Will Japanese cell phones work in the USA?

In fact, you are available to use a Japanese cell phone in the US, if you buy particular cell phone in Japan. However call charge is too expensive to use Japanse cell phone when you use in the US. You shouldn't buy it. Japan implemented their original system in order not to compete with foreign company. I recommend that you keep current cell phone in the US, and you buy cell phone in Japan.

I do business in Tokyo so I travel there every other month. Ask a taxi driver to take you to Llaox ( Home Electronic Store) in Akihabara. Llaox is a duty free electronic store were you can ask for any gadget with overseas guarantee. The prices are great, no taxes with your passport in hand. The people there speak English, Korean, Spanish, German, Russian and yes, Japanese. Also you can go there by train by green line and get of at akihabara. Good luck in a great country, good food, electronic, women and business. We could learn a lot of them!!

As I understand it Japan is one of very few countries that is on a totaly different network-meaning if you have Japanese cell service, you will not be able to place calls here in the states using your phone. At least I know for a typical world phone purchased here in the states, it will not work in Japan-I can only assume it works the same vice versa. If your talking about purchasing a phone in Japan, but using it for cell service in the U.S. then yes, but it depends on what phone you buy. Some providers don't use all phones; you'll need to check with local providers. T-Mobile may be your best bet..... Keep in mind, the phones listed on their website are NOT the only phones that work. I have a Nokia 9300i and speak to anyone at T-Mobile they can't even confirm it exists, but it does and I use it with service through T-Mobile.

From Australia, aussie mobiles wont work in Japan unless you have a certain service (not compony a frequency). Unless you have it (i dunno what it is) it wont work in Japan Vice Verser. I would imagine that it is simmerler for the US

OK here is the deal. Short answer for you since you are vsiting is no. You gotta be a resident to buy a phone and service. You cannot buy phone only. If you were able to get a phone, the phones are "locked" meaning you cannot take a sim card from your home country and use it in a Japanese 3G phone. If the phones were "un locked" you could buy a phone and then insert your sim card and use the phone. I own a Vodafone/Softbank 3G series phone. It has GMS roaming, but the costs are high when out of Japan.

my brother stayed in japan for 2 years and he did bring a japanese cell phone home. however, the wordings were in japanese so that might be a problem.