I give up. I’ve spent hours and hours looking into phone rental in Japan – whether I could get unlimited data, whether I could use my own phone (T-Mobile G1), whether I would be able to text internationally, who has the cheapest data rates if I can’t get unlimited data…on and on. I finally narrowed it down to two, and I used Skype to call them in Japan, which was just 2¢ per minute actually.

But the answers weren’t what I wanted. J-mobileR said their “Packet Safety Rate” actually cuts off after ¥10,500 is used. So it’s not unlimited…to get unlimited from them would be a whopping ¥62,100 for my entire stay. Pupuru is unlimited for ¥47,250 for my entire stay.

Wait. While writing this entry, I went back to the Pupuru website. I realized I have to get unlimited data. I am too addicted to my phone to get away from it. I tweet, I check email, all that stuff. I was going to say I had picked Softbank Rental, which has pay-per-kilobyte rates, but I don’t want to be worrying every time I pick up the phone, how much it’s going to cost me. Pupuru it is, they’re the cheapest rate with airport pickup and return. Go Mobile is marginally cheaper, but you have to have it delivered to a location within Japan. I want to get it at the airport and go. That’s it. My choice is made. ¥47,250 translates to about $500 but I do not want to have to worry about this. Period.

And yet…I’ll do the signup in the morning…but no. I’ve decided.