Should You Keep Your Japanese Phone Number When Moving Abroad? Comparing Rakuten Mobile and povo
Hello. I'm Hyanko, and I've been living in Thailand for five years.
When you decide to move abroad, one thing that is surprisingly tricky is
What should I do about my Japanese mobile number?
This is a question I struggled with quite a bit before I moved. I thought, "If I'm living abroad, don't I not need a Japanese number?" but to give you the conclusion—
It is safer to keep your Japanese phone number.
Having actually lived abroad, there have been many times when I was glad I kept it.
Why you need a Japanese number even when living abroad
You might feel like you won't use a Japanese number when living abroad.
But in reality, there are many times when you will need it even while overseas.
In particular,there are many cases where SMS authentication is required when logging into banks, credit cards, securities accounts, and Japanese apps. There are also services that cannot be registered with an overseas number.
When looking at the experiences of people living abroad, I often see stories about people who "couldn't access their bank after canceling their Japanese mobile service."Financial services have strict security,sothere are times when you cannot log in if you don't pass SMS authentication.
Since there are many cases where you use it to transfer money from a Japanese bank to local currency, not being able to withdraw money there is quite fatal...
Therefore, I recommend keeping your Japanese number as insurance.
Carriers often used by people living abroad (Rakuten Mobile, povo)
How do Japanese people living abroad keep their numbers? When it comes to what carriers they use,
in terms of maintenance costs and ease of use, the impression is that it's either "povo" or "Rakuten Mobile".
povo: For those who want to keep their number as cheaply as possible
The base fee is 0 yen. It's a system where you buy "toppings" only when you need them. Since you only need to buy a topping once every six months, you canmaintain your number for a few hundred yen a year. Since you can barely use data, the main way to use it is as an "SMS authentication-only line."
Rakuten Mobile: For those who want to use it normally even overseas
I chose Rakuten Mobile. The reason is that I can use the internet and phone even overseas. Rakuten Mobile allows for 2GB of high-speed data communication every month in eligible countries.
For example, since you can use the internet the moment you arrive at the airport, you can use that 2GB right away for things like "I want to contact my family on LINE first" or "I want to check the map on Google Maps for now."
For iPhone users,
you can use it immediately by going to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data ON!
Also, after exceeding the limit, you can still use the internet, although at a slower speed. (You will receive a notification. To be precise, you get a notification when you have 400MB of data remaining, and another one when it runs out.)
If you want to use high-speed data again, it is convenient because you can purchase it immediately for 500 yen/1GB💡
※While I mainly use a local SIM (True) in Thailand, I keep Rakuten Mobile as a secondary line for Japanese SMS authentication and for contacting Japan.
Rakuten Mobile: I actually tried calling Japan from Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand
Rakuten Mobile has an app called "Rakuten Link." If you use this, calls from overseas to Japan are actually free.
Calls to landlines are also okay, so I have called the Japanese Pension Office and the ward office several times from Thailand.
At first, I was worried that the signal might be bad, but I was able to have a normal conversation. You can talk quite clearly without any problems.
When I checked later, the call charges were 0 yen. Honestly, this was a huge help.
When you are overseas, there are times when things are difficult to resolve just by email or inquiry forms.
There are also situations where you are asked to call them.
At those times, I feel glad that I kept my Japanese number.
Rakuten Mobile basic charges: What about when you are in Japan?
The basic charge for Rakuten Mobile when you are in Japan is
a tiered system where you pay only for what you use (1,078 yen up to 3GB / 2,178 yen up to 20GB / 3,278 yen for unlimited, tax included).
It is much cheaper than major carriers.
With this plan, call charges are separate, but you can make calls for free using the Rakuten Link app, and as someone who often makes calls in Kanagawa and Tokyo, the signal is perfectly fine.
Conclusion: Which one should you choose?
For the cheapest way to keep your number → povo
If you want to use it abroad and make calls to Japan → Rakuten Mobile
I chose Rakuten Mobile for the peace of mind that it works abroad and for the lack of hassle.
While I'm overseas, I keep my data usage under 2GB as a secondary line (the base fee of 1,078 yen), and in months when I return to Japan temporarily, I use as much as I need.
It is truly stress-free to be able to connect to the Japanese internet immediately upon arriving at the airport without the hassle of swapping SIM cards or changing settings 🥺✨
I believe the most important thing is to be prepared for any situation according to your own needs.
Visit the official Rakuten Mobile website
Rakuten Mobile details are summarized here. Please take a look if you'd like (^o^)
If you want to dive deeper into the comparison it is summarized here, so I hope it helps.
Finally
If you are signing up for Rakuten Mobile for the first time, there is a referral campaign.
If you meet the conditions, you can receive the following Rakuten points.
Switching from another carrier while keeping your phone number (MNP): 13,000 points
Signing up with a new phone number: 10,000 points
If you are using the referral campaign, before signing up for Rakuten Mobile, please log in with your Rakuten ID via the referral link or QR code below!
Order of application (this is important)
If you log in to the referral link after applying, you will not be eligible. Please be sure to proceed in this order.
Open the referral link or scan the QR code
Log in with your Rakuten ID (opening the link will take you directly to the access screen). *Please rest assured that I cannot see your personal information.
Apply for Rakuten Mobile
Start using the plan
Make a call of 10 seconds or more using Rakuten Link
▼ Please tap the text below to proceed.
【Use the Rakuten Mobile referral campaign】
In principle, you must apply for the plan, start using it, and make a call via Rakuten Link by the end of the month two months after the referral login date.
*Campaign details are subject to change or termination without notice. Please be sure to check the latest terms and conditions on the linked page before applying.
I hope this will be helpful for those who are planning to move abroad and are wondering, "What should I do about my Japanese phone number?" (^o^)