Travel diary
Shiny Japan 2005
Day four - August 10



Getting a Vodafone prepaid mobile set and Ueno

Gently woken up by the hotel staff (or did I wake up 10 seconds earlier?whatever, I was tired so I can't remember) at about 9 am, who told me that my friend Sanae left me a message. Interesting hotel service... the clerk came all the way up to the 4th floor to tell me that I should meet my friend at Iidabashi at 12:30 pm and call her back.

I called back and she confirmed that.

At roughly about 12:30 I got my first prepaid mobile phone... note that you can't get it if you don't have an alien registration card or a kind Japanese friend who buy it in his/her name for you. So you have to beg for it or you won't ever see one except a rental one which is only cheaper as long as you are for a short stay in Japan and want to stay connected.

What I needed most is the e-mail function. Getting onto the net wasn't worth the money at the hotel, you had to pay lousy 10 yen per minute. You just get too nervous to surf in a relaxed way or fetch any information within a decent time frame. Since e-mail and sky mail (by Vodafone TM) is a probably even more important function than talking on the phone in Japan it is a must-have to stay in touch with your (in the first place Japanese) friends. One more reason was that it was inpossible to reach my Tokyo friend Sanae at work since talking privately is not allowed as some might now. For heaven's sake this does not apply to leaving a message...

Here is a list of expenses you have to deal with a prepaid mobile:

Mobile phone set 4000 yen, cheapest available at konbini (convenience store) or online
Prepaid card (3000 yen) 3000 yen

Vodafone Skymail 5 yen
"Long" E-Mail 15 yen
Downloading "Long" E-Mail 15 yen
Calling nationwide 100yen/min.

More on http://www.vodafone.co.jp or any other mobile company

Taking the longer way from Iidabashi to Ueno, I took the Sobu and Yamanote line... to see more around the Yamanote circle line, I didn't take the shortest connection and went over Yoyogi, Shinagawa etc. southbound. Somewhere I finally got a place to sit and was happy that I could rest for a while.

Ueno Park on a hot day is really tiresome to walk but I did it. After seeing museums (didn't get in), eating a Pizza (pepperoni for 450 yen) I decided to pick up my friend from Taiwan at Narita airport who is going to stay 3 nights in Tokyo.



Pond Skyline


Kitchy swan boats at the pond in Ueno


Savoia Pizza 450 yen, mine was second from the right

Later on: Keisei Ueno -> Keisei Narita Airport (1000 Yen ticket)

Narita Airport and back at Minamisenju

I regret that I had to dine out at the airport. Every meal is too sweet and expensive in the one and only restaurant at the arrival hall. That was definitely not Chinese as said.

The flight had a delay of more than 1 hour... so I should be happy I wasn't in time. ^^

Unfortunately my phone battery ran out of battery, so there was no gadget I could play with while waiting.

Waiting longer than expected we both head to her hotel (-> much cleaner than mine room and only 200 yen more per night. Plus curfew at 1 instead of 12am!!!), checked in for her and I got to mine that was 100 metres farther away from the station. In the room I finally got time to check out my mobile phone manual haha.

So that was back in Minamisenju.