Internet in Japan

Although this blog is the story, strange but true, of My New Life, you can be assured that some features of The Old Life will turn up, just like the proverbial bad penny.

 One of these is the continuation of publishing the occasional excerpt from the VNPC Bulletin; this Bulletin for those of you who have just happened on my blog, is about the places I might visit as part of a cruise from Yokohama, Japan to Vancouver, Canada via the northern Pacific Ocean in 2016.

Pull on your life jackets and climb aboard the good ship VNPC.

The Internet in Japan.

Away from the ship there are a number of options for accessing the internet.

Both paid and free Wi-Fi can be found in airports, restaurants, coffee shops and bars.  English sign-up is not offered on all networks; some are for phone only and some have restricted access.

Free public Wi-Fi for foreign tourists can be found at Seven Eleven stores and at Starbucks, where registration must be done in advance to gain access.  The following link from the Notes of Nomads website explains how things work.

If you are very lucky you might find an internet kiosk, but with the increase in mobile phone use these kiosks are now becoming quite difficult to find.

There is a Starbucks within a fifteen minute walk from Osanbashi Pier, walking alongside Yamashita Park to the second lot of traffic lights, turn right and walk down to the next set of lights near the Audi dealer.  A little further along  on a corner nearby you will a find the Peking Duck restaurant – Starbucks is just nearby in this short street. 

Starbucks - Yokohama Landmark Plaza Store

Once on board the Volendam you might think internet access would be easier as there is no language problem.

However as the following excerpt from Cruiseadvice shows there are other considerations.

The Volendam does provide PC's in an Internet cafe (Explorations) on Deck 5(Upper Promenade). However, if you want to bring your WiFi-enabled laptop, iPhone, PDA, etc., the entire ship is WiFi enabled. You can choose from the Holland America "pay-as-you" go rate for a one-time $3.95 activation charge, and, a 75¢ per minute rate. Alternatively, you can buy a block of non-refundable minutes for:

§  100 minutes for $55.00  (70AUD)

§  250 minutes for $100.00.

Using WiFi, Cell Phones and Internet on the Volendam Tips:

§  Some free minutes may be offered the first day during embarkation. Check with the Internet manager for specific details.

§  It doesn't matter whether you bring your own computer or use the computers on the ship. The price is the same.

§  Think dial up speed when connecting on the ship. If you are sending emails, get all your writing down offline and

then just connect when you actually send them.

Cruisers should keep in mind that the idea of free internet on Holland America cruise ships is for Cruisers living in Dream land and the connection is similar to dial-up.  The signal has to go up to the satellite and come down which makes email preparation crucial unless you are willing to make endless contributions to the company profits and dividend rewards to shareholders.

 At 75c per minute ( the current exchange rate stands at a fraction under one Australian dollar) for time on line, Instagram  and Facebook addicts need to have either deep pockets stuffed with dollars or consider signing up for Online and Screen Addicts Anonymous. The package rates, while offering a slightly lower cost per minute, come with the proviso that any unused time will not be refunded.

Perhaps the best piece of advice comes from a Trip Advisor reviewer, who agreed the ship internet is expensive and unreliable and suggested unplugging the devices and enjoying the time in the various ports along the way.

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