Imagine that you’ve just arrived in Japan and are at the airport, wondering how to get into the city. That’s the moment you’ll want to use your smartphone or tablet. Rest assured that free Wi-Fi services are now available at major airports in Japan, so you can be sure of finding the information you need. Simple procedures such as typing in your email address on the spot, will get you Internet access.
You then take the rail link into the city and now you’re at the station, but you don’t know how to get to your destination from there. Once again, you turn to your mobile device for help. Fortunately, free wireless services are now accessible in major stations in central Tokyo and many bullet train stations. And because stations are in the process of being upgraded with Wi-Fi hotspots, access should become even more convenient in future.
In Japan users generally connect to the Internet from mobile devices via the mobile phone company with which they have a contract. This is because of the widespread system of charging a fixed rate for data transmission based on mobile phone contracts. It also explains why Wi-Fi hotspots not based on contracts with a mobile phone company have not spread rapidly. Visitors from overseas who are used to an environment with a wide network of free Wi-Fi hotspots would not find this very convenient.
Recently, however, the situation has begun to change greatly. Throughout cities, wireless services are increasingly being set up at major hotels, in some shopping districts, restaurants, coffee shops, and convenience stores, making access to a free wireless network possible even without a contract with a mobile phone company. Some of Japan’s famous vending machines have even been turned into free Wi-Fi hotspots, a novel wireless connection that you might like to look out for.
You also might like to ask about the free Wi-Fi cards distributed by some telecommunications providers at locations such as tourist information counters and airports. These have limits on the connection time, but being able to use the numerous Wi-Fi hotspots set up by that provider for free will make finding connections easier and more convenient.
We hope you will try the free Wi-Fi services available now in Japan and see for yourself how much progress has been made. In the meantime, we are working on providing greater ease of access for smartphones and tablets in the future.
Free Wi-Fi Access in Japan Just Keeps on Expanding!
Wi-Fi at Airports and Stations
Wi-Fi in Town
