Notebook use in Japan

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GoldCoastGuy

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Sorry if this is too off topic for here.

I'm going to Japan in May and plan to take my Notebook PC with me.

The notebook has a 3 pronged electricity plug, but Japan only has 2 prong sockets.

The adaptors I've seen only have 2 prongs in -> 2 prongs out. The earthing pin has been blocked.

Are adaptors for 3 prongs -> 2 prongs readily available in Japan (either at stores or hotels)?


Evan :->
 
Does the third prong (the earth) actually connect to anything?

Most transformers etc now are double insulated and don't need the earth. Does the power go to a transformer first and then to a laptop? If the transformer is marked as double insulated ( the symbol is a square inside another square ), then maybe the arth connection is not used.
 
You will have more luck finding the correct adapter here than in Japan.
Most adapters here will have a Female Australian socket with the foreign socket being Male.
Although I haven't ever checked, I believe that you would most likely find that Japanese stores sell the adapters with Japanese Female and the foreign (to Japan) socket being the Male side.

Does the socket you require exist? Sorry don't know.
Malcolm.
 
oz_mark said:
Does the third prong (the earth) actually connect to anything?

Most transformers etc now are double insulated and don't need the earth. Does the power go to a transformer first and then to a laptop? If the transformer is marked as double insulated ( the symbol is a square inside another square ), then maybe the arth connection is not used.

The notebook has a transformer, but I couldn't find the "square inside a square" symbol amongst all the other symbols. It will accept the Japanese 100v instead of our 240v.

The only plugs I've seen in Australia have 2 female -> 2 male. I need 3 female -> 2 male.


Evan :->
 
GoldCoastGuy said:
... I'm going to Japan in May and plan to take my Notebook PC with me.

The notebook has a 3 pronged electricity plug, but Japan only has 2 prong sockets.

The adaptors I've seen only have 2 prongs in -> 2 prongs out. The earthing pin has been blocked.

Are adaptors for 3 prongs -> 2 prongs readily available in Japan (either at stores or hotels)?


Evan :->
You could need a USA MAINS ADAPTER, see last item on page.Think US less 10V.

Be aware, however, that not all wall sockets are three pronged.

There is a brief guide here.
 
"Are adaptors for 3 prongs -> 2 prongs readily available in Japan (either at stores or hotels)?"

GoldCoastGuy. I've never needed Oz-Jp adaptors before. I know that Japanese electronic stores & Dick Smith Electronics stock the Jp-Oz adaptor, and that some airports stock various "international" adaptors.

Regarding the Oz-Jp (3-2) adaptors, I understand they are NOT readily available at hotels. Not sure about the electrical stores - I'll call one tonight and post later with the response.
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I called Yodabashi Camera (a large Japanese electrical appliance store in Sapporo) and indeed they have the Oz-Jp adaptors. But they are around 20,000yen (about Aus$240) and only available after ordering. The normal Jp-Oz is around 3,000yen, or about Aus$40. I'd guess in Tokyo they would be cheaper though still expensive.

Voltage is no problem (Oz-Jp) though for sensitive equipment a transformer might be a worthwhile investment. They're only about Aus$10 here.

Perhaps you could get them on the Internet somewhere... Anyway it's definitely worthwhile to "let your fingers do the walking" and trying to source one locally in Oz first.
 
Thanks heaps for going to all that effort BlacKnox.

I'll give Dick Smith a try tomorrow and see what they have.

I'm guessing the 3 prong sockets serfty's post aren't too common there?

Even if they are only available in 4-5 star hotels (I'm staying at Mercure and Hilton mainly) that would help me.


Evan :->
 
"I'm guessing the 3 prong sockets serfty's post aren't too common there?"

No. Certainly not for use in offices or Japanese "style" hotels I've visited. I'm a Hilton Gold member though can't remember what's in the rooms. I'm staying at the Otaru Hilton next week-end and could check if you have no luck at D. Smiths or elsewhere. Let me know how you go.
 
Went to D ick Smith's today.

Turns out the plug I have is an IDE plug..... the same ones used in PCs, monitors and kettles and jugs.

The guy at DSE said the transformer was indeed double-insulated (there is an NYCE logo with 3 arrows in different directions inside a square...... apparently that's the Double insulation logo), so I can pull out the earth pin.

Alternatively, I can try to find an IDE plug in Japan.



Evan :->
 
GoldCoastGuy said:
Went to D ick Smith's today.

Turns out the plug I have is an IDE plug..... the same ones used in PCs, monitors and kettles and jugs.
I beieve it is actually called an IEC plug.
 
Speaking of acronyms, a "pre-loved" goods store near my apartment has a wonderful trading name - cough - representing "carefully restored accessories & parts". Haven't bought anything there yet... :D
 
BlacKnox said:
Speaking of acronyms, a "pre-loved" goods store near my apartment has a wonderful trading name - cough - representing "carefully restored accessories & parts". Haven't bought anything there yet... :D
We used to have a change management system (for mainframe computer systems) called Change Records And Support Handling. I regularly chuckled entering change details into a system called Crash.
 
Stayed at the Hilton Otaru (Japan) over the week-end. As suspected, only normal 2 pin sockets in the room. Though the bell captain confirmed that (Aus-Jap) adaptors are available free for hotel guests.
 
GoldCoastGuy said:
Hopefully this will work, but its good to know that there is a chance the hotels I am staying in will have an adaptor available for me. I'd rather have to use one adaptor than a mish-mash of various adaptors.


Evan :->

Be prepared to disable 'wait for dailtone' on your modem whem in Japan.

The PABX systems in most Japanese hotels are quirky, and your modem will refuse to play ball if it waits for a dialtone.
 
I have found the universal adaptor handy as sold by CX in its duty free catalog.
 
Arrived in Japan on Monday.

So far the Tokyo Hilton and Mercure Ginza both had adaptor plugs that worked perfectly.

The dive I'm staying at in Nagoya didn't have an adaptor, so I took out the plugs I mentioned in my April 25 post and it worked perfectly as well.


Thanks to everyone for their advice.



Evan :->
 
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