Your Japan SIM Card Guide
Japan SIM cards – Probably one of the most talked about topics on social media and travel forums from first time visitors to Japan. If you have a trip to Japan lined up (which i’m guessing you have otherwise why would you be here?) you have probably seen it already… multiple posts from newbies asking –
Will my phone work in Japan?
How do I get a SIM card for Japan?
Can I make calls in Japan?
Do I buy a SIM Card at the Airport?
What’s the best SIM Card for Japan?
Pocket WiFi or SIM Card?
Can anyone recommend a SIM Card for Japan?
The above questions then get answered with a flood of responses from experienced travelers to Japan offering their expertise and recommendations on what they feel is SIMply the best SIM Card for Japan – see what I did there?
Some of the answers are reliable and after all what is better than a real life recommendation off real life visitors to Japan? But, some answers really make me want to tear my hair out. Like the example below which was asked on a popular Travel Planning group on Facebook…
Question:
Hi, a friend of mine told me if I buy a sim card in Japan I can’t make calls, please enlighten me on this matter. Is SIM card only good for internet use, how can I make calls? Thank you in advance 😊
Answer:
As a tourist you can’t get voice call plans, only data plans.
You can use apps like Viber, WhatsApp, and Messenger to make phone voice calls to people who have these apps
WRONG!
As a tourist you ABSOLUTELY CAN CAN CAN get voice call plans for Japan! More on how later. Rant Over.
Even with the use of Facebook groups and Japan travel forums finding the perfect SIM card for Japan can be time consuming. There are still multiple options available and you might find yourself asking the following questions – How much data do I need, do I really need unlimited data? Is 3GB of data going to be enough? What if I need to make a call?
We will explore all the options available for tourists below.
Short-term Japan SIM Cards for Tourists
If you are traveling to Japan for up to 30 days and you are one of those people who just has to update their social media with photos several times a day, or even if you just like to check your emails every now and again then we have the perfect SIM cards for you. We have plans suitable for light, medium and heavy data users.
Even if you aren’t a tourist and you are looking to move to Japan to work or study we have covered all your options.
All the Japanese SIM Cards we mention on this page can be delivered to your home address for free – giving you peace of mind that you are armed with your SIM card for when you land in Japan. Or, if you are that person who leaves everything until the last minute and have left it too late for home delivery then don’t despair! All of our SIM Cards can be collected at the airport – also free of charge! You can find out more about our airport collection service here.
And guess what…Here you will find a Japanese SIM card with a voice plan! See, I told you they existed!
| Product | Voice Enabled | Data Included | Duration | Price | Estimate in USD | Coverage | Free Shipping | Free Pick-Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Unlimited | 31 Days | JPY ¥7,490 | USD $48 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | Unlimited | 16 Days | JPY ¥5,990 | USD $38 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | Unlimited | 8 Days | JPY ¥3,990 | USD $25 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | Unlimited | From 30 Days | From JPY ¥7,500 | USD $48 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | Unlimited | 21 Days | JPY ¥6,980 | USD $44 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | Unlimited | 12 Days | JPY ¥4,980 | USD $32 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | Unlimited | 5 Days | JPY ¥3,480 | USD $22 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | 3GB | Up to 14 days | JPY ¥4,480 | USD $29 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | 7GB | Up to 30 days | JPY ¥4,980 | USD $32 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | 8GB | 8 Days | JPY ¥3,480 | USD $22 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | 16GB | 16 Days | JPY ¥5,480 | USD $35 | Japan | Learn More | |||
 | 31GB | 31 Days | JPY ¥6,980 | USD $44 | Japan | Learn More |
But Wait! I’m Moving to Japan!
Don’t panic! We have options for the long term visitors to Japan too – whether you are moving to Japan to start work or study we have you covered. Ongoing plans are available and you don’t have to sign up to long contracts, speak Japanese or need a Japanese bank account to get your hands on one.
The Mobal Voice+Data SIM card is perfect for a long-term visitor to Japan – you can enroll on to an ongoing plan and cancel any time you like – there is no contract or hefty termination fees. The bonus of this SIM Card is that you will also get a Real Japanese phone number – great for opening a bank account, calling back home or if you need to phone your landlord.
Check out the range of Plans available for long-term visitors to Japan below –
| Product | Voice Enabled | Data Included | Duration | Price | Estimate in USD | Coverage | Free Shipping | Free Pick-Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | Ongoing | From JPY ¥4,500 per month | USD $29 | Japan | Learn More | |||
| Voice-Only | Ongoing | From JPY ¥1,000 per month | USD $6 | Japan | Learn More |
How Much Data Do I Need?
How much data does Instagram or Facebook use? Will watching Netflix the entire weekend use up all your monthly data allowance? Does uploading photos and videos eat up a greater portion of your data than downloading e-books and games? How much data will you need for your trip to Japan?
You can find all the answers to the above questions on our blog post here and below is a quick rundown on what is classed as a light, medium and heavy data user.
Light Data Users:
A light user, will sound a bit like this…
You like to check your email daily and download it direct to your phone using an email client such as gmail.
You like to spend some time browsing the web, but no more than an hour or so a day.
You occasionally use your mobile for chatting online on apps such as WhatsApp.
You check your Facebook or Twitter online reasonably often through out the day.
Here are some Japan SIM Cards suitable for light data users
| Product | Data Included | Duration | Price | Estimate in USD | Coverage | Free Shipping | Free Pick-Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3GB | Up to 14 days | JPY ¥4,480 | USD $29 | Japan | Learn More |
Medium Data Users:
A medium user, will sound a bit like this…
You like to check your email daily and download it direct to your phone using an email client such as gmail.
You like to spend quite a lot of time browsing the web, even downloading a few games or apps.
You like to watch videos on online streaming sites such as YouTube every so often.
You use your mobile for chatting online on apps such as WhatsApp.
You check your Facebook or Twitter online quite often through out the day.
Here are some Japan SIM Cards suitable for medium data users
| Product | Data Included | Duration | Price | Estimate in USD | Coverage | Free Shipping | Free Pick-Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7GB | Up to 30 days | JPY ¥4,980 | USD $32 | Japan | Learn More | ||
| 8GB | 8 Days | JPY ¥3,480 | USD $22 | Japan | Learn More | ||
| 16GB | 16 Days | JPY ¥5,480 | USD $35 | Japan | Learn More | ||
| 31GB | 31 Days | JPY ¥6,980 | USD $44 | Japan | Learn More |
Heavy Data Users:
A heavy user, will sound a bit like this…
You like to send and receive emails several times a day, often containing attachments.
You like to spend a lot of time browsing the web, even downloading games and apps.
You like to watch videos on online streaming sites such as YouTube several times a week.
You also make use of music streaming services, such as Spotify or Apple Music.
You use your mobile for chatting online on apps such as WhatsApp throughout the day.
You check your Facebook or Twitter online often through out the day.
You may rely on your mobile internet for work.
Here are some Japan SIM Cards suitable for heavy data users
| Product | Data Included | Duration | Price | Estimate in USD | Coverage | Free Shipping | Free Pick-Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | 21 Days | JPY ¥6,980 | USD $44 | Japan | Learn More | ||
| Unlimited | 12 Days | JPY ¥4,980 | USD $32 | Japan | Learn More | ||
| Unlimited | 5 Days | JPY ¥3,480 | USD $22 | Japan | Learn More |
Japan SIM Card FAQ’s
Can I buy the above Japan SIM cards in a shop?
Unfortunately not. We don’t have any stores in Japan.
Can I top up the Japan SIM Card with data?
On many of the SIM cards this is not an option – there is no way of topping up the SIM cards with extra data. The only exception is with the Mobal Voice and Data SIM where you can add extra data through your online account.
Will the Japan SIM Card work in my phone?
Our SIM Cards work in any unlocked device – iPhone/iPad; Android; Windows; tablets or MiFis. Your device must also support the 3G Band 1 (2100MHz) or 4G Band 1 (2100MHz) frequency.
