Son going to Japan for 2 weeks - best way to stay in touch?

Mangochutney · 3 Jan 2013 at 15:32

Hi, my son (15) is going to Japan as part of an exchange for 2 weeks in February.
I was wondering if anyone has experience of living there or visiting and what they found the best way to communicate with the UK was (and cheapest!)
He will be taking his mobile phone which will be used for very brief calls as it is 80p/min to make and recieve calls.
Of course we would like to hear how he is getting on and even see a few pics etc.

How is wi-fi access over there? He will be taking an iPad so Skype and Facetime are possibilities.

Thanks.

InertProtocol · 3 Jan 2013 at 15:33

Never been but guessing Japan has acceptable WiFi/3G. This is Japan not Algeria.

robgmun · 3 Jan 2013 at 15:34

Skype would be the one TBH

and loads of hotels have free wi-fi, also lots of internet cafes, but to be honest if he went to a maid one i don't think his mind will be on contacting the parents

I had a whale of a time and the girls are awesome!

'Harry · 3 Jan 2013 at 15:34

Internet cafe.

Mangochutney · 3 Jan 2013 at 15:38

Cheers, I'm not expecting much communication tbh.
He doesn't even answer his phone in the UK!

NealR · 3 Jan 2013 at 15:40

robgmun said:
and loads of hotels have free wi-fi, also lots of internet cafes, but to be honest if he went to a maid one i don't think his mind will be on contacting the parents

I had a whale of a time and the girls are awesome!

I see what you did there

ojste · 3 Jan 2013 at 15:46

i use whatsapp a lot when my mates (or i'm) on holiday. you do need wifi/internet connection though but its quick, easy and free, after the one off payment of 69p for the app.

otherwise facebook, skype, facetime etc. are good options but again, you need an internet connection.

GAC · 3 Jan 2013 at 15:59

where about's is he going in japan ?

and as for a monile phone you should hire him one over there and let him call you on it, as it will be a lot cheaper than taking a uk phone over.

Mangochutney · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:00

He will mostly be in Tokyo so I guess there will be wi-fi access and internet cafe's.
I don't mean to be ignorant but its seems such an alien culture and so far away, maybe I'm a little nervous.

GAC · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:03

well he should be fine, tokyos a fairly safe place and with it being an exchange deal they will at least have a family to look out for him.

but yeah plenty of wifi and internet cafe's.

GhostlyPea · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:04

All the hotels have pay-per-minutes PCs in the lobbys, most of them are around 100Yen for 10 minutes (pimping my blog below

) so he can have access to emails et.c Most of the keyboards are western.

I was there for a month solo so any questions, fire away

- GP

Liquid_Entity · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:04

ojste said:
i use whatsapp a lot when my mates (or i'm) on holiday. you do need wifi/internet connection though but its quick, easy and free, after the one off payment of 69p for the app.

otherwise facebook, skype, facetime etc. are good options but again, you need an internet connection.

It's free on Android to send free pics, text etc on Wifi

edit: just realised he will have an iPad so yeah 69p - Apple leeches !!

Yas786 · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:08

Mainly i use whatsapp, tango and skype to stay in touch with both my brothers, one who lives in Canada and the other who lives in Australia. Much cheaper and its free as long as you have a wifi connection, which im pretty sure Japan will have.

Either that or try and get a calling card?? not sure if Japan does such things though.

Bhoya · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:13

I was out in Japan for two weeks last month. Around the main cities you'll find plenty of Wifi hotspots in coffee shops but we also ordered a MiFi just to make it a bit easier to get around. It was about £40 for two weeks of unmetered bandwidth which we used for FaceTime, Netflix, Spotify, GPS & internet and they all worked great.

Tunney · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:14

FaceTime over WiFi will work fine. I used it last year when my gf was in Japan.

Disco Boy · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:17

It's only two weeks, do you really need to talk to him in that time?

malachi · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:28

GhostlyPea said:
I was there for a month solo so any questions, fire away

- GP

What was it like for you? I going travelling for a month in May and Im going to Toyko first for 5 days (always wanted to go Japan since Ive been a kid) before I move on to another country.

Marky · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:29

If he's going to Tokyo he won't have any trouble finding WiFi I imagine!

Mangochutney · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:31

Bhoya said:
I was out in Japan for two weeks last month. Around the main cities you'll find plenty of Wifi hotspots in coffee shops but we also ordered a MiFi just to make it a bit easier to get around. It was about £40 for two weeks of unmetered bandwidth which we used for FaceTime, Netflix, Spotify, GPS & internet and they all worked great.

Bhoya, could elaborate on the £40 Mifi please?
Just done a search on Mifi (never heard of it!) and there seems to be loads of types and charges!

Also, can't understand why I wouldn't want to talk to my boy on the biggest trip of his life. So far! :confused:

Richdog · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:32

Japanese communications technology is about 5 years ahead of ours, so he will be fine.

Disco Boy said:
It's only two weeks, do you really need to talk to him in that time?

To his 15-year old (minor) son, even just a text etc to know if he's ok? What a bizzarre question.