Question Japanese cellphone

I've been using a Japanese cellphone for a while now. Been sending messages to Japanese friends but some of them I can't send any messages to (always shows 'sending failed'). Why ? And why do so many Japanese have a keitai e-mailadres while using SMS service is the same isn't it ?

I have no idea about the sending problem, but the reason for the keitai E-mail address should be the same as in other parts of the world. Sending SMS is rather expensive compared to a E-mail. Not to forget, that with an E-mail address you can also send E-mail from a computer for free. There is also no limit how many letters, symbols etc, you can use for the E-mail.

Japanese don't SMS they e-mail each other (via keitai). So ask your friends for their e-mail addresses and not just their telephone numbers.

My high school students, when answering a mobile phone use survey in their textbook last week, estimated they made about five telephone calls a week compared to sending and receiving about 20 e-mail messages everyday.

One of my standard 'red herrings' during classes is to talk about calling up friends (and especially 'girl' friends) back when I was in JHS/HS and how it was important to learn how to circumvent the interfering parent who often answered the telephone. Fathers would be particularly blunt about asking why you wanted to talk to their daughter. Mothers might detain you for lengthy periods asking irrelevant questions like did you know if their son was 'on something'. Those were the days!!!


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