Getting a prepaid sim card in Japan can be quite simple, however, not many people will consider that as compared to a prepaid sim card and WiFi rental egg. WiFi egg can be shared with many people and sim card cost in Japan is slightly higher and does not guarantee good connectivity. I have used a few different prepaid sim card for my trip to Japan, and here is the compilation of it. There are many sim card available in Japan but the cost can be quite expensive and not very efficient, is good to compare and check on which type of sim card is suitable for you.
What type of device is suitable for you?
- 1 Person: Prepaid Sim Card
- 1~2 Person: Prepaid Sim Card
- 3~4 Person: Pocket-router
- More than 5: Pocket-router
**The above suggestion is for reference, it depends on the individual preference**
What kind of data plan should you choose for your trip?
4 Days or lesser: 500MB
5~ 7 Days: 1GB
7~14 Days: 3GB
14~30 Days: 5GB
30 ~60 Days: 10GB
**The above suggestion is for reference, it depends on the individual preference**
Things to note for prepaid sim card purchase:
- Japan sim card as of now still do not support voice call for short-term stayers
- They do have voice call sim card available but it cost a lot
- Your phone must be SIM LOCK Free, please check with the respective sim card supplier
- All of the devices used in Japan be it prepaid sim card or wifi router, there will be a fair usage policy for speed per day even though the company states unlimited data (Unlimited data does not mean unlimited speed). **Do read the detailed fine prints**
To apply:
Retail store Purchase (eg. Yodobashi, BIC Camera. b-MOBILE etc)
-Passport
-Email address
Online Purchase
-Name (Same as the Individual passport)
-Address
-3 days before reaching Japan (Hokkaido and Okinawa might need longer days)
-Delivery to Airport (Take note of the counter closing hour), hotel, residential, post-office.
B-mobile
Cost + Data plan:
| VISITOR SIM 5GB / 21Days Prepaid | |
|---|---|
| Cost (excl. tax) JPY | 3,223 |
| Data speed | LTE / 3G (Best effort theoretical maximum speed.) |
| Data | 5GB (5,000MB) |
| Validity Period | 21 days or up to 5GB whichever comes first. |
| Network coverage | NTT DOCOMO |
| APN information | APN : bmobile.ne.jp User name : bmobile@4g Password : bmobile Auth type : PAP or CHAP (if available) PDP type : IP (if required) MVNO type : SPN (if available) |
Delivery fee
200JPY (excluding tax)
Check your Compatible devices here.
Where to buy?
Store (Aeon, Bic Camera, Yodobashi)
Collection
Airport, Home (Apartment, Office), Hotel
2 cents opinion:
e-Connect
Cost+ Data:
| Data | 100 MB/day | 500 MB | 1 GB | 3 GB | 5GB | 10GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 7/15/30 Days | 7 Days | 15 Days | 30 days | 30 Days | 60 Days |
| Speed | 128kbps after exceed 100mb/day | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Limit | √ | x | x | x | x | x |
| Cost ( excl. tax ) JPY | 2,680 | 1,980 | 3,180 | 4,980 | 6,880 | 9,180 |
Check your Compatible devices here.
**No delivery fee needed
Where to buy?
Collection
Airport, Home (Apartment, Office), Hotel
Sakura Mobile
Cost+data Plan:
| Data | 3GB | 5GB | 10GB | 30GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 90 Days | 90 Days | 90 Days | 90 Days |
| Speed | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Cost ( excl. tax ) JPY | 3,500 + 50 per day | 4,500 + 50 per day | 7,000+ 50 per day | 20,000 + 50 per day |
Check your Compatible devices here.
Delivery fee
890 JPY (excluding tax)
*Summer sale: 10 May ~ 10 July (Free shipping + 15% Extra data)
Where to buy?
Collection
Airport, Home (Apartment, Office), Hotel
Klook
Source: KLOOK
Cost+data Plan:
| Data | 1GB | 3GB | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 6 Days | 8 Days | 8 Days |
| Speed | Standard | Standard | Standard (no reduction of speed) |
| Cost (JPY) | 1,056 | 2,160 | 3,360 |
Check your Compatible devices here.
IIJ Japan Travel Sim
Cost+data Plan:
| Data | 1.5GB | 3GB |
|---|---|---|
| Validity Period | 30 Days | |
| Data speed | LTE / 3G (Best effort theoretical maximum speed.) | |
| Network coverage | NTT DOCOMO | |
| Cost (incl. tax) JPY | Yodobashi: 1,990 Bic Camera: 1,998 Amazon: 2,280 | Yodobashi: 3,020 Bic Camera: 3,024 Amazon: 3,143 |
Check your Compatible devices here.
Where to buy?
Online (Amazon, Yodobashi, Bic camera)
Airport (convenience store, JALABC Counter)
Store (Bic camera, Yodobashi)
To note:
4G(LTE)(Maximum 788 Mbps downlink/50 Mbps uplink)
*Transmission rate depends on your device.
*3G network is available outside of LTE coverage.
2 cents opinion:
The next best sim card to buy if you arrive Japan late and the collection counter from other service providers are not available (take note of the operating hours for collection at the service providers counters), this is another option to choose from. Cost wise this can be the cheaper choice among the 30 days usage plan for 1.5GB. As the cost of the sim card depends on each individual vendor, therefore, we will have to do a comparison for each shop makes the whole process a little troublesome.
so-net
Cost+data Plan:
| Plan | 1.2G | 2.4G | 3.2G |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIM CARD TYPE | STANDARD SIM、MicroSIM、nanoSIM |
||
| Speed | No limit | ||
| Validity period | 30days | 30days | 60days |
| Data Usage | 1.2GB | 2.4GB | 3.2GB |
| Cost (excl. Tax) JPY | 3,241 | 4,167 | 5,093 |
Check your Compatible devices here.
Where to buy?
Online (Amazon) **Only available in 2GB and 12GB
Airport (Vending Machine, JALABC Counter)
Yodobashi
To know more about the location, click here.
To note:
Connection speed are best effort estimates. They will change depending on connection, devices, network conditions etc.
2 cents opinion:
Get the sim card at the airport or in Japan, as the online purchase only have 2 choices, however, from Amazon the 2GB sim card cost the least among the others. The so-net was actually known for its great speed and stability as compared with other brands which might be the reason for the price to be slightly higher than the others,
Overall:
With so many telecommunication service provider to choose from, personally, it still comes down to your preference to see which plan suits your need and budget. For me, I will choose a plan with 1.2GB ~2.4 GB, it’s good enough for a 2 weeks trip, if you love to upload photos and video to your social media. Otherwise, for the speed most of the service provider are standard and once you hit a certain usage or at an area where a lot of people are using it the speed will start to slow down. Do note that sometimes when you are on a train going through a tunnel there might not be connection available.
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