Using an American iPad in Japan

Pistolen08 wrote:
Hello-

I am looking a buying an iPad, but in October I'll be moving to Japan for a 1 year study abroad program. I know that US iPads aren't carrier locked (while Japanese ones are). If I go ahead and purchase one in the US, will I be able to have 3G connectivity in Japan? Softbank doesn't seem to offer much info on the subject, so I'm wondering if I will be able to use their data service without buying the iPad from them. I don't want a Japanese one because then it will be useless when I return to the states.

Thanks!
-Elliot

OK, this is how I understand it with Softbank. If you're just traveling there, on a tourist visa, you have no shot at getting a local data plan. If you're there on a green card (or whatever Japanese immigration call it) or a student Visa, AND you have a local address, you can get one. If you don't speak Japanese, bring someone along to translate for you.

So, depending on what you're doing there, you can get a local data plan.

I live in Tokyo & have US iPhones & iPad, along with Japanese iPhones. Here is a short answer:
As of now, you cannot buy a micro-SIM from Softbank. There is a better solution that we use with my wife's US iPad 3G - Softbank sell ~$350 US a Portable WiFi device (USB) that takes cell & coverts to WiFi. They allow up to 5 WiFi connections on this device. If you sign up for 2 year plan, then the device only costs $100. The fees are the same as a Japanese iPhone - $18 to $50 depending on use of data. The $50 is a max no matter how much data you use. It is really working well for my wife's iPad.

Hope this helps.