Getting a phone in Japan

After 3 days of going from store to store asking about cell phone deals, SIM cards and prepaid phone packages, I finally managed to get myself something that would let me communicate with other people that wasn't ridiculously expensive. In the end, I got a data-only Yamada SIM with 1GB data for only 790yen/month! That was the cheapest deal I found and thankfully my phone was SIM unlocked so it was no problem for me to use. 

Getting a cell phone seem to require mountains of paperwork and a list of neverending terms and conditions. If you're not fluent in Japanese it just seems impossible to understand. But here is all of my research into the phones that might help.

1. Buy a Japanese SIM 
This is the easiest and most hassle free option. Before I came to Japan, I read a lot of articles on the internet that say that only Japanese phones will work with Japanese SIMs due to a difference in frequency. Please note: this is total nonsense. As long as your phone is not SIM-locked, you can use any SIM card on that phone. To find out whether your SIM is locked or not, use the codes provided here. If your phone is locked, contact your network provider and ask to unlock it or read below for other options. 

Once you've determined whether or not you can use Japanese SIMs, you can choose your network provider. The cheapest one is Yamada Mobile which has data plans starting at only 680yen/month! Others are B-mobile and 1-mobile which are also quite inexpensive. For these they offer different packages: data only, data + sms, data, sms + calls and you also choose how many GB of data you want. Right now Yamada Mobile has 1GB of data + sms for 940yen/month or all three for 1580yen/month. These all require a 3000yen upfront payment for the SIM card and then Yamada accepts the monthly payment by credit card only. 

Once you buy the SIM you must set it up online or by telephone. This is all in Japanese so try and get someone who speaks Japanese to help you. There is also a minimum 6 month contract with the SIM otherwise you have to pay a cancellation fee of 6000yen. In my opinion this is the cheapest and best deal around at the moment. You can find Yamada mobile in most areas as standalone shops or in department stores like LABI.

2. Get a prepaid cell phone
Not many Japanese providers do prepaid phones but the one with the most selection is SoftBank. They have prepaid deals which start from very basic phones which can only call and text to touchscreen smartphones with data, cameras and wifi (the basic phones cannot use wifi). If you just want to call and text then this may be a good option for you but bear in mind that most Japanese people use line and mail to contact each other. 

The advantage of prepaid phones is that they have no contract and you can use your credit however you want. Softbank's cheapest phones start off at 0yen (yes, nothing) for the phone and then you top up with an initial 4000yen of which 3240yen is deducted as a service/admin fee - this is the case for all phones. The price for smart phones starts off at 19000yen including 9000yen credit, so the starting price for the handset is 10000yen. 
After this you can add either 3000yen or 5000yen at any convenience store as and when you need it, however the credit expires after 60 days and the phone can only be used for a year. 

This is a good option for short-term stays. You can order a prepaid phone before coming to Japan online and find out more information about where to get one on the Softbank website. 

Akihabara is probably the best place to find used phones

3. Buy a used phone
Used phones are much cheaper than buying a new one with the added bonus that you don't have to be tied to a contract and can choose a different SIM deal. You can find used phones in Sofmap and in a lot of stores in Akihabara, be careful when buying them though as they usually have some defects. Please note: Japanese phones are not all SIM free. Softbank phones are locked and can only be used with Softbank SIM cards and Yamada mobile SIMs will only work on docomo phones so be sure to double-check the provider when you look at your phones. 

If your phone is not SIM free then this may be another option for you. Depending on the condition and age of the phone you can still get some decent quality ones for under 10000yen. My friend bought a Samsung Galaxy SIII for 8000yen and there were quite a lot of newer phones available for less than 15000yen. 

4. Sign up for a 24-month phone contract
This is probably the least desirable option for people staying in Japan for less than 2 years as you have to pay a cancellation fee which is usually around 10,000yen. However, if you plan on coming back to Japan for another longer-term period you can pause your contract for up to 3 years. 

Depending on the phone that you get the handset may technically be free. This is because although you pay a monthly fee for the handset, for every month that you use the phone, the company will pay you back either the full amount or a portion of it meaning that by the end of your contract you will have paid nothing for the handset. However on top of the monthly handset fee you must also pay for a monthly data plan, most of which are quite expensive. I asked about the cheapest data plans in Softbank and docomo and both said that the cheapest deals they had were 2GB data and free local calls for 6500yen/month. 

I would say that this would only be a good option if you are staying in Japan for at least 2 years and want to get one of the latest phone models, otherwise I would stay away from the contracts.

When I was trying to get my phone I spent at least 2 hours in each shop asking them to explain the details to me in broken English/Japanese. Hopefully this information will help to you and will save you some time and energy. 
Happy phone hunting!