Travel Technology - WiFi in Tokyo?

This query is somewhere between Japan and Travel Technology. I'm re-posting this query from the Japan forum, where it got some looks but no answers.

I've got an 3G iPhone and will staying for a bit over a week in Tokyo. It's leisure, so I don't need to be connected for work, but would like to be able to make some outgoing phone calls (that aren't outrageously expensive), send email, and check out the internet.

I'm staying in an apartment with free ethernet/LAN, so I'm planning on using an AirPort Express to generate wifi while I'm at home (as I gather there's no way to connect directly with an iPhone). I plan to make outgoing calls using TruPhone (one of the voip apps you can get at iTunes for the iPhone) for $0.06/minute to landlines or $0.30/minute to mobiles. Unfortunately you can't yet use it for incoming calls, but that shouldn't be an issue---I routinely travel without any sort of phone at all.

While out and about I'd like to be able to use wifi to do various web-based sorts of tasks, and here's where the big question comes up: how much wifi is there? My general impression is "not much", but then I found this press release from Boingo: http://www.boingo.com/pr/pr156.php

The content is summed up by the headline:

"BOINGO BLANKETS METROPOLITAN TOKYO THROUGH ROAMING AGREEMENT WITH JAPANESE NETWORKING GIANT LIVEDOOR" with metropolitan Tokyo being described as "within the Yamanote line" (so hardly all of metro Tokyo, but not bad).

So, does anybody have any firsthand experience with Boingo in Tokyo? They're presently offering a free one month trial of their Boingo Mobile product (normally $7.95 a month, http://mobile.boingo.com/?= ), so there's not much risk to signing up, but it would be nice to know that the coverage actually is pretty good.

The only thing I'll caution you on is that most of the Boingo plans are domestic only, with significant up-charges for international roaming. Read the fine print closely on your plan before logging on.

The Boingo Mobile product is specifically marketed as being international. The limitation is that you're not supposed to use it for anything other than a handheld device (phone/PDA sort of item) and specifically not for a laptop.

I have emailed their customer service to inquire specifically about Tokyo coverage as well as any potential extra charges.

In the interim, any firsthand experience would be much appreciated. I'll update this thread myself when I return from my trip.

The Boingo Mobile product is specifically marketed as being international. The limitation is that you're not supposed to use it for anything other than a handheld device (phone/PDA sort of item) and specifically not for a laptop.

Gotcha...I was thinking of the laptop product.

In looking at the Mobile product it looks like the iPhone isn't supported (http://mobile.boingo.com/support/supported_devices.php?lang=en&curr=USD). That may be a problem for you.

Yes, I noticed that the the iPhone wasn't listed as a supported device, but iTunes does have a Boingo app (that appears to be pretty recently introduced, as there weren't in any reviews when I first looked at it, and then the next day there were three) available for downloading (free). I included that in my query to Boingo Customer Support and will hopefully hear back soon.

Heard back from Customer Support and Boingo, and they assure me that Boingo's just fine for the iPhone, and that coverage in Tokyo should be fine.

So, we'll see.

I'm back from Tokyo, and here's the update:

Boingo was not only useless in Tokyo, but the one and only instance in which it did find wifi was at the big fancy Sanborn's in downtown Mexico City. And then it still couldn't connect me.

Now to yell at them.

hi there:::

yamakake - I signed up for boingo (and actually just sent you a PM before seeing this post, sorry about that). now i see that you already responded that boingo wifi was useless in tokyo. were there any open networks when you were there, or were you able to find some paid system? I want to use maps quite a bit, and don't want to pay att's huge data roaming charges...

thanks for any info!

I took at Nokia E71 to Singapore with Boingo Symbian on it and was making calls all over the place, downloading mail, and barely ever had to go to cellular. I didn't buy a local SIM. I used VOIP and a United Mobile (now defunct) roaming SIM and got buy beautifully.

FWIW, I just found out a chain of pasta restaurants called "PoPoLa Mama." (ポポラママ) offers free WiFi through freespot.com.

They are located all over Tokyo and the suburbs. Hope it helps!