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Japan Travel Tips

Telephones

Calling Japan from Overseas
The country code for Japan is 81.

Area codes for some of the main cities are:

03	Tokyo	092	Fukuoka
06	Osaka	082	Hiroshima
052	Nagoya	011	Sapporo
075	Kyoto	078	Kobe
0476	Narita	044	Kawasaki

Example : To call Tokyo, you would dial + 81 3 (omitting the zero of the area code), then the number.

Telephones in Japan
Japan has a well-developed public telephone network. You will find both indoor and outdoor public telephones just about everywhere.

Making Domestic Calls

• Most telephones accept both ¥10 and ¥100 coins.

• Unused ¥10 coins will be refunded at the end of the call but change will not be given from ¥100 coins.

• Magnetic, prepaid telephone cards can also be used for domestic calls.

• The charge for a local call is around ¥10 per minute. Domestic calls are cheaper at night and on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays.

• When placing an inter-city call it is necessary to dial the area code. Charges for inter-city calls vary according to distance.

Making International Calls

• Direct dial international telephone calls can be made from any public phone displaying the "International & Domestic Card/Coin Telephone" symbol. These phones are usually metallic grey or green in colour.

• A variety of prepaid telephone cards are available for making international calls.

• 'Credit Phones' (usually blue in colour) can be used to charge international phone calls to your credit card.

• Three companies in Japan provide international communications services: KDDI, ISD and IDC. Each company has its own international access number. These are as follows:

  KDDI

  001

  ISD

  0041

  IDC

  0061

  So, for example, if you wished to call the UK using ISD, you would dial 0041 44 and then the number, omitting the first zero of the area code.

• International calls can also be placed through an operator by dialling 0051

Discounts on International Calls
Whichever company you choose, you can save on the cost of a direct dial international call by dialling during certain hours when call charges are discounted.

Economy Rate	20% off	7pm-11pm (weekdays except National Holidays) 8pm-11pm (weekends, National Holidays & January 1-3)
Discount Rate	25-40% off	11pm-8am (daily)

Telephone Cards
There are a variety of different telephone cards available in Japan. These include :

For Domestic Calls

• The NTT Card - Sold at NTT Customer Service Centres or at most shops and vending machines near public telephones. The cards are available in ¥500 and ¥1000 denominations.

For International Calls

• The KDDI Super-world Card - Sold at major convenience stores. The card comes in ¥1000, ¥3000 and ¥5000 denominations.

Many of the telephone cards are decorated with pictures and make attractive souvenirs of your stay in Japan. However, please note that pictured or souvenir telephone cards sold at popular tourist attractions are sometimes more expensive than their actual call value.

Mobile Phones

The Japanese mobile telephone system is not compatible with those of other countries. This means that your UK or European mobile phone will not function in Japan.

Foreign visitors to Japan are able to rent mobile phones. Pick up points for the phones vary from company to company but generally include Narita International Airport, Kansai International Airport, Nagoya International Airport and various major hotels. Reservations can be made before you depart. There are many companies offering this service, including:

Sony Finance International Inc. Rental Sales Department Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku Tokyo 107-0062 Tel. + 81 (0)3 3475 5721 Fax. + 81 (0)3 3475 2724

NTT Mover Rental Center 2-2-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo Tel. + 81 (0)3 3282 0100 Fax. + 81 (0) 3 3201 0400

To have your rental mobile delivered to your door before you depart, contact the UK-based company below. Deliveries can be made both within the UK and to EU member Countries.

Mobell Communications Ltd
Walkers Rise
Rugeley Road
Hednesford
Staffordshire
WS12 5QU
UK
Toll Free Tel. 0800 24 35 24 (within the UK)
Tel. +44 (0) 1543 426 999
Fax. +44 (0) 1543 426 126

Adam Phones
UK Freephone 0800 123000

Adam Phones rents out Japanese J-Phones. The phones are delivered prior to your travel to Japan. Hire of equipment is free if a customer spends on average more than £5 per day on calls. If a customer spends less than an average of £5 per day on calls, then hire is charged at £1.00/day. Calls are charged at a reasonable flat rate.

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  Information provided by Japan National Tourist Organization.

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