The ability to place international phone calls is a valuable skill in an age where the business world is increasingly global. While email is efficient for quick and casual communications, there is no replacement for the personal touch of a phone call. Unlike U.S. numbers, which have a standard format with a three-digit area code and seven-digit phone number, Japanese numbers have a variety of formats.

Calling your friends and family internationally makes all the difference when you don't have to worry about long-distance charges. Regardless of where your loved ones live in the world, you don't have to worry about a high phone bill with overage costs for going over your minutes or incurring international charges for long-distance calling. With the proper software and mobile phone, you can take advantage of free calling using your mobile phone's Internet connection, also called Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. You can use Wi-Fi or a 3G network.

With cell phone use on the rise, payphones are becoming a thing of the past. However, because not everyone owns a cell phone, has a signal or a charged battery, payphones are still around, albeit not as convenient as they once were. While the company that owns the payphone is in the business to make money, there are ways to make outgoing calls without having to pay for the call yourself.