Phonecalls, TV, Radio

Communications

(1) Making Phone Calls

NTT is most widely used for domestic phone calls. You do not need to dial area code (098) for local phone calls, if the telephone number starts with 8 or 9, (e.g., 833-3333/933-3333). Telephone numbers starting with 0, (e.g., 055-5555), require the area code first (098-055-5555)

(2) How to Make an Overseas Call

From your home phone, dial your telephone company prefix + 010 + Country Code + Area Code (without the initial 0) + Telephone Number in that order.
Prefix for NTT: 0033, KDDI/au: 001, Softbank Telecom: 0061

(3) Calling Cards

These allow the cost of your calls to be charged to the card. Usually a calling card has a better rate for international phone call.

Television

The transmission system for Japan is NTSC, the same as is used in most of North America, South America, and around Asia. The region code is 2, which is different from Europe or some other areas of the world. If you bring a Video/DVD player or other forms of media from your country, please check beforehand to see if it will work in Japan.

Digital television

    ANKH (Japanese Broadcasting Company)
    OTV (Okinawa Television)
    RBC (Ryukyu Broadcasting Company)
    NHK
    NHK Educational

(1) English Television Programming

If you have a bilingual TV, you will be able to receive foreign language programming on selected shows. Bilingual programs are marked in the newspaper with the Japanese symbol for 2 (“二”) . These programs include a few foreign films, RBC news at 18:00, and NHK news translated into English that is broadcast during the week from 19:00 to 19:20. Some news programs are not translated over the weekend. To listen to NHK and RBC English language broadcasts, a converter is required or a television with bilingual capabilities is required.

(2) Cable T.V.

Hikari Chura
The au cellphone company provides an internet service along with cable T.V.
Please see further details and the service area on the link below.
http://www.au-hikari.ne.jp/en/

(3) Satellite Television (Sky Perfect TV)

Satellite Television is available in Okinawa. In order to use satellite television, you must either rent or buy a small satellite dish and a decoder. These are available at several electronics shops in Okinawa. There is an array of different channels, including BBC World, CNN International, MTV, FOX news, ESPN, Discovery Channel, and Pay per View. There are programs in several different languages including Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, English, Chinese, and Spanish.

Sky Perfect TV web site: http://www.skyperfectv.co.jp/eng/ (English)

(4) Public Television Fee

NHK offers commercial-free television by covering its expenses through subscription. Residents in Japan with TVs are expected, but not obliged, to pay this fee in accordance with the Broadcasting Law. However, residents who do not speak Japanese might not be asked to pay. If you do not wish to pay, you can explain to the collector that you cannot understand Japanese, and therefore you do not watch NHK. NHK bill collectors visit houses and apartment complexes once in a while. (The fee is approximately \2,000/month.)

*There are local internet providers which provide services and support in English. You can apply for internet, satellite TV, phone, etc. at the same time.

• Sunny Net: www.sunny-net.ne.jp 098- 983-7557
• GL Broad Band: www.glbb.jp 098-894-4279

Radio

Radio Stations in Okinawa

Digital Radio is also available. Digital Radio offers additional radio broadcasts for a small fee. Please contact OCN for details.