Getting Internet

Shopping Guide

The city hall is not in charge of setting up an Internet service at your apartment. So, you may find yourself disconnected from the world after moving in. For the first few days or even weeks, you may find it convenient and harmless to tap off some insecure network in your neighborhood. But, I suggest not doing that since data can be stolen on unsecured networks. It is best to take the trouble to apply for an Internet account even though that means another 5,000 yen or so, debited from your monthly living expenses.

So, since the city hall is technically not in charge of this, you’ll have to handle everything by yourself. It definitely causes some anxiety if you don’t have sufficient Japanese language ability. Don’t worry, though. NTT, for instance, has the best English website that answers all your queries.

To apply, have on hand your residential address and telephone number. In addition, decide in advance the service that you wish to sign up for. Then, call the NTT hotline at 0120-565-950 (M-F 9am-6pm), select the English operator service, and they’ll guide you through the application procedure step-by-step.

Once your application is approved, the Internet provider will arrange for a modem to be delivered to your apartment. They will not deal with setting up; only the delivery. So, make sure that someone is there to receive the item. In other words, it’s good to take advantage of the time you have before school starts to set up the Internet at your apartment. The operator who arrives should help you with connecting the modem to your computer, and set up your connection. If you fail to get connected at a later point or have any trouble, do not hesitate to call the hotline again.

Your monthly payment for the Internet service will be debited from your bank or credit card account automatically, depending on how you choose to pay.

Note: NTT is not the exclusive Internet service provider in Japan. I chose to highlight it because with its English hotline, the setting up of Internet at my apartment was effortless. But, if you want to, you may also check out the other Internet service providers, Yahoo!BB and Softbank DSL.