International calling

There are lots of ways to call back home cheaply from Japan. DO NOT CALL DIRECT! The charge for using your normal NTT phone service to call overseas is ridiculous. Use a discount carrier.

Option 1: World Link is a highly recommended discount carrier. The line quality is excellent and the prices are reasonable (if you are calling a popular destination). They offer discounts until October 31st for new arrivals. You can see a list of charges and apply online at http://www.worldlink-tel.com World link does however asks that you pay by credit card.

Option 2: Using a call back service. Call back involves calling an access number given to you by the company you register with. You let the phone ring once and then hang up. The companies automated system calls you back. Then you dial the number you want to call, your call is routed through a few countries or over the internet before it is connected and the quality of the line may suffer.

i-Tel is reportedly a reliable call back company. You can visit their website at http://www.i-tel.com/homee.html for more information.

Option 3: Calling cards available in most convenience stores such as Lawson and Family Mart usually cost about 1,000yen. You can say: “IC terehon kado arimasu ka?” or “Puripeido-denwa-dado arimasu ka?” Some cards can be recharged while others are for one time use. Not a great deal for calling home, but can be very handy if you’re traveling around Japan and staying in hostels.

Tamto Talk Card can be bought online at http://www.tam.ne.jp. It’s really a fantastic phone card that’ll give you over an hour of chatting time. When on the website, click on the picture of the green International Phone card. At the bottom of the price list, click on the button which will ask you to give your name and address and the number of cards you want. 10 cost 10,000 yen. If you give the details of your school, the company based in Kamichii town near Toyama will deliver them within a couple of days. You can then pay the delivery man in cash, sign your name and have your cards right there and then. Easy Peasy!

Another International Calling Card (but only for Americans) is from http://www.pingo.com. If you fancy getting your American friends to ring you when you’re in Japan, you can buy your talk time with your credit card; then Pingo will give you your PIN number and toll-free access number. People who use this card say that you cannot ring from Japan using it, but if you give the card numbers to your friends, they can contact you with it. The prices are apparently phenomenal!

Option 4: For long-distance phone calls you can use the Internet. Recommendations are that http://www.skype.com is great. It’s an Internet-based way of calling between computers. You need to download the software first. Microphones are built into almost all computers now, but for clearer reception, you can buy an external mic. Headphones are highly recommended to block out background noise.

It’s free to register and free to use if you and your friends/family abroad are also using a computer. It works as an instant messenger and can be used as a phone. If your friends back in your country have the same program you have unlimited long distance for FREE. In fact, anyone anywhere with a decent Internet connection can call you and vice versa. If they don’t have the internet, you can still call a regular phone. It costs only 2 to 6 cents a minute to call a regular phone (once again, dependent on country) so “it’s the cheapest thing I have seen out there.” For this service you can pay online with your credit card. “The reception is great” , “I’ve had NO problems at all.” For other Internet phoning options, check out

• www.go2call.com
• www.dialpad.com.

If you and your talking partner both have the latest versions of MSN Messenger or ichat and working microphones/modems, you can also use this as a way to talk. With decent connection speeds at both ends there is almost no delay and sounds fine!

for UK, Canada, and US Residents A fairly new option for international calling is the use of IP (Internet Protocol) phones. Here’s how they work: IP companies assign a user an access number and then route the user’s phone conversations anywhere in the world using a broadband Internet connection. The user is generally charged a small monthly fee and the individual calling him or her is charged the price of a regular call to whatever area code the user has selected for his or her access number. In other words, you could be living in Japan yet have a local telephone number for your home country that your friends and family can call at normal local rates! Vonage is one of the leading IP companies. At this time, local telephone numbers are available for American, British, and Canadian customers only. Check out their website at http://www.vonage.com/ The caveat is that the Vonage phone adapter and router or Vonage wireless broadband phone must be bought before coming to Japan or sent to you from someone at home. A user must also plan to buy Internet upon arrival in Japan. The difference between Vonage and Skype is that you can call the other party using a regular telephone (i.e. not talking into a computer microphone) and you can call a landline, payphone, mobile phone, etc. for a set price each month! Additionally, if your friends and family have a phone with the same area code as your Vonage phone, they can call you for free!

For more information about telephone services of any kind in Japan go to www.jetsetjapan.com. This website has a plethora of useful information on telephone services and everything else a new JET could possibly want to know. They also offer some great deals. Check it out!

PA Ruth's Top Tip for UK JETs

International Faxes

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