Comments on: MNP – Is Son-san the real “Yoso-Guy” at Softbank Mobile?

By: Getting and iPhone 4S in Japan: au or KDDI… or? | Japan: Stippy

Getting and iPhone 4S in Japan: au or KDDI… or? | Japan: Stippy — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:34:20 +0000

[...] what about the speed? If you listen to Son-san at Softbank he’ll point out that the theoretical maximum speed at Softbank is 14 M/bs [...]

By: Luke

Luke — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 01:31:53 +0000

“Docomo – to launch Japanese language Blackberrys in Japan from June 11.” (Today’s Nikkei)

By: Leroy

Leroy — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:39:44 +0000

Bee, as the only person here that thinks your question needs a good answer, no, you don’t need to pay when you receive a call in Japan.

But, you also only need one phone.. no need to buy “phones”.

By: Hills-zoku

Hills-zoku — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:32:52 +0000

funny you mention that smoke-ring as in America they actually charge you to receive a call even if it is domestic! That is why people always switch off their mobiles when they are on business trips as they don’t want to pay to talk to you. now that is a whacky system. Bee, I think the US is the only country with such a system

By: Smoke-ring A-ring

Smoke-ring A-ring — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:56:43 +0000

Yes, you normally get charged 250 yen per minute if you pick up a call from overseas. But if you believe that you would probably believe that Santa Claus exists and America has free speech.

By: Bee

Bee — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:32:35 +0000

Hi I have just been in Japan for a couple weeks and now plan to buy some mobile phones. I think that softbank will be the first choice I decide. But There are one question.!! In case that we receive the call from oversea, are there any charges for these picking up. Anyway I tried to find the detail from softbank ‘s website, it didnot tell anything for receiving call charge. My friends told me that no matter what you make a call or receive a call from overseas, there will be addtional charges. Is it true? Anyay please make me clear. Thank a lot.

By: Red

Red — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:08:02 +0000

Thanks for the heads up Smoke-ring. Perhaps I was just lucky. It was a little while ago but a friend of mine at workl did it at the Akasaka shop: (Akasaka 3-4-4)

or should I say, my brother did… pardon me…

By: Smoke-ring A-ring

Smoke-ring A-ring — Fri, 11 May 2007 09:15:31 +0000

I beg to differ with Red. To get on their kazoku-wari (family plan) au most definitely asks for proof that you are family, at least at the au shop in Ebisu. The girl and myself went in their with the aim of me getting her keitai bills paid by my credit card. We were living together at the time and I was sick of her getting cut off because she didn’t go to the convenience store to pay her bill on time. “No way!” I was told. Proof that we were family was required. I told the guy that you can do it at Softbank (talking out my arse of course, I have no idea what Softbank offers). The au chump then told me “Softbank is very ‘about’ (meaning lax I guess) and au is more “proper.” That was six months back.

The girl and I went in again last week to get on the family plan. Yes, they certainly asked again for proof of family–only this time we were armed with our marriage certificate!

By: Red

Red — Fri, 11 May 2007 03:23:49 +0000

Son-san is slowly getting there. It isn’t up on their English page yet but it looks like Softbank Mobile is now offering real free 24 hour a day unlimited voice use on the white plan for family members. As is always the case with these clowns there is fine print which says that you have to prove that the person is a family member if they don’t live at the same address as you but otherwise it seems pretty genuine. Son-san must be getting a little cocky after doubling the profit at Softbank Mobile in his first year at the steering wheel. All good, all good!

Softbank Mobile Press Release

* cunning note for all you Baldrics out there: au does not ask you for proof that you are family.

By: Sotei-guy

Sotei-guy — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:35:43 +0000

There’s an interesting article in the FT the other day about Softbank’s colourful accounting policies. Look at this quote they were able to get from Shigeki Suzuki, the government’s director of telecoms policy:

Mr Suzuki voiced concerns about the financial predicament of Japan’s third biggest mobile carrier. “At this moment their financial situation is not so good. I’m worried about it. They have very big debts after buying Vodafone. They’re lending their own shares, selling affiliates, so they have been making every effort [to raise money]. So I am not sure Softbank has any more measures.”