Getting Japanese iTunes Store Exclusive iOS Mahjong Games
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:12 pm
Some Mahjong iOS games are only available in the Japan iTunes store. Many are free - and I don't have a Japanese credit card to register with iTunes Japan. But I've had success! I read a number of tutorials but these were the steps:
1. On your iOS device, go to Settings and log out of iTunes/AppStore
2. Click on any link that takes you to a free Japanese only product. For example, any of the Japan Exclusive games listed here (there are more as this site is dated now): http://www.dipching.com/iOSmj.html
3. Most of the menus are still in English even though you are switched to the Japan iTunes store. Click FREE/INSTALL and you will be prompted to create an account. You must use a different email address than your primary iOS account.
4. Create the account. I used the postal code for Apple in Tokyo when asked.
5. Choose a payment of "None" so you don't have to enter any credit card. If you want to buy anything, you can always get a Japanese iTunes gift card (http://www.jbox.com/product/ITUNESCARD or similar). Free stuff is always free to get.
6. Once the account is confirmed you're ready to download a wealth of free Japanese iOS games. I got a number of fun dungeon crawl puzzle games and another half-dozen free Mahjong games and scoring apps which were not available in the US Apple store.
7. When you're done, go back to Settings and log out of iTunes/AppStore and re-log in with your normal account. You can switch back and forth anytime. Updates are easy - it asks you for the password for the other account as needed when updates are available.
Good luck. I take no responsibility for the reliability or appropriateness of these instructions
1. On your iOS device, go to Settings and log out of iTunes/AppStore
2. Click on any link that takes you to a free Japanese only product. For example, any of the Japan Exclusive games listed here (there are more as this site is dated now): http://www.dipching.com/iOSmj.html
3. Most of the menus are still in English even though you are switched to the Japan iTunes store. Click FREE/INSTALL and you will be prompted to create an account. You must use a different email address than your primary iOS account.
4. Create the account. I used the postal code for Apple in Tokyo when asked.
5. Choose a payment of "None" so you don't have to enter any credit card. If you want to buy anything, you can always get a Japanese iTunes gift card (http://www.jbox.com/product/ITUNESCARD or similar). Free stuff is always free to get.
6. Once the account is confirmed you're ready to download a wealth of free Japanese iOS games. I got a number of fun dungeon crawl puzzle games and another half-dozen free Mahjong games and scoring apps which were not available in the US Apple store.
7. When you're done, go back to Settings and log out of iTunes/AppStore and re-log in with your normal account. You can switch back and forth anytime. Updates are easy - it asks you for the password for the other account as needed when updates are available.
Good luck. I take no responsibility for the reliability or appropriateness of these instructions