Have you got a mobile phone yet in Japan? Yes, today's Japanese tip is about mobile phones. 'keitai-denwa' means a mobile phone and 'keitai' originally means mobile or portable. Most Japanese like to say 'keitai' rather than 'keitai-denwa', simply because it's shorter and easier to say.

Japanese keitai is different from other countries' mobile phones. You can download data like weather forecast,music and even moving pictures. If a keitai has a digital camera, you could send photos to your friends by email whcih is mobile phone based. These types of moble phones are called the 3rd generation, and of course the screen of them is colour and larger than the 2nd generation ones.

You may think it's expensive to get one, but actually it's reasonable. In fact, I've got a keitai yesterday at a discount shop. It cost me only 1 yen, less than 1 pence! Monthly payment plans are nearly the same as the UK's

If you make a contract with a mobile phone company in the UK, you basically have to keep contracting with them at least 1 year. But one of the benefits in Japan is that you could cancel the contract, whenever you like. That's why you don't need to insure your mobile phone against robbery. If your keitai was stolen, all you have to do is to cancel the contract.

The system of mobile phone in Japan is different from the system in the UK, so you cannot use your mobile or sim card in Japan, but you could get a nice keitai in Japan.

I'll cancel the contract as early as the 1st of October 2002. It means I will have used my mobile just a couple of weeks. After I get back to London, I'll show my keitai to you guys.