The Internet in Japan

Although Japan is home to massive amounts of hitec computers, cell phones, laptops, PDAs, etc if you’re living here and don’t read or write Japanese then access to this technology can be limited! Of course you can just buy a PC and hope for the best, but many shops do offer alternatives, and there are also slowly emerging niche companies offering PC support in English. PCTokyo has a full online shop and range of computers and laptops sll in English. Ooh Japan also has a good range of PCs but offers a services where they buy for you from the manufacturer rather than build themselves, so the OS may not be available in English. GDEX dosen’t really have many PCs but has a range of video games (in Japanese). If you’re into shopping around then of course you can feast your eyes at the big stores like Yodabashi Camera, Bic Camera, and Softmap gigastore. While the default install operating systems for these is Japanese you can ask them to put an English OS on, but you’ll get charged an extra fee. Here are a couple more stores with English speaking service. http://www.primepc.jp/goods_pc/goods_pc.php http://www.laox.co.jp/store/df/index.html Softmap Gigastore has a lot of second hand stuff, especially laptops, and although the prices aren’t so discounted, they do usually only stock quality goods mostly from corporate clearances or unsold end of line. Sometimes you’ll find a PC or laptop there without any OS which makes it cheaper but also gives the the chance to install your own version which you can pick up on Ebay and get shipped over. Yahoo auctions are also a good place to find PCs and stuff, but again the OS will usually be in Japanese. Also, yahoo auction is a bit of a problem as you have to pay a monthly charge!!!! (grrrr). Alternatively you can just check out the local trash pile on trash day – a friend once picked up a fully working PC complete with operating system and programs just by asking a neighbor if it was trash, and it’s often possible to see lots of equipment left out for the gomi especially in downtown business areas. To get picked up the trash needs a pick up code attached to it, so if you spy something on the street with a bit of paper with numbers etc on it then there’s a good chance it being dumped. If you have the balls, just ask a local if it’s trash and if they say yes, you just yourself a new PC.