Local call number for Tokyo - VOIP

Alternatives or options

[whats up skip]

We are considering have a local call number for Tokyo, but to date the only option I can find is Lingo and it is at least US$20 per month for the number, plus call costs.

I am sure that there must be options, but today in English and Japanese I have not been able to find any.

We want to connect the local call number to our VoIP system and land the calls back here in Australia.

[David_M]

I haven't seen a call fowarding service, but this company provides free fax receival fowarded to your email.
[d-fax.ne.jp...]

[David_M]

Any luck in finding a VoIP number? Please post if you find out anything. I'm interested too!

[bill]

I've heard that the Japanese version of Skype will be getting this soon. They have a beta program running on the English version now called SkypeIn which gives you telephone numbers in various countries. The rates look quite reasonable on the beta.

[whats up skip]

I have found Lingo.com offer this service for US$20 per month, BUT you have to use either their hardware or software. Not very flexible.

I have been looking around for other options, but still no luck.

[whats up skip]

This is proving to be far more difficult than I ever expected. We have contacted several companies in Japan, but they either don't do it or have not replied.

Given how common this is for the USA, UK, Australia etc you would have thought that it would have been straight forward for Japan particularly as the VoIP market is more advanced in Japan, but that may only be for the consumer market or those using YahooBB.

[bill]

I really don't hear much about the corporate VoIP market. The consumer offerings come non-stop over the radio, TV, billboards and posters. However, we're looking at a relatively small number of services offered.

I am guessing that there are some obscure legal or regulatory restrictions at work here. The Japanese market seems ripe for services like this. I'm actually quite surprised there aren't any.

[David_M]

It looks like Fusion communications is looking into providing this in combination with skype. I just browsed their site.. Maybe using a 050 number.
Japanese article
[japan.cnet.com...]

[bill]

I was walking around one of the big software/PC stores during lunch and noticed they had a large Skype display. They're selling mostly Livedoor Skype which is a privately branded version of Skype. The boxed set comes with various headset/microphone combinations (basically you're just paying for the hardware in the box). This doesn't get us any closer to the virtual phone number issue in Japan, but it got me thinking about the article David_M posted.

I spent some time looking through various Skype forums and related groups, and it seems like a lot of people are clamoring for the SkypeIn service to be opened in Japan. This would allow for a local number and looks a lot cheaper than the Lingo service you've seen (€30 per year). However, this is Japan, so the cost may be different. Rumor has it that either SkypeIn or a Fusion-Skype hybrid service will be opening this fall....3-5 months from now.

Just for your reference, here is the Fusion announcement [fusioncom.co.jp] and an interesting diagram [fusioncom.co.jp] of how the combined service is expected to work.

[Edwin]

FYI, I use SkypeIn from the UK into Japan (i.e. with a London phone number that calls my Skype here in Tokyo) and the quality is superb - as good as the telephone line, in fact! Cost is free apart from the annual 30 Euro fee, so all my friends in the UK can now call me as often as they like at a local UK rate, which is peanuts.

If you have family back home in one of the 10 countries covered by SkypeIn, I highly recommend getting a SkypeIn number as a way of letting them contact you easily.

Sorry, I know this still doesn't solve your local VOIP number problem, but I wanted to share my first-hand experience.

Incidentally, if Voicemail would be sufficient/a reasonable compromise, then MaxEmail.com offers a combined Fax/Voicemail service with a local Tokyo number.

[whats up skip]

Continuing our discussion of obtaining phone numbers in Japan for businesses outside of Japan, I have found some more information.

The major telcos in Australia can offer this services, but the cost is high. For a free call number in Japan the rate is about US$1 per 30 seconds.

One Japanese company does appear to be offering the service with VoIP and SIP.
[fusioncom.co.jp...]
It is about US$25 per month for the service depending on the type of number you obtain. We are going to try them out in the next week or so.

We have found several other companies offering similar services, but they require you to use their hardware or software.

[edited by: Woz at 2:19 am (utc) on Sep. 19, 2005]
[edit reason] spliced & edited threads [/edit]