A vital service you’ll need to know about in the event of a disaster. 

With pretty much everyone owning a mobile phone these days, public telephones are on a steady decline worldwide. Though the same is true in Japan, governments here see them as vital lifelines in times of disaster, so much so that their availability must be maintained under the telecommunications law, which classifies them as a “universal service”.

Despite being readily available, many of these phones tend to go unused on a day-to-day basis, but for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, this presented an ideal opportunity to further its efforts towards what it calls a “Connected Tokyo“. This urban strategy aims to create a city where residents, visitors, and businesses can connect reliably via 5G and public Wi‑Fi, especially in times of disaster, and in order to achieve that, the city is transforming many of its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots.

 The first public telephone booth to be equipped with Wi-Fi hotspot functionality appeared on 23 December, making this a new development for the city.

The government is working with telecom company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (NTT East) to transform 1,500 of the 10,525 phone booths it operates throughout the city into free OpenRoaming-enabled Wi-Fi hotspots. OpenRoaming provides a free and secure Wi-Fi connection for users, at more than 3.5 million locations worldwide, with the only requirement being a one-off registration.

▼ Public phones might look like something from a bygone age, but they now act as beacons for anyone looking for free Wi-Fi.

So how do you actually register to use the service? Well, thankfully the process is smooth as there are handy English-language instructions, and after you’ve registered once, you never have to do it again, giving you quick and easy access to millions of Wi-Fi spots around the globe.

▼ Every Wi-Fi enabled phone booth has a poster with a QR code to help you get started.

If you have no Internet connection to begin with, simply turn on Wi-Fi on your phone while at the booth and look for a network called START_TOKYO_Wi-Fi. Connect to it and the setup page should open automatically.

▼ Then Tap “Register Here”, agree to the terms, and verify your identity using your Google account, Apple ID or LINE account.

Add your email address, tap Download profile, and then allow the download when prompted.

Go to Settings, tap “Profile Downloaded”, tap Install, enter passcode, then tap Install again to complete the process.

▼ Installation complete!

Finally, go back to Wi-Fi settings, find START_TOKYO_Wi-Fi, tap the info or gear icon, and tap: “Forget”/”Delete” network.

▼ While the steps we’ve outlined are for iPhone users, the process is similar (and slightly easier) for Android users, with a walkthrough provided for them as well.

After registering, your phone will automatically connect to TOKYO_FREE_Wi-Fi whenever you’re near a supported spot with no need to login again, giving you quick and easy accees to the secure encrypted connection provided by OpenRoaming.

The project initially began in areas around major stations on the Yamanote Loop Line in central Tokyo, but it has now spread to more locations, including public parks designated as emergency shelters.

According to the metropolitan government, the new OpenRoaming Wi-Fi spots, rolled out over three years from 2025, will expand its Wi-Fi infrastructure threefold, bringing the total to approximately 3,600 locations. When announcing the initiative last summer, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike emphasised the importance of the project, saying, “Securing communications is a top priority in times of disaster. It will also provide a crucial lifeline for inbound tourists. Therefore, it is a very important initiative to install Wi-Fi by utilising public telephone booths.”

With so many locations now providing the free service, you’re never too far from a Wi-Fi hotspot in the city. Given the lifeline it provides in disaster-prone Japan, where they even have a Disaster Message Call hotline, the five minutes it takes to register might well be worth the effort the next time you’re visiting Japan.

Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Government (1, 2)
Photos©SoraNews24
Screenshots: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
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