Right now i’m currently using Verizon’s international phone service to have data whilst here living in Japan. my phone has been paid off so there’s that. Only thing though, i don’t wanna keep paying a whopping $200 a month just to have data here. don’t know how much of this is true but: from my understanding, there is a way that i can cancel my plan from Verizon, keep my American phone, buy what i think is a eSim (??), and my phone will recognize that i have both an American number and will give me a Japanese number but only have data in Japan. is that a thing orrr ??? anyone from American living here long-term, have y’all found a solution ???
3 comments
If your phone is not locked to Verizon, you can get service here. I’d apply for one of the less expensive carriers: Ahamo, Linemo, or what have you. You’ll likely end up paying, say, a quarter or a fifth what you do now. My spouse pays about ¥1000 per month.
I use a physical US SIM and a Japanese eSIM, both with data and a phone number (I never bothered leaving my family plan back home so we get my line for free). I’m on rakuten, very mixed reviews but It’s been fine for me, 2100 per month since I use less than 3gb.
As of a few years ago they required a certain certification on your phone or else they wouldn’t help you in-store. If your phone wasn’t purchased in Japan it won’t have the certification so be sure to do everything online so that they can’t check it. It still works fine without that, it’s just some legal thing they have to check.
>from my understanding, there is a way that i can cancel my plan from Verizon, keep my American phone, buy what i think is a eSim (??), and my phone will recognize that i have both an American number and will give me a Japanese number but only have data in Japan
The US phone number is still a service you’ll have to pay monthly for. Not sure if there are many cheap voice-only plans anymore.
The question is do you really need to keep your same American phone number?
Certainly if you just cancel your Verizon, you can just get a contract in Japan and use your same phone to get a Japanese phone number with data depending on the plan. I then use Google voice to have a free US phone number.
The only problem is if it’s an android, you won’t be able to put on mobile Suica/pasmo. If it’s an iPhone then no problem