投稿日:

Cheapest way to join a gym (sports club)

If you work for a IT company,
you may belong TJK (東京情報サービス産業健康保険組合) which is a health insurance organization.
If so, you can use KONAMI sports club only below prices for 1 time.
Category 1 : 440 Yen
Category 2 : 560 Yen
Category 3 : 680 Yen
Category 4 : 928 Yen
You can buy 4 times coupon which include extra 1 more time.
 As far as I know, it is the cheapest price.
http://www.tjk.gr.jp/undo/keiyaku/keiyaku.html
投稿日:

Web app for sorting rubbish KOBE

A new web application was released on 22nd Jul 2016 by Kobe city.

*How to sort rubbish refer here.

Name 5374 (Gominashi)
Functions 1. Search for collection days on your location.
2. Search for the sorting way about rubbish.
URLs English : http://5374.opendatalab.org/index_en.html

中文 : http://5374.opendatalab.org/index_zh.html

한국어 : http://5374.opendatalab.org/index_ko.html

Tiếng Việt : http://5374.opendatalab.org/index_vi.html

Português : http://5374.opendatalab.org/index_pt.html

Español : http://5374.opendatalab.org/index_es.html

 

投稿日:

Comparison of talk apps

Talk app is using internet line to talk (not using telephone line).
There are mainly two type, issued phone number (050 – ***)  or without phone number in Japan.
I use Smartalk.

Issued phone number

1. SMARTalk

Monthly Fee Free
Call 16 JPY/1min
Comments
  • It has English web site
  • Call and receive in your home country on internet (wifi etc)
  • Cheap international call (16 JPY/1min)
  • Free call to 050 numbers
  • Vibrate only once when manner mode (iPhone)
.

2. 050plus

Monthly Fee 324 JPY
Call To Landline phone : 2.88 JPY/1min
To mobile phone : 17.28 JPY/1min
To international : 9~200 JPY/1min *
Comments
  • Free call to 050 numbers

3. LaLa Call

Monthly Fee 100 JPY
Call To Landline phone : 2.67 JPY/1min
To mobile phone : 18 JPY/1min
To international : 6~ JPY/1min *
Comments
  • Call and receive in your home country on internet (wifi etc)
  • Free call to 050 numbers
.

 

without phone number

  • LINE, Viber, etc

 

投稿日:

Comparison of cheap SIM cards (data only)

I have used mineo(docomo), IIJmio, DTI SIM in Japan.
I recommend mineo, IIJmio, there was no problem at all.
On the other hand, I don’t recommend DTI SIM. It’s really slow and unkindly support service.

Current all services are not supported in English unfortunately.
You can buy them on Amazon English web site or ask your Japanese neighbors.

 

500MB ~ 6GB

[Price: JPY]

Eng 500MB 1GB 2GB 3GB 4GB 5GB 6GB
mineo (docomo) 700 800 900 1,580
mineo (au) 700 800 900 1,580
IIJmio * 900 1,520
DTI SIM 600 840 1,220
DMM mobile 480 770 850 1,210
Rakuten mobile * 900 1,450
OCN mobile one * 1,100 1,450
NifMo 640 900 1,600
Biglobe  900 1,450
U-mobile 790 1,580
b-mobile 500 750 1,000 1,250 1,500
UQ mobile 980
Y-Mobile

 

6GB ~ Unlimited

[Price: JPY]

7GB 8GB 10GB 12GB 15GB 20GB Unlimited
mineo (docomo) 2,520
mineo (au) 2,520
IIJmio 2,560
DTI SIM 2,200
DMM mobile  1,860 1,980 2,190 3,600 4,980 440*
Rakuten mobile 2,260 525*
OCN mobile one 2,300 1,800
NifMo 2,800
Biglobe 2,700
U-mobile 2,480
b-mobile
UQ mobile 1,980
Y-Mobile

 

投稿日:

Comparison of cheap SIM cards (talk + data)

I have used mineo(docomo), IIJmio, DTI SIM.
I recommend mineo, IIJmio, there was no problem at all.
On the other hand, I don’t recommend DTI SIM. It’s really slow and unkindly support service.

Current all services are not supported in English unfortunately.
You can buy them on Amazon English web site or ask your Japanese neighbors.

 

500MB ~ 6GB

[Price: JPY]

Eng 500MB 1GB 2GB 3GB 4GB 5GB 6GB
mineo (docomo) 1,400 1,500 1,600 2,280
mineo (au) 1,310 1,410 1,510 2,190
IIJmio * 1,600 2,220
DTI SIM 1,200 1,490 1,920
DMM mobile 1,260 1,380 1,500 1,910
Rakuten mobile * 1,600 2,150
OCN mobile one * 1,800 2,150
NifMo 1,340 1,600 2,300
Biglobe 2,150
U-mobile 2,980 1,580~
2,980		 1,980
b-mobile 1,300 1,550 1,800 2,050 2,300
UQ mobile 1,680
Y-Mobile 2,980 3,980

 

6GB ~ Unlimited

[Price: JPY]

7GB 8GB 10GB 12GB 15GB 20GB Unlimited
mineo (docomo) 3,220
mineo (au) 3,120
IIJmio 3,260
DTI SIM 2,900
DMM mobile 2,560 2,680 2,890 4,300 5,980 1,140*
Rakuten mobile 2,960 1,250*
OCN mobile one 3,000 2,500
NifMo 3,500
Biglobe 3,400
U-mobile 5,980 2,980
b-mobile
UQ mobile 2,680
Y-Mobile 5,980

 

投稿日:

How to buy sim free iPhone

If you need new iPhone, I recommend to buy it by Apple official store.
If you want used one, you can buy Ec sites or Real stores.
Then you have to ask the clerks “Is that Sim free?”
=”これはシムフリーですか？
（Korewa Shimu Furi~ Desuka?) ”

 

1. Apple official store
2. EC site (Amazon, Kakaku.com, etc)
eg) iPhone6  New: 52,000JPY~
iPhone6 Used: 30,000JPY~
3. Real store (Janpara(じゃんぱら), Dospara(ドスパラ), etc)
4.Unlock at the carrier
If you already have a smartphone which is bought at carriers,
you can ask the carriers to unlock your smartphone.
*Fee: 3,000JPY

If you have any questions, notice incorrect information or English,
please don’t hesitate to tell me below.

投稿日:

Cost down the mobile expense

Would you like to cost down your monthly mobile expense?
Check your type

Can you change your carrier e-mail address? →
No		 Stay your current contract
  ↓ Yes
Can you change your mobile phone number? →
No		 Type A
  ↓ Yes
Can you accept without emergency call such as 110,119? →
No		 Type B
  ↓ Yes
Can you accept without free call such as 0120? →
No		 Type B
  ↓ Yes
Type C

 

Type A

Things to prepare Sim free smartphone MVNO sim card TOTAL
smartphone simcard  
Initial cost Depends handling fee: 3,240JPY
Number portability: 5,000JPY
*Out: 2,000JPY, In: 3,000JPY		 8,240JPY~
Monthly cost  – Data: 1,400JPY(500MB)~
Phone: 20 JPY/30secs		 1,400JPY~
More info How to get How to get

 

Type B

Things to prepare Sim free smartphone MVNO sim card TOTAL
smartphone simcard  
Initial cost Depends handling fee: 3,240JPY 3,240JPY~
Monthly cost  – Data: 1,400JPY(500MB)~
Phone: 20 JPY/30secs		 1,400JPY~
More info How to get How to get

 

Type C

Things to prepare Sim free smartphone MVNO sim card Talk app TOTAL
smartphone simcard apps_phone  
Initial cost Depends handling fee: 3,240JPY 3,240JPY~
Monthly cost  – Data: 700JPY(500MB)~ Phone: 8 JPY/30secs 700JPY~
Comments Overseas call also 8 JPY/30secs
More info How to get How to get How to get

If you have any questions, notice incorrect information or English,
please don’t hesitate to tell me below.

投稿日:

Prepaid SIM for travelers

U-mobile  website

Period 7 days 15 days 30 days
Type Data only Data only Data only
Price 1,800JPY 2,800JPY 3,500JPY
Data amount 200MB / day
Credit card Usable without a Credit card
Sales Location Airports, Bus terminals, Hotels, etc

 

b-mobile  Website

Period 7 days 14 days 14 days
Type Phone call, Data Data only Data only
Price 9,980JPY 4,990JPY 2,380JPY
Data amount 3GB 3GB Unlimited
Voice amount 60min  –  –
Credit card  –
Sales Location Pickup at Airports, Online(Amazon), Retail stores, etc

 

NTT communications  Website

Period 7 days 14 days
Type Data only Data only
Price 3,218JPY 3,780JPY
Data amount 200MB / day
Credit card Usable without a Credit card
Sales Location Pickup at Airports, Online, Retail stores, etc

 

So-net  Website

Period 30 days 30 days 30 days 60 days 180 days
Type Data only Data only Data only Data only Data only
Price 3,000JPY 3,200JPY
*Amazon		 Open price 5,000JPY 13,000JPY
*Amazon
Data amount 1GB 2GB 2.2GB 3GB 12GB
Credit card Usable without a Credit card
Sales Location Vending machines at Airports, Online, Retail stores, etc

 

IIJmio  Website

Period 30 days 3 months
Type Data only Data only
Price Open price Open price
3,791JPY *Amazon
Data amount 1GB 2GB
Credit card Usable without a Credit card
Sales Location Retail stores, etc

 

mineo  Website

Period 6 days 11 days 60 days
*Until next end of month
Type Data only Data only Data only Data only
Price 3,024JPY 5,400JPY 3,024JPY 5,400JPY
Data amount Unlimited Unlimited 1GB 5GB
Credit card Usable without a Credit card
Sales Location Retail stores, etc


If you have any questions, notice incorrect information or English,
please don’t hesitate to tell me below.