Utilities

Before moving, notify the local offices of electric power, gas water service, NTT (telephone), and local post office. On moving day, service personnel will arrive and calculate your final bill for on-the-spot payment.

Electricity

At your new home, you can turn on the electricity by raising the switch on the main circuit breaker. There will be a postcard hanging from the breaker, fill it out and mail it.

Gas

It is best to make advance arrangements for the main valve to be opened. However, if you call in the morning of moving day, the valve can be opened the same day. Someone will need to be home. Also, confirm which type of gas is supplied before you buy any gas appliances.

Water

Water supply is seldom cut off, but please notify the local office of the water works when you move to a new address.

Phone

Your telephone is the most expensive utility to get installed. You must first purchase a phone line (kenri). Phone line does not refer to the actual wires or telephone but to your right to have a phone connection. You can purchase your line from NTT for around 70,000 yen. One way to get around this high one-time expense is to rent your phone line. This will cost you about 3,000 to 5,000 yen per month. However, NTT does not rent phone lines. Once you have a phone line then you will get your phone number. You can expect to pay as much as 100,000 yen to get your phone hooked up.

There are several long distance companies. The largest is KDD. (001) Another is ITJ (0041) Long distance rates from Japan to the rest of the world are very high. One way to beat the the high cost is by using Call Back.

Usefull numbers:

  • International dialing inquireies - 0056 or 0057
  • International telegram - 344-5151
  • Domestic telegram - 115
  • Directory inquiries - 104
  • Speaking clock - 117
  • Tel. repair service - 113

    KDD

    Service Information 0057
    Operator Assisted Calls 0051

    NTT

    English Information, Tokyo 03-5295-1010
    English Information, Yokohama 045-322-1010
    Repair Service 113
    Shinkansen Calls 107
    Telegrams, Domestic 115
    Telegrams, Overseas 03-3344-5151

    CitySource
    Japan Telephone Directory by NTT Software Lab. (Trial Service)

    Mail & Public Telephones
    Mail 1
    Mail 2

    For further details and inquiries, contact the following:

    Tokyo Electric Power Company 03-3501-8111
    Consumer Service Office
    Tokyo Gas Company 03-3433-2111
    Consumer Service Office
    Tokyo Metropolitan Waterworks 03-5320-6327
    Public Relations, General Affairs Dept.


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