Kanagawa Prefecture will test a free smartphone rental service for foreign tourists from mid-February to the end of March as the country readies itself for an expected influx of overseas visitors in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The prefecture plans to provide unlimited 4G network service access through 300 smartphones it will make available at five tourist information centers located in Yokohama, Kamakura and Hakone. The testing will be carried out in cooperation with Handy Japan Co. — a smartphone networking company that provides services to around a quarter of the nation's hotels.

Foreign visitors to Kanagawa can check out the smartphones for free for up to three days and will have unlimited access to the internet, free international and domestic calls, and local tourist information available in 15 languages, including English and Chinese.