Keeping in touch while living in Japan

Hello everyone,

What are the best ways you've found for keeping in touch with friends and family back home while living in Japan? How frequently do you stay in touch with loved ones?

Are there local equivalents to common instant messaging and online video calling services that you prefer or are more widely used?

If there is a sizeable time difference, how do you manage this?

Do you make international phone calls from a landline or mobile phone from Japan? What do you think of the cost?

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Priscilla

For my Mother we use Face Time and for my children we use Skype and insta Messaginger.  I keep friends and family informed via my blog (reywatjapan.blogspot.com) and Facebook.  I am hoping that my children will get the opportunity to visit us, because the pictures, videos and e-mails etc really do not reflect how beautiful this country is.  The old saying "seeing is believing" applies to my life in Japan.