International Calls and Fax

Phones

Public telephones are abundant in Tokyo. Most machines take both ¥10 and ¥100 coins (although no change is given for ¥100 coins). Even local calls are charged based on the length of the call — approximately ¥10 for 3 minutes. Consequently, if you are using cash, be aware that you need to keep putting money in the phone. A more convenient option is the phone card (terehon kaado), a prepaid magnetic card in denominations of ¥500 and ¥1,000. ¥1,000 cards provide extra calling units, making them a better bargain. Phone cards can be purchased at station kiosks and most convenience stores located near public phones.

Pay attention and keep track of your phone rates if you have a mobile phone. Students have inadvertently run up monthly fees of several hundred dollars, often due to frequent unnecessary usage. Consequently, students have learned to use skymail and short mail messages (SMS) to communicate, the rates for which are significantly less than normal phone usage.

When you leave Japan, it is very important that you cancel your mobile phone, or specify terms in the contract that are consistent with your time in Japan. TUJ will accept no responsibility or process unpaid fees or costs associated with mobile phones. Please understand as well that students who have not properly cancelled their mobile phone contracts thereby contribute to making it difficult for future students to secure these services.

International Phone Calls

To make international phone calls from public telephones, you must use either a special international prepaid phone card or your own calling card on a green "international" phone (identifiable by gold front panel) or grey phone. International calls cannot be made from pink or yellow public phones. The overseas operator may be reached by calling "0057."

• To dial directly using a pre-paid card, dial "0061" + "010" and then the phone number including the country code. Note that due to the prolific use of illegal phone cards, many public phones no longer accept pre-paid magnetic phone cards for international direct-dial.
• To use a calling card, you must first insert a ¥10 coin or a telephone card. At the dial tone, dial the issuing company's international access number.
• You may also call internationally via your mobile phone, but the features available on each phone vary by company provider and also by the conditions of the contract. Not all mobile phones can be used to call outside Japan: please confirm with your provider and consider this option if preferred. Calling internationally from a mobile phone is expensive so it is recommended that this be done only in exceptional circumstances or for emergency contingency purposes only.

Faxes

Many convenience stores and some train stations have coin operated fax machines. Although not all convenience stores offer this service, Lawson and Sankus near TUJ have a fax machine that can make international transmissions. Faxes can also be sent through the TUJ House and Ontakesan dorm phone/fax machine in the lounge. In special circumstances it may be possible to send faxes from the university, but only under the direct supervision of TUJ staff. Under no circumstances are students to operate the fax machines or any other university office equipment without the explicit permission of university faculty or staff.