Shizuoka City began a free mobile Wi-Fi router-lending service for inbound travelers on Nov 1.

Inbound travelers can borrow routers at the Shizuoka City Tourist Information Center at the north entrance to JR Shizuoka Station. With the routers, free Internet connections are available anytime and anywhere while travelers are in Japan.

Shizuoka, situated near Mount Fuji that has been designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, is conveniently located; the travel time from Tokyo is one hour and that from Osaka is two hours.

Routers are lent for free without prior reservations. Inbound tourists can borrow mobile Wi-Fi routers for free if they meet the following two conditions:

-- Showing their passports and sign up for the service; -- Photographing a designated POP on a smartphone and other mobile communications devices and uploading it through their SNS accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

*One router is loaned to one person in principle. (In group tours, one router may be loaned to a certain number of individuals.)

-- Travelers are supposed to borrow routers at Shizuoka Station and return them at airports where they depart from Japan. -- Those who borrow routers can use them anywhere in Japan until they leave the country.

Location for borrowing routers: the Shizuoka City Tourist Information Center at the north entrance to JR Shizuoka Station. TEL: 054-253-1170 Business hours: 9:00 - 17:45 (closed from Dec 29 to Jan 1)

Location for returning routers: "Vision" counter at airports where travelers leave Japan -- Narita International Airport, Haneda Airport, Kansai International Airport, Osaka International (Itami) Airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport, Fukuoka Airport, New Chitose Airport, Niigata Airport, Komatsu Airport, Naha Airport and Shizuoka Airport (Service to be launched at the end of November.)

Service: "NINJA WiFi," a Wi-Fi router rental service for Internet connections in Japan provided by Vision Inc. Type of router to be loaned: Pocket WiFi 303ZT (117x62x13.9mm; weighing about 150g)

Communication service provider: SoftBank Specification of communications: 4G LTE (capacity: 1GB a day) Communication speed: Maximum receiving speed: 187.5Mbps; Maximum transmission speed: 37.5Mbps A unique password is issued for each router to ensure security.

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