Japan Communications

Telephone

Country code: 81. Four companies provide international communications services: KDDI (001), Cable & Wireless IDC (0061) Japan Telecom (0041) and NTT (0033). To call the UK, for example, you would use 001-44). Credit cards can also be used directly in some phone boxes. Phone boxes are found virtually everywhere in Japan. They are green and grey, and accept coins and magnetic pre-paid cards. IC phone boxes accept IC cards only.

Mobile Telephone

The Japanese mobile network uses PDC (Personal Digital Cellular System) technology, which is not compatible with GSM or other mobile services. Visitors can hire handsets from companies such as DoCoMo (www.nttdocomo.com), Softbank (www.softbank-rental.jp) or Go Mobile (www.gomobile.co.jp). In the UK, phones can be rented in advance of travel from Adam Phones (www.adamphones.com). Coverage is good.

Internet

Internet is available; there are many Internet cafes in Tokyo and in the main cities in Japan. Most hotels have Wi-Fi Internet access. The new grey telephones have modular sockets for computer network access.

Post

Letters can be taken to the International Post Office, near exit A-2 Otemachi subway station, which provide English-speaking personnel. Airmail to Europe takes four to six days. (www.japanpost.jp).

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 (1900 at bigger branches). Some main post offices are 0900-1500 on Saturdays; 0900-1230 on Sundays.

Media

Japan's broadcasting scene is very competitive, with established public and commercial outlets competing for audiences. Many millions now watch satellite and cable pay-TV services, including those provided by the national public broadcaster NHK which now has a global English language news channel NHK World (www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/). Newspaper readership is extremely high, and national dailies have circulations in the millions. The press in Japan is free to criticise the government, although freelance journalists find access to information difficult.

Press

• The English-language daily newspapers in Tokyo include Daily Yomiuri (www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy), the Japan Times (www.japantimes.co.jp) and the International Herald Tribune (www.asahi.com/english/index.html).

TV

• National commercial networks include TV Asahi (www.tv-asahi.co.jp), Fuji TV (www.fujitv.co.jp)  Nippon TV (NTV) (www.ntv.co.jp); and the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) (www.tbs.co.jp).
NHK (www.nhk.or.jp) is a public broadcaster, and operates general and educational TV channels, as well as satellite channels and a high-definition TV network.

Radio

• NHK  (www.nhk.or.jp) is a public broadcaster that operates a news- and speech-based radio station, as well as a cultural and educational network, a classical music-based network and an external service, Radio Japan.
Inter FM (www.interfm.co.jp) J-Wave (www.j-wavemusic.com) and Tokyo FM (www.tfm.co.jp) are all commercial stations.
•   TBS Radio (www.tbs.co.jp/radio/) is operated by the Tokyo Broadcasting System.
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