Renting a SIM card

Next month, I'm going to Japan for 2 weeks and am trying to decide what to do for my phone situation. I have an old Softbank handset from when I lived there, so I'm thinking that renting a SIM card is the way to go. Couple questions:
* Do I need to worry about it being "unlocked" or (it IS a Japanese phone) or the phone's age? (got it in 2007)
* I mostly will use it for quick messaging, so how will that work? Can I do the MMS messaging or am I stuck with SMS?
* Anything else I should know about SIM card rental?

Thanks!

I had a softbank one when I was there for two weeks, got it from the Osaka Airport before I left.

You can use any phone? I used my Nokia E72 from Australia and it worked.

I am not sure about the whole mms thing, but text messages are 150Yen EACH!

Pretty hefty...

So I would think you should be calling not texting...

* Do I need to worry about it being "unlocked" or (it IS a Japanese phone) or the phone's age? (got it in 2007)

Not if you get a rental sim that operates on the softbank network. Fortunately, softbank rental sims are the easiest to get. You can rent them from kiosks at Narita or other major airports. Here's their website:

http://www.softbank-rental.jp/

* I mostly will use it for quick messaging, so how will that work? Can I do the MMS messaging or am I stuck with SMS?

You can do both. The rates vary depending on who you are messaging. MMS is cheapest for domestic messaging, while SMS is better for international messaging (although they are still expensive at 150 yen/message)

You can use any phone? I used my Nokia E72 from Australia and it worked.

Any phone that is unlocked and can operate on Japan's cell phone networks can work. Which service is best for you depends on your particular handset model.

So I would think you should be calling not texting...

The cheapest international calling rates are 300 yen/minute so SMS may come out cheaper in the end. You can check out the dialing rates here:

http://www.softbank-rental.jp/pdf/intl_call_chg.pdf

Thanks for the replies so far. Just to clarify, I would be messaging and/or calling other Japanese phones, definitely nothing international.

So what does take to rent a SIM card from Softbank, just a passport and a credit card, I presume?

Just to clarify, I would be messaging and/or calling other Japanese phones, definitely nothing international.

In that case its even simpler. MMS is 1 yen/packet to Japanese phones, and domestic calling is 105 yen/min. Incoming is free.

So what does take to rent a SIM card from Softbank, just a passport and a credit card, I presume

That's it. More details here:

http://www.softbank-rental.jp/en/booking/

Softbank Rental is _very_ expensive for calls/ texts.
A much cheaper option will be Rentafone Japan www.rentafonejapan.com
(Renting a SIM only is half the cost of renting a mobile phone with SIM)

kyotoamigo - I'm looking at the Rentafone Japan site and I don't see any info about SIM card-only rentals. Is it something I'd have to email them and ask about?

Softbank Rental is _very_ expensive for calls/ texts.
A much cheaper option will be Rentafone Japan www.rentafonejapan.com
(Renting a SIM only is half the cost of renting a mobile phone with SIM)

That is possibly a cheaper option (btw, I think its an unadvertised option). Note however that it may not be as cheap as you think. First, the rental rate is slightly more expensive. Also, their discount calling rate of 35 yen/minute applies to a special calling prefix. It isn't clear on their website, but it may be possible to use with a non-rental phone. You'd better contact them first to find out. Otherwise the calling charges are 90 yen/minute. They have a 300 yen flat rate for mailing which is a tossup depending on how many mails you send. Overall it may be a draw, especially if you don't make many calls.

Yeah, it looks like the choices break down to either paying a higher rental fee but have cheaper call/text rates or pay a cheaper rental fee but have higher rates. Rentafone looks like a good choice for a long stay or for someone who needs to make a lot of calls. I think Softbank will suit my needs fine, though.