You can use your credit card to pay for international calls from any landline, simply by dialling 108, then the country code. In addition, Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services have become very popular among expats. These allow cheap, and sometimes free, international calls through your computer. You’ll need to have broadband access, though you can always use an internet cafe; most have microphones and headsets that work with VoIP.

Skype, Gizmo Project, and others offer reasonable call quality and cheap rates, usually less than ¥0.30 per minute. You could also consider investing in a stand-alone VoIP device from a service like Vonage, Lingo, or Packet8 if you make a significant quantity of calls. These devices usually offer a flat monthly rate (¥200 and up) and more reliable quality.