docomo, au and SoftBank are the three major carriers of mobile phones in Japan.
The advantages of choosing the three major carriers include high communication speed and quality, support at physical stores, and the ability to purchase the latest smartphones at great pricing.
On the other hand, the disadvantage is that the monthly fee is high and the two-year contract is the mainstream, so it is not suitable for short-term stayers or vactioners.
Let’s take a look at the characteristics and required documents of each mobile company.
docomo
docomo boasts the largest market share among Japanese mobile phone companies.
The positive features of this company is that the communication/reception area is wide,
Often receiving signals and connection where other companies do not. Data speed tends to also be fast.
Required documents
・ Resident Card or Alien Registration Certificate
* If you want to make a monthly payment by fund transfer, you will need a supplementary document (utility receipt or certificate of residence).
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer… Cash card or bankbook + seal used for bank transactions
・ For minors (under 20 years old)
You will also need a parental consent form and parental identification documents.
au
Among the three major carriers, au has the most support for foreign users.
By checking “Foreign language support” when searching for an au shop, you can find shops with staff who can speak foreign languages.
There are multilingual service guides in English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Tagalog, and information can be collected in your native language in advance. Check it out.
Required documents
Name seal (Name stamp) or Signature
・ Special permanent resident certificate or residence card + foreign passport
* If the address on the resident card is “Undecided (listed on the back after notification)”, auxiliary documents (utility receipt, certificate of residence or notification evacuation site certificate) are required.
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer… Cash card or bankbook + seal used for bank transactions + supporting documents (utility receipt, certificate of residence or notification evacuation site certificate)
・ For minors
Parental Consent Form + Parental Identity Identification Document
SoftBank
SoftBank has many foreign users.
SoftBank emails are free, so if you have many SoftBank users around you, SoftBank is also recommended.
Required documents
・ Resident Card + Foreign Passport or Special Permanent Resident Certificate
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer… passbook + seal used for bank transactions or cash card + seal used for bank transactions
・ For minors: Parental consent form + parental identification document