Low cost way to call a cell phone in Tokyo, Japan? -

I need help in finding the least expensive way to call from a landline telephone in California to a cell phone in Tokyo, Japan. Right now, it s costing me 24 cents a minute through Verizon. There s got to be a cheaper way. Can someone help me out? Thanks.

Skype is only free if it s computer to computer. You can use Skype with your computer to call a cell phone in Japan, but there will be a charge per minute of air time. You ll have to go to their web site to see current rates. The person in Japan will also probably have to pay to receive the call depending on their service provider.

The airtime charge to call a cell phone in Japan is fixed, and you can t get that discounted. If you don t know already, the Japanese cell phone system is caller pays, meaning it s free to receive calls, so your friend has no incentive to change from receiving your call on a cell phone to a landline. The cheapest way to call a number in Japan from a landline is with a prepaid calling card. You can go to the drug store to get any of them. For example, this one lets you call a landline for 2.4 cents a minute. http://www.enjoyprepaid.com/enjoyprepaid... Or 10.4 cents a minute to a cell phone. The free way to talk to someone in Japan is voice chat on IM. If you don t use Skype already, it is popular, but the sound quality is bad. The voice chat on AIM is much better, but you can t call a phone number from AIM unlike on Skype. If you must call from a landline, use a prepaid calling card. Most prepaid calling cards have an expiration date, though, so you want to use up what you pay for.

You have a few options. If you are the account owner of your home phone land line, you can call customer service and ask for their best rates for calling Japan. Your second option is to call using a calling card. Sometimes these calls can be a rip off, so you have to be sure on the calling rates you are buying. Your third option is to use Skype. In this option you have 2 sub options. If you talk PC to PC, it is 100% free. You can also buy talk time. You can call from PC to Cell phones or actual land lines. Skype depends on the internet, so if your internet connection is choppy, your calls might be choppy also.

Call from your computer with Skype. It s completely free and acts just like a phone. All you need to invest in is a microphone.

Get a plain ticket and move there.

skype.com