Patrick Balfe

There are lots of different eSIMs for Japan, but only a few cater to heavy data users. If you’re a digital nomad, business traveler, or just love data, you might be looking for options with flexibility in terms of data limits. Here, we test and compare 100GB, semi-unlimited, and truly unlimited Japan eSIMs, so that you can see which works best for you. We also have a more general overview of eSIMs for tourists and short-term visitors to Japan, where we look at a broad range of different plans. Quick comparison Here's an overview of the different eSIMs with big or unlimited data plans. Brand Plan Avg. Speed ▼ /▲ Mbps Price 31 days100GB 104.3 ▼ 11.14▲ (/GB). See plans. 16 or 31 days100GB 24.76 ▼ 18.55 ▲ - (-/GB). See plans. 1-30 days1-100GB 20.11 ▼ 9.35 ▲ (/GB). 3-30 days0.5-2GB/day 38.27 ▼ 11.16 ▲ -. See plans. 5-30 days2-5GB/day 54.4 ▼ 9.22 ▲ -. 7-30 days4GB/day 67.65 ▼ 11.84 ▲ -. 7-30 daysUnlimited 67.54 ▼ 9.7 ▲ -. 7-30 daysUnlimited 90.23 ▼ 5.14 ▲ -. 100GB eSIM plans for Japan These are some of the big players that we thought were reasonable, price and speed wise. RakuRaku eSIM for Japan: Super-fast speeds on a reliable network Provided by Wireless Gate, a Japan-based mobile virtual network provider (MVNO), RakuRaku’s eSIM scored the highest in our speed tests with an average download speed of 104Mbps. Since we liked what we saw, we negotiated a special discount -- enter the code "cheapo" for 10% off when you order. What happens when you run out of data? If you reach your 100GB data limit, you’ll still have access to the internet, but your speeds will be throttled to a rather sluggish 200Kbps. One thing to note is that the 31-day period begins from installation, so you’ll want to wait until you’re physically in Japan to activate your eSIM. Note: This eSIM theoretically supports tethering, but compatibility may depend on the model of your phone. Mobal Japan Tourist eSIM: Good all-round option from a local provider Another reliable 100GB, 31-day option is Mobal. Also running on the Docomo network, Mobal didn’t score quite as highly on our speed tests but clocked in at a fairly steady 24.76Mbps. This is enough speed for things like maps, social media, data calls, and high-definition video streaming, but you may experience some lag with Zoom calls that have a large amount of participants. In case you also want the option of voice calls, voice + data plans are available with 7GB of data per month on 30 to 90-day plans. The Mobal website is easy to use and more transparent than some other providers, and if you’re a philanthropically minded traveler, a portion of the company’s profits is donated to charity. What happens when you run out of data? Mobal’s 100GB eSIMs will also run at 200Kbps once you reach your data limit. Your 31-day usage period starts when you connect to the local Docomo network. B-Mobile Visitor eSIM for Japan: Flexibility depending on your stay The appeal of the B-Mobile eSIM for Japan is the ability to customize your plan. With options ranging from 1 to 30 days and 1GB to 100GB, users can tailor their length of validity and total data. While the maximum combination of 30 days and 100GB is more expensive than similar plans, their mid-range plans are reasonably priced. 5G is offered where available. The usage period begins on the date you specify when customizing your eSIM, and you’ll receive your eSIM on or before this date. What this means is that although cancellations and returns aren’t possible with most other companies, B-Mobile offers the option to cancel your eSIM up to two days before the date you specify. What happens when you run out of data? The service will stop if you reach your data limit, but they do offer the option to add extra days or data if required. Unlimited eSIMs with daily data caps These are what we call "somelimited" plans -- they are unlimited, with limits. eSIM Japan Unlimited Data: Flexible options for shorter trips Roaming on the nationwide 4G/LTE KDDI network (read: reliable), eSIM Japan’s Unlimited Data plans have daily caps ranging from Lite (0.5GB) to Basic (1GB) and Pro (2GB). The Lite plan has 3 to 12-day options, while the Basic and Pro plans are available from 3 to 30 days. Your plan starts once you connect to the local network, and daily usage resets at midnight. In terms of coverage, at the time of writing, the Unlimited Data plans had 4.99 stars from 1,693 ratings on their website, with most users pointing to stable connectivity. Granted, it may not be unbiased, but it's still strong. What happens when you run out of data? On all of the Lite, Basic and Pro plans, you’ll still have access to the internet with a download speed of 384Kbps once your daily limit is reached. Maya Mobile Japan Unlimited: Economical price points and high data limits A good all-round “somelimited” plan for those after a combination of high daily data limits, cost performance, and speed. Running on the KDDI 4G/LTE network, Maya averages 54.40Mbps download speeds until you reach your daily cap. Daily caps vary with each plan, from 2GB per day to a very nice 5GB per day. Plans run from 5 to 30 days. You’ll need to set up an account to receive your eSIM, but you can use it to add more data, and the registration process is quick and easy. Compared to other providers, Maya had exceoptionally high trust ratings. At the time of writing, Maya had 4.7 stars from 4,830 reviews on Trustpilot, with most users mentioning ease of set-up and use. What happens when you run out of data? Maya Mobile’s speeds drop down to 1Mbps after your cap is reached, which is sufficient for maps, basic browsing, and audio streaming. You’ll probably experience a lot of buffering on even low-resolution video streaming, though. eTravelSim International Travel eSIM for Japan Unlimited: High speeds and value for money If you don’t mind the long name and 4GB-per-day cap, eTravelSim is a great overall bang-for-your-buck “somelimited” option -- whether you buy for 7, 15, or 30 days. It averaged a strong 67.65Mbps on the local Docomo network. Although the unlimited plans don’t offer tethering capability, they do offer a reasonable price per gig regardless of your trip length. What happens when you run out of data? You can expect to continue receiving 2 to 3Mbps speeds after reaching your daily 4GB limit. This will allow you to do most things on your phone, including decent-quality video calls and standard-definition video streaming. Truly unlimited eSIMs for Japan Not willing to risk running out of data? Here are two unlimited plans with no daily data limits. Yoho Mobile Japan eSIM Unlimited: Good-value truly unlimited plan With no daily data caps, and the option to tether, the Yoho Mobile Japan eSIM checks a lot of boxes for nomad-types and other high data users. Featuring unlimited 7, 15, and 30-day options, Yoho scored fairly well on our speed tests with 67.54Mbps download speeds. Despite the relatively no-frills website (and needy chatbot), Yoho comes highly recommended on Trustpilot, particularly for their customer service. Depending on your daily data usage, the shorter 7 and 15-day plans may be priced a little higher than some of the above “somelimited” plans, but the 30-day plan is very economical. Yesim eSIM Japan Unlimited: High speeds and added extras Yoho’s main contender in the unlimited data realm, Yesim also offers truly unlimited 7, 15, and 30-day plans. While their price points might be higher than Yoho’s, Yesim ranked second-highest in our speed tests, with a blistering average 90.23Mbps on the KDDI network. If you also factor in VPN capability (for iOS), 5G (where available in Japan), smooth installation, and great user ratings, Yesim is a good all-round option for those with a slightly higher budget. Note: eSIM companies offering truly unlimited data plans are ultimately bound by the fair-use policy (FUP) of their network providers (Docomo, KDDI, etc). Although there are no daily data limits, providers may opt to institute their FUP by throttling your internet speeds until the next day, if they deem that your data usage has been excessive. How did we test these eSIMs? Let's start with a big fat disclaimer: Testing eSIMs is inherently difficult, due to transient network conditions. You can test the same connection, on the same phone, in the same place, twice in a five-minute interval and get two completely different results for speed and latency. So take everything with a grain of salt. RakuRaku, B-Mobile, Maya, eTravelSim, Yoho and Yesim We tested these six eSIMs across two days, in separate locations, using the Ookla speed test app. We assessed the download and upload speeds, as well as latency. The first six tests were conducted in Setagaya, using the same test server for each test. The following 12 tests were done in two separate central Tokyo locations (Shibuya and Shinjuku) on the same server as the previous day. We then averaged the results across the three tests for each eSIM. As part of the tests, we checked videos on YouTube to assess streaming capabilities, and also made brief video calls to look for lag. Mobal and eSimJapan We carried these results over from our previous tests. While we do our best to ensure everything is correct, information is subject to change. Prices are approximate.

Patrick Balfe

Japan eSIMs With Unlimited or Nearly Unlimited Data