Country of Insularism

I live in Spain, and I use cellular phone daily both private and working. Cellular phone is now indispensible item for modern day human life. No argue.

I travel to Japan quite a often and each time I arrived at Narita airport, I have get rental of mobile phone because the one I use in Spain cannot work here.

(You may note this point, your cellular phone can work anywhere but JAPAN)

Using rental mobile means you have to tell your mobile to your colleague each time, because you cannot get the same number. That makes me annoying.

So this time, (Now I am writing from Japan) I decided to buy one cellular phone only for use in Japan.

And what I found in mobile phone shop was somehow shocking.

YOU CANNOT BUY CELLULAR PHONE UNLESS YOU HAVE JAPANESE RESIDENCE CERTIFICATE…

You will ask ID for buying some sort of stuff, open accounts and so on. That is normal.
However, the problem is there is no official ID card in Japan. Most of them use drivers license instead of ID card here. (So if you do not have drivers license, your activity is very limited.)

What I was told when I went to the shop were,

- You cannot use foreign drivers license or ID card because it cannot be certified you live in Japan.
- Japanese medical insurance statement cannot be used because there is no photo in there.

So finally, I could not get cellular phone.

How do you feel? Is it absolutely crazy story??
You cannot buy the mobile phone where your cellular cannot work!!

I am getting some feeling that, Japan is quite comfortable place for people who live there with Japanese nationality, but for others, it is very tough, because of their Insularism.

Cellular phone is not the only case, I want to introduce such kind of example in next time.