外人だ！: of Banks & Mobile Phone Contracts: A follow-up

Following these posts that I've put up prior to my departure to Japan,

I've now subscribed to Softbank mobile and opened an account with Shinsei Bank. There were several stuff that I've experienced that I could not find anywhere during my research. The guidelines provided by my prospective employer seemed to be a tad back-dated as well.

Shinsei Bank

Through the guidelines I was advised to open a bank account first because the telcos in Japan will not allow foreign residents to register for a phone line without a bank account.

So we went first to Shinsei Bank at Umeda Financial Centre. After showing them my materials and Alien Registration Certificate (refer to Alien Registration Card ( 外国人登録証明書) & National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) : A follow-up) they ushered me to a computer terminal to register online. Registration is to be done entirely in Japanese. It was tough writing my full name (the name I hate that appeared in the passport) in Katakana because I never use it, much less to ask my 先生 how to write it before I left.

If you do it from your home computer while in Japan, you are able to open an account with Shinsei Bank online, in English. It's strange one does not need a start-up amount to open an account with Shinsei, but hey, it's all good for me.

BUT, half-way through filling up the online application, there was a section where I have to include a contact number. I was told by Shinsei staff I must use a personal contact number and not the dorm contact number. They wouldn't budge even after I suggested registering using the dorm's contact number first and when I get a mobile number, I'll return or call the hotline to update my particulars.

I'm impressed with the follow-up service though. They made sure all follow-up mailers and emails are in dual languages - Japanese & English. It's quite idiot-proof when you just follow the procedures for activating your bank account and online banking. Shinsei Bank has 32 colours for it's cash card for you to choose. I chose a shiny grey.

Just to digress a little, lately, all my new purchases have been gearing towards the boring, black "professional" look. Found a black Lulu Guinness wallet that costs cheaper here than in Singapore.

I'm currently looking for a black bag to go with the suits I have to wear, but all the black leather bags in major suits stores like Aoyama, Aoki and Comme des Garçons are boring. Found a kewl black Diesel bag that costs ¥29,000 (S$450) and not available on its website. It costs way too much for me so I had to unwillingly leave it.

Softbank

So I left the bank, and took a 10min walk to Yodabashi Camera Umeda and with the help of 先生's father, I managed to get an English-speaking staff at Softbank to explain the various plans they have.

Before getting to that part, they asked my mode of payment for the mobile subscription. I told them I'll be paying through a Japan bank but I don't have an account yet. They wouldn't allow me to subscribe for the plan unless I have a bank account first.

Very calmly, I told them that I just took a 10 min walk from the bank after they refused to let me open an account with them UNLESS I get a personal contact number. And now Softbank won't let me subscribe to the plan because I do not have a bank account?? So what do they expect me to do then?

Softbank then proposed that I subscribe using Visa credit card or any of the available credit cards. Once I have a Japan bank account, I can call or return to Softbank to change the mode of payment from Visa to any of Japan's banks I've opened an account with.

That worked out well and I went ahead with that proposal. The entire process from understanding the plans and getting the best plans and factoring the cost of getting a mobile phone and the phone charger (it's sold separately unlike in Singapore), took about 2 hours. Likewise with Shinsei Bank, my name in the passport needs to be in Japanese (Katakana). I have no idea how to write it, so the Softbank staff wrote it for me according to how my name is pronounced.

One interesting thing about choosing a phone number was, I can create the last 4 digits to my liking. The staff will check whether the number you created is available. If it is, they'll show you a list of available numbers that contain the last 4 digits you created. Then there was creating the Softbank email address that you'll be able to send and retrieve emails via the Softbank account.

Be sure to ask for the International Softbank guide book for their plans. Their follow-up services however are all in Japanese. I had to ask my dorm manager to translate what those sms-es and emails I had been receiving from Softbank were about.

I got myself a black flip-phone. It's one of Sharp's oldest models, the Pantone 105SH.

I thought of using a flip-phone for a change 'cuz I feel flip-phones look kinda cool than touch-screen "smart" phones. Although it's the cheapest phone in the range, I kinda regretted it now. Using this phone makes me feel stupid whenever I try to figure out how to navigate certain functions on this phone. I'm positive that I'll be a lot more efficient if I'm using a smart phone. I wonder if there's a way to change the SIM card over to my android.

Some interesting stuff about Japanese mobile phones:

- There's a sound when you snap a picture using your camera phone and you cannot mute it at all. My housemate told me it's because of many perverted guys who'll take perverted pictures with their phones, so having that sound will alert people whoever is taking pictures.

- You can watch free-to-air television channels on your mobile. There are only 9 channels. I have no tv in my room, and I've yet to find a convincing reason to get one. So I'll just watch from the tiny screen on my mobile when I feel like it.

- When some of my Japanese housemates heard I subscribed with Softbank, they went:

"Eh?! Why Softbank and not au by KDDI?!"

"What's wrong with Softbank??"

"Limited or no network from Softbank when you go to higher grounds / mountainous areas..."

xD Thanks, but I don't think I'll be climbing a mountain anytime soon...

To sum-up:

1)Be sure to know how to write your name (as in your passport) in Katakana.

2) Go to a Telco first and choose to pay by a credit card until you have opened a bank account. Be sure to produce your Alien Registration Certificate.

3) Go to the bank and open an account. Show your Alien Registration Certificate.

4) Call up or go to your Telco to change mode of payment after you've open a bank account.

FIN