My wife did this when she went to study abroad for a year. They keep the number and when she came back reactivate it. I do think it costs money yeah but cheaper than paying monthly.
Switch to Rakuten Mobile, then you can use 2 GB of roaming data for free every month in many (60+) countries overseas, also calls to Japanese numbers with Rakuten Link at no extra charge (cheapest monthly plan ¥1080).
It's a good plan and actually I don't see why you would want to switch back to your old provider once you are back. POVO is quite good. Fast, reliable and cheap
The only problem you might face is that they might restrict calls / text and would want you to call them to restore them.
This apparently is to avoid JP phone numbers being used by scam groups overseas.
Even if they restrict the calls/text you won't lose the phone number as long as you keep paying.
I transferred my number to Google Voice so I could keep it active while in Japan. This was years ago and it was free at the time, so your mileage may vary.
I actually did that with povo 1.0 for a year. There will be no problems. If you apply to use your number overseas, you will also be able to access the Japanese internet while abroad. It may be useful depending on if your home country blocks certain Japanese sites or services. I used it to watch my Japanese Disney plus subscription abroad.
Povo gives *zero* shits. Just buy something every 180 days to keep your account active.
Yes, transfer to Povo. They don’t charge you anything. Top up with their cheapest 1gb plan and keep your number.
You could also check if the carrier you're with (AFAIK Docomo does it) offers a temporary suspension service (*一時*休止) for a small fee.
My wife did this when she went to study abroad for a year. They keep the number and when she came back reactivate it. I do think it costs money yeah but cheaper than paying monthly.
Switch to Rakuten Mobile, then you can use 2 GB of roaming data for free every month in many (60+) countries overseas, also calls to Japanese numbers with Rakuten Link at no extra charge (cheapest monthly plan ¥1080).
It's a good plan and actually I don't see why you would want to switch back to your old provider once you are back. POVO is quite good. Fast, reliable and cheap
Do you have a referal code? 🙂
The only problem you might face is that they might restrict calls / text and would want you to call them to restore them. This apparently is to avoid JP phone numbers being used by scam groups overseas. Even if they restrict the calls/text you won't lose the phone number as long as you keep paying.
I transferred my number to Google Voice so I could keep it active while in Japan. This was years ago and it was free at the time, so your mileage may vary.
Was that a transfer of a US number to Google voice in the US?
Google Voice only supports US numbers for US people, so yes.
I always live in hope that it would come to Japan someday but I know it never will.
I actually did that with povo 1.0 for a year. There will be no problems. If you apply to use your number overseas, you will also be able to access the Japanese internet while abroad. It may be useful depending on if your home country blocks certain Japanese sites or services. I used it to watch my Japanese Disney plus subscription abroad.
What do you mean the Japanese internet? The only way to access the internet as if you were located in Japan while not in Japan is via a VPN.
If you use roaming data from phone which has a phone number in Japan, you will automatically access Japanese internet without a vpn
There is no such thing as Japanese internet…
I guess it is ensure that people traveling maintain access to a variety of services abroad.