Wondering what your Japanese SIM card options are? There is a huge range of prepaid and contract SIMs to choose from, but figuring out which one(s) will work best for you can be tricky—especially since much of the info is in Japanese (or questionable Engrish). To make things simpler, we’ve put together this quick read on the Japanese SIM cards that offer the best bang for your buck (or zen for your yen, rather).
Short-term use: Prepaid Japanese SIM cards
If you’re winging into Tokyo (or any part of Japan, really) for a spot of sightseeing or perhaps a student exchange or business trip that’s under three months, you’ll want a nice and easy, cheapo-friendly prepaid Japanese SIM card. You can go directly through Japan’s telco giants, SoftBank and NTT DoCoMo, but buying a SIM card from one of the many Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), who piggyback on the big networks, is preferable, as they offer some serious savings.
Pro tip: A provider called Mobal offer perhaps the best deal by far—and unlike many other short-term Japanese SIM cards, they give you access to voice in addition to data (the rest are data-only). They have 30-, 60- and 90-day packages with 7GB of fast data, and they offer full English support. They also have free worldwide shipping, so you can get your Japanese SIM sorted before you touch down. You can arrange airport pickup at Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Fukuoka, Sendai, Nagoya and even Singapore if you prefer. You can also collect them in downtown Tokyo or Osaka. Plus, the profits go to charity.
For a comprehensive guide to short-term Japanese SIM cards for travelers, see our article on Prepaid SIM Card Options in Japan.
Long-term use: Contract Japanese SIM cards
If you’re going to be in Japan for more than three months, it’s a good idea to take out a SIM contract, as you’ll get a rate that allows you to save some yen in the long run. Again, a good bet is an MVNO like Mobal—they offer an ongoing service in addition to their short-term options. They also offer long-term eSIMs.
Also, if you’re looking to find an easy way to pay your bill, Mobal have you covered with the Mobalpay credit card. This prepaid card is supported by Mastercard, and can be used for online and physical payments.
With most providers, there’s a fair bit of fine print to watch out for; you’ll need to brace yourself for activation and possibly also cancellation fees, and make sure that the payment method works for you (credit card, convenience store or other). For a full breakdown of your long-term Japan data SIM card options, see our post Japan’s Data and Voice SIM Providers Compared.
Pro tip: If you have an old Japanese phone that’s locked, this home unlocking hack might help.
I’m not sure I want a Japanese SIM card: Using wifi instead
If you want to go the wifi route, we recommend renting a cheap mobile router for simple, always-on connectivity. Zoom across to our post on Renting a Wifi Router to see what your options are for short and long-term pocket connectivity.
If you’re in a rush, skip all of that and simply grab a router from Ninja Wifi. We like them, because they give our awesome readers a 20% discount.
Information is subject to change. This post is regularly updated. Last update: June, 2021.
