He mentions that his free wifi was the only way to get access to the outside world. I don't know about Softbank (the only provider with iPhones in Japan), but m

He mentions that his free wifi was the only way to get access to the outside world. I don't know about Softbank (the only provider with iPhones in Japan), but my 3G with Docomo was not disrupted at any point during the crisis. Making calls was difficult or (usually) impossible, but network access was always there. This is in Tokyo.