How to stay connected in Japan with your phone and internet?
In Japan, you can use your French mobile phone by activating international roaming, use gray public phones or IC card phones for international calls (not green ones), or prefer apps like Skype and WhatsApp via WiFi to save money.
Using your French phone in Japan
Your mobile phone works in Japan by activating international roaming with your operator. Purchase a phone credit or data package before departure to avoid prohibitive fees. This solution remains the most expensive.
Japanese public phones
Three types of devices coexist in Japan:
- Green phones: domestic calls only
- Gray phones and IC card phones: allow international calls with coins (10¥ or 100¥) or prepaid cards
The economical solution: internet applications
Applications like Skype, WhatsApp, Messenger or Facebook allow free calls via WiFi. Japan has an excellent public WiFi network in stations, hotels and shopping centers.
Calling from France to Japan
Dial: 00 + 81 + city code + number (remove the initial 0 from the Japanese number).