Re: [tlug] Wifi hotspot access in Tokyo

[Raymond Wan <rwan.kyoto@example.com>]

On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 7:10 AM, Stuart Luppescu <slu@example.com> wrote:
> I was in Japan last Fall for a bit and found it very hard to get
> internet access. I tried to rent a SIM card at the airport but was told
> they only had SIM cards for iPhones (I have a Samsung Galaxy S3). I went
> to the local AU, NTTDocomo and Softbank stores but none would rent me a
> SIM card on a short-term contract (I was only there for a couple of
> weeks). Another excuse was they only had rental SIM cards for phone


I haven't tried this myself, but someone I knew supposedly rented a
WiFi modem at the airport and was generally pleased but once it
reached some pre-agreed threshold, the connection slowed down
considerably.

I have not rented a SIM card before in Japan, only an entire phone.  I
have an old Japanese mobile phone from Docomo and went to the Docomo
shop at the arrivals lobby of Kansai airport [*] and they couldn't
rent a SIM card to me...only the entire phone.  However, at the
airport, there were Docomo shops, KDDI, and even one specific for WiFi
modems.

Oh, take a look at here:

http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/en/service/index.html

And there it is under Rental Services.  Clicking on it seems to
indicate there are a lot of choices.

Anyway, if you're a short-term visitor, you need to do this at the
airport.  Shops in the city don't cater to short-term visitors.
Similarly, if you are a long-term resident and leave Japan and want to
terminate your contract, you have to do that in the city; you cannot
do it in the airport so that you can use the phone "right until you
leave".  The same companies, but apparently, they don't get along?!?

[*] Of course, you're arriving at Narita airport.  I presume it has
the same services but spread across two buildings.  I'm sure you can
find something on their web site.  Honestly, I thought it was harder
to navigate than Kansai airport's so I gave up.  :-)

Ray