Asia eSIM · JP
Japan 日本
Tokyo streets, Kyoto temples, bullet trains to Hokkaido — stay online from the moment you land at Haneda.
At a glance
- Top carrier
- NTT Docomo
- Network
- 4G · 5G
- Coverage
- 99%
- Activation
- < 60 sec
- Best season
- Late March to early May (cherry blossom); October to mid-November (autumn colour).
Every Japan plan, one table.
All plans run on NTT Docomo 5G. Hotspot tethering is included on every tier. Top up any plan from your account in under a minute.
1 GB
Short city break
Validity
7 days
Network
5G
Price
$1.99
7 days
3 GB
Weekend in Tokyo
Validity
7 days
Network
5G
Price
$2.99
7 days
5 GB
Two-week standard trip
Validity
15 days
Network
5G
Price
$3.99
15 days
10 GB
Remote work + sightseeing
Validity
15 days
Network
5G
Price
$6.99
15 days
20 GB
Long trip with tethering
Validity
30 days
Network
5G
Price
$12.99
30 days
Unlimited
Heavy streamers
Validity
7 days
Network
5G
Price
$19.99
7 days
Unlimited
Video, hotspot, no limits
Validity
15 days
Network
5G
Price
$29.99
15 days
Unlimited
Nomad month in Japan
Validity
30 days
Network
5G
Price
$49.99
30 days
Why Japan is different
"Japan is the only Tier-1 market where short-term visitors cannot legally purchase a prepaid SIM without residency. An eSIM is the only frictionless option."
Japan is one of the few Tier-1 destinations where short-term visitors legally cannot buy a prepaid SIM without a residency card. Airport booths sell data-only tourist SIMs at markups of 200–400% over wholesale, and most require an address in Japan to activate. An eSIM bought before departure sidesteps all of it: you scan a QR at home, land, toggle the profile, and you're on Docomo 5G before you reach passport control.
Our Japan plans run on NTT Docomo and SoftBank — the two carriers with the best rural and bullet-train coverage. Both offer genuine 5G in all major cities and full 4G across the entire national rail network, including the Shinkansen routes north to Hokkaido and south-west to Kyushu.
If you are travelling the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage route, the temple trail itself has surprisingly patchy Docomo coverage between temples 37 and 45 in the Kochi mountains. Our Japan Pilgrimage pack adds SoftBank as a secondary profile specifically to fill those gaps.
Coverage you can actually measure.
We run Japan on 2 carriers so your profile falls back automatically if one signal drops. Coverage figures are measured against our own uptime data, not carrier marketing claims.
NTT Docomo
4G · 5G
Best rural and Shinkansen coverage. Full 5G in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Nagoya.
SoftBank
4G · 5G
Strong urban density, fallback for Shikoku mountain regions.
Activation in under sixty seconds.
The exact same flow our own team uses. Screenshots in the full guide.
- 01
Open Settings → Cellular
Tap "Add eSIM", then "Use QR Code".
- 02
Scan the QR from your confirmation email
You can scan directly from another screen. Use the Japan eSIM label when prompted.
- 03
Set as your travel line
Set the Japan eSIM as your secondary line. Keep your home SIM as primary so iMessage and WhatsApp stay on your regular number.
- 04
Toggle Data Roaming ON for the Japan line only
Data Roaming must be ON for the eSIM profile. Leave your home line's Data Roaming OFF to avoid carrier fees.
- 05
Switch cellular data to the Japan line on landing
The profile connects to NTT Docomo automatically. First connection takes 30–90 seconds.
Troubleshooting
- No service on landing: toggle airplane mode twice. Docomo registration typically takes 60 seconds.
- "Invalid SIM" on Pixel: update to the latest Android security patch — Pixel 6 devices on patches older than March 2024 have a known eSIM registration bug.
- Shinkansen dead zones: tunnels north of Nagano have no coverage on any Japanese carrier. This is expected.
- Data-only plans do not include voice or SMS. Use WhatsApp or FaceTime for calls.
Who Japan eSIM is built for.
First-time traveller
Skip the SIM registration hurdle and the ¥4,000 airport markup. Land connected, open Google Maps immediately.
Rail pass rider
Full 4G across every Shinkansen route. Work on the train, navigate station transfers, tether when needed.
Shikoku pilgrim
Dual-carrier fallback covers the mountain temple trail where single-network plans drop out.
Travel facts
- Currency
- JPY (¥)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Timezone
- JST · UTC+9
- Plug
- Type A / Type B
- Voltage
- 100 V · 50/60 Hz
- Visa
- Visa-free for 90 days — 68 countries including EU, UK, US, AU, CA.
Questions people actually ask.
- No. Japanese SIM registration rules apply to physical SIMs sold inside Japan. An eSIM purchased from outside Japan uses international roaming agreements and does not require local registration.
More about Japan
More ways to use a Japan eSIM.
Head-to-head
Japan vs South Korea
Two of Asia's most strict-SIM markets, head-to-head. Both need an eSIM. The differences are in coverage and cost.
Open
Built for
eSIM for international travellers
Two-week holidays, long weekends, first-time international trips — the default eSIM buyer.
Open
Built for
eSIM for digital nomads
Month-long stays, hotspot to laptop all day, WhatsApp groups across four timezones.
Open
Built for
eSIM for business travellers
Short trips, invoice billing, video calls from taxis, hotspot the laptop in hotel rooms.
Open
Built for
eSIM for international students
Year-long study abroad, local bank setups, laptop-heavy campus life.
Open
Built for
eSIM for expats
You live abroad but your home country is still your backup SIM.
Open
Built for
eSIM for remote workers
You work from the road but your employer still expects you in meetings at 9am sharp.
Open
How-to
Japan eSIM setup guide
iPhone and Android step-by-step with country-specific troubleshooting.
Open
Pilgrimage pack
Buddhist Trail
Bodhgaya to Kyoto to Kandy. Multi-country Buddhist pilgrimage on one regional plan.
Open