan using a regular phone line I recommend Tokyo Denwa (a MyLine provider). For international calling, your best option is to go outside the regular system (keep reading). NTT and the most popular MyLine providers all charge very high international rates and should be avoided.
I already mentioned T-1 and G-Call. If you have your own regular phone line, then these providers will give you decent international rates.
Callback...
For cheap international calling from Japan to the world, we started out using United World Telcom (UWT). This is an international callback service. UWT offers cheap rates to the USA and most other countries using regular phone lines. There are no sign-up fees, monthly fees, hidden fees, or minimum usage requirements. All billing and communications are in English, and the service is billed automatically to a US or international credit card. You can probably get cheaper rates to the USA, but UWT is still quite competitive if you are calling Africa, other parts of Asia, etc.
Broadband phone service...
If you have (or plan to have) a high speed Internet connection in Japan (ADSL or cable), then broadband phone services offer the cheapest international rates.
- Japanese broadband phone services
You can choose from many broadband phone providers in Japan. The most popular, for good reason (I think) is YahooBB. Look for special promotion locations or sign up online. They will sell you ADSL with BBPhone service included for a good price. With YahooBB, you can call the USA for just 2.5 yen per minute. Connection quality is very good 99 percent of the time. You WILL experience occasional static or dropped connections. It seems to happen most often when speaking with other broadband phone users. YahooBB users can call each other for free, so that should soften the pain. If that's a big problem, though, you should avoid broadband phone services.
- US based broadband phone services
You can also subscribe to a US based broadband phone service (learn more and compare providers). The Internet doesn't recognize international boundaries. The main reason to use a US based broadband phone service is to get super duper cheap rates to the USA. The services usually charge flat monthly rates. If you use the available minutes, the effective rate to the USA from Japan should be about 2 cents per minute or less. But that's not all. You will also get a LOCAL phone number in the USA. Create a local phone number in your hometown, and your family and friends can use it to call you for "free" (actually, you're paying, but it's cheap and possibly well worth it). The majority of people in the USA will never call you in Japan. Americans (and perhaps most people around the world) just don't dial international.
I have a friend who uses YahooBB and a US based service (this one). He says it's no problem to use both services at the same time.
Can I use a US based broadband phone service? (top)
Yes -- see above.
What if I don't speak Japanese? (top)
NTT and the MyLine Center offer support in English, but you still have to pay the bill (which is not that hard, as you can see below). Overall, you can get by without speaking Japanese, although there may be some instances where you'll want to get help from a Japanese friend (or speaker). T-1 and G-Call also offer support in English. UWT (the callback service mentioned above) is a US company that communicates in English and bills you in US dollars.
What if I want to hook up a fax machine? (top)
You can hook up your fax machine to your incoming phone line, or you can lease a dedicated line just for the fax machine at a discount rate. For more information about this option, call NTT at 0120-019116 or try here (an NTT site). You can send faxes with the broadband phone services mentioned above (and with UWT, I've heard).
How do I get Internet access? (top)
Times have changed since I came to Japan. After getting basic phone service (you have to do that first), I signed up with a free dial-up provider. I used that until we switched to ADSL.
These days I think fewer and fewer people in Japan are using dial-up. The free dial-up service that I used then is heavily promoting it's ADSL services now.
If you want ADSL, then you'll find information about many providers at any electronics store. One thing to keep in mind is that most ADSL providers don't own their own networks. You pay the ADSL company for hosting your service AND you pay NTT for the ADSL line. Those providers DON'T mention the extra charge from NTT in any of their advertising.
YahooBB...
Only YahooBB owns it's own network, so the fee that they advertise is really what you pay. You still have to pay a small fee to NTT for basic service. I think you can cancel this basic service from NTT (if you're with YahooBB), but then you may have trouble dialing emergency services (110), Japanese toll free numbers, and the operator.
For more information, the ISP Japan FAQ has (or used to have) loads of details about Internet access in Japan.
How Can I Get ONline to Check My Email? (top)
It may take a month or more before you have phone service AND an working Internet provider for your home. So how do you get online and check email in the meantime?? (How are you reading this page...?) One solution is to go to an electronics store, where you may find a computer with an ADSL connection that is available to the public. The purpose is to advertise an ADSL service. You can use it to surf the web a bit. That's what it's there for. You can also use it to check a webmail account if you're quick about it, but you can expect a worker to come by sooner or later (sometimes right away) and ask you not to check email.
How do I pay my phone bills? (top)
In Japan, you don't pay bills by putting a check in the mail. Actually, don't plan on using checks here at all. Most people just walk or ride their bicycle to a nearby post office. Post offices in Japan function like banks, in addition to handling mail. You can walk into the Post Office and hand a person a stack of utility and phone bills, pay the money, take your receipts and leave without speaking a word of Japanese (though hopefully you can at least say please and thank you). Be careful, not everything that looks like a bill is a bill (and vice versa). You can also pay most bills at convenience stores in a similar manner. To pay your phone bill, look for convenience stores that display the NTT logo.
You can also arrange to have your phone and utility bills automatically debited from a Japanese bank account. This may work very well for you, but I wouldn't really recommend something this complicated unless you have pretty good command of the language. Of course, you may have a friend who is willing to help you set it up.
We have our cell phone service directly debited to a credit card. It's actually pretty rare to find any service willing to do that.
How do I dial in an Emergency? (top)
If you need emergency services (fire, ambulance, etc.) you dial 110. It's to write out a script in Japanese so that you can provide your address and, hopefully, say something like: "Fire", "Sick", "Choking on Mochi" etc.
Before you go
I hope this has been helpful. If you know people in other parts of the world who would like to call YOU, please send them to www.dial-abroad.org
Arigatou.