eSIMion

Japan eSIM

Pick a Japan data plan below — it arrives by email with a tap-to-install link and a QR code. There is no app to download and your home SIM stays untouched.

eSIM plans for Japan

10 plan sizes are available for Japan, from light plans for a weekend to bigger plans for a long stay. Every plan is prepaid. No subscription and no surprise bill.

Data Validity
0.49 GB 7 days
1 GB 7 days
2 GB 15 days
3 GB 30 days
5 GB 30 days
10 GB 30 days
20 GB 30 days
Unlimited 3 days
Unlimited 5 days
Unlimited 7 days

Using mobile data in Japan

Your eSIM connects to a local network in Japan, so maps, messages, rides, and translation work like they do at home. Data roaming must be switched on for the eSIM line. That is normal for travel eSIMs and it does not cost extra.

Networks in most of Asia are fast and data is cheap by global standards. An eSIM saves you the airport SIM counter line after a long flight.

Mobile networks in Japan

Every eSIMion plan for Japan carries both SoftBank and KDDI, which trades as au. There is no version of the plan that gives you only one.

Japan has three large carriers and one newer challenger. NTT Docomo is the biggest, at roughly 91.9 million subscriptions as of September 2025, followed by KDDI at about 71.5 million and SoftBank at about 56.4 million. Rakuten Mobile is the newest and much smaller.

These plans use the second and third largest, and on the measured numbers that is the strong half of the market. Opensignal's April 2026 Japan report gave SoftBank the Download Speed Experience award and the Time on 5G award at 27.4%. It gave au both Consistent Quality at 88.3% and Reliability Experience at 967 points on a 1000 point scale, a fourth consecutive win. Ookla measured SoftBank's median download at 62.05 Mbps across all network types in the third quarter of 2025, with au at 57.85 Mbps, and SoftBank's median 5G download at 127.45 Mbps.

Where Docomo wins is reach, and it is worth knowing that before you book a rural trip. Docomo has the strongest signal in mountainous areas, on remote islands and along rural rail lines. SoftBank and au are the faster and more reliable networks in the places most visitors actually go.

Travel eSIMs on the SoftBank network →

Travel eSIMs on the KDDI network →

Japan has no 3G left at all

NTT Docomo shut down FOMA, its 3G service, on 31 March 2026. KDDI closed its 3G network on 31 March 2022 and SoftBank closed on 15 April 2024. Japan is now a 4G and 5G country with no fallback layer of any kind.

For a visitor that means one thing. A phone that can only reach 3G gets no service in Japan, not slow service. If your handset is more than about ten years old, check it before you fly rather than at the airport.

Coverage on the Shinkansen and in the metro

Both networks hold a signal on the Shinkansen between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, with short drops in tunnels. Tokyo's subway has coverage underground, so live transit directions keep working between stations.

The interior of Hokkaido, the Kumano Kodo trail, mountain onsen towns and the smaller southern islands are where coverage genuinely thins. Download offline maps before a day hike.

Apps that carry a Japan trip

LINE is the default messaging app in Japan and runs on data. A camera translation app earns its place at every menu and every ticket machine.

Suica and the other IC transit cards live in your phone wallet and top up over data, which is one more reason to keep the eSIM line healthy rather than hunting for Wi-Fi.

Good to know

Power: Types A and B, 100 V

Currency: Japanese yen (JPY)

Languages: Japanese

Pricing for your Japan trip

The cost depends on your dates and how much data you need. Send your itinerary to trips@get.esimion.com and we price four options against the plans available for Japan that day.

Plans for Japan run from 0.49 GB up to 20 GB, and there is an unlimited option. Validity runs from 3 to 30 days, so a weekend and a long stay are both covered. Visiting more countries than Japan? The Asia regional eSIM covers the area on one plan.

See how pricing works →

How to get it

The fastest way is email. Forward your flight or hotel confirmation to trips@get.esimion.com and we reply with four plan tiers for your exact dates in Japan, each with current pricing. Best Coverage, Best Value, Lowest Price, and Global Simplicity. You pick what matters most.

Or buy directly from this page. Current prices show at checkout. Either way the eSIM lands in your inbox and installs with one tap or a QR scan.

If you run low during the trip, email us and say "top up." We send a one-click link for more data.

First trip with an eSIM? Check your phone →

Related destinations

The fastest way to buy: forward your trip email and we reply with four plan tiers matched to your dates.

trips@get.esimion.com

How pricing works →

Sources: Opensignal Japan Mobile Network Experience Report April 2026, data collected 1 January to 31 March 2026. Ookla Speedtest Intelligence third quarter 2025. Carrier subscriber disclosures for the quarter ending September 2025. Carrier 3G closure announcements.