どのようににか: 携帯電話を得なさい (How To: Get A Cell Phone)
So I didn't manage to get a bank account (yet), but I did get my grubby mitts on a cell phone. Finally! No more pre-paid piece of doo doo for me (no offense Julie, I've totally appreciated the phone these last few months). Now, not only can I receive calls, but I can actually dial out. As the Japanese would say, "Amazing, ne?" Not only that, I finally have access to features like e-mails, c-mails, and those adorably Japanese emoticons people plaster all over their phone messages. But how did I get one?
Dun dun duuuun...that's the magic question now isn't it. First, it helps to have a Japanes and English speaking co-worker. Second, it helps to have a gaijin card. Third...well, that's about all you need really. You don't even need money to get the cell phone, but it wouldn't hurt if you did. My co-worker and I went to the KDDI au store at the Best Denki in Naha Main Place. If you've been keeping up with my last few posts then you'd already know I had a phone in mind that I wanted to purchase: the Casio CA001 It wasn't long before I laid my eyes on it, and after playing around with it for a while I decided I needed it in my life. Remember when I said cell phones were dirt cheap over here? WRONG. They're actually INSANELY EXPENSIVE. My Japanese co-worker explained to me what all the signs meant, and one that I thought said the phone costs only $25 if you get it on contract really costs $25...over 24 months! I'm not a mathematician but $25 x 24 months = hella fuckin expensive to me. Anyway, I stuck with my choice because even the crappiest cell phones were in the $350-$400 range and I figured if I was going to be paying mad dough it might as well be for something I like.
With step one completed (finding the phone), we moved on to step two: getting service. As I mentioned before, you don't need money when you walk up in the store. You can get the phone in your hand that day, and pay for it over time. As for service plans, au has quite a few with the cheapest being around $10 a month (64 minutes) and the highest being maybe $70 a month (for like....400 minutes maybe? I forget now). All incoming calls are free. You can tack on a data plan so you can use the internet and send and receive emails (unlike in the US, email on phones is like the standard even on the low end shit). I opted for the middle of the road plan that was $25 a month and got the cheapest data plan that was like $10 a month. I only have 144 minutes a month to use, but with free incoming and my limited phone usage anyway it worked out fine for me...or at least I hope it will when bill time comes. I wish major US cellular carriers had as many options as you get over here.
Once that was decided upon we moved on to signing the contract. It's pretty much the same as it is back home. You fill out a bunch of info, give them a bank account number so they can deduct payments automatically, and sign your life away. Some things never change. They explain to you what all you're getting and voila! You're on your merry way. Should you break the contract it's $99, and it doesn't matter if you leave the country or not...if your phoen isn't paid off, you'll be paying it off regardless of where you live. I intend to cell mine before I leave though so anyone in the market for the most bitchiness phone around holla at me in a year and a half.