Kantō
Tokyo
Thirteen million people and a rail network that somehow copes. Transit routing is essential rather than convenient, and most restaurant booking now runs through apps.
Japan eSIM
Land in Japan already connected
Order before you fly and your eSIM is waiting in your inbox. Scan the QR code, step off the plane at Haneda, Narita or Kansai, and your phone finds a Japanese network on its own — no pocket Wi-Fi to collect, and nothing to hand back at the end.
Better than renting a pocket Wi-Fi
The usual advice for Japan is to rent a mobile hotspot at the airport. An eSIM does the same job without the collection desk, the deposit, the second battery to charge every night, or the queue to hand it back when you're already late for your flight. It runs on KDDI and SoftBank, so coverage is excellent almost everywhere.
JapanKDDI (au)SoftBank
Japan plans
Pick the length of your trip
Every plan below covers Japan. Choose the number of days you're away — the price is fixed, you pay once, and nothing renews afterwards.
Where to go
Long, narrow, and mostly mountain
The Shinkansen makes it feel small. It isn't — Tokyo to Okinawa is further than London to Athens.
Kansai
Kyoto, Osaka & Nara
Temples, the best street food in the country and deer that have learned to bow. Several Kyoto temples cap visitor numbers and sell timed slots.
Chūbu
The Japanese Alps
Takayama, Shirakawa-gō's thatched farmhouses and the Kamikōchi valley. Bus timetables here are seasonal and the mountain roads close in winter.
Hokkaidō
The north
Powder snow, hot springs and a summer that's actually bearable. Far enough north that it feels like a different country.
Kyūshū
The south west
Volcanoes, onsen towns like Beppu, and Nagasaki. Warmer, quieter and much less visited by first-timers.
Okinawa
The islands
Subtropical beaches, a distinct Ryūkyū culture and the best diving in Japan. Closer to Taipei than to Tokyo.
On the ground
What you'll actually use it for
Getting around
Japanese rail routing is genuinely complex — multiple private operators, limited expresses, reserved and unreserved cars. A live routing app is close to essential.
Reading the menu
Camera translation on a Japanese menu or a ticket machine is the single most useful thing data does here, and vending machines and station signage are no different.
Staying in touch
WhatsApp, FaceTime and Signal all run over data, so calls home cost nothing beyond the plan you've already paid for.
Backing up photos
Let a fortnight of pictures sync as you travel rather than praying your phone survives the trip home. This is the one that eats data, so save it for the evening.
When plans go wrong
A cancelled train, a closed road or a hotel that can't find your booking. All of it is easier to fix with a working connection than without one.
How it works
Set it up before you leave home
The whole thing takes about as long as printing a boarding pass, and it's far easier done on your own Wi-Fi than in an airport queue.
1
Choose your dates
Pick the plan that matches how long you're in Japan.
2
Scan the QR code
It arrives by email as soon as you pay. Open your phone's mobile settings, add an eSIM, scan — done in under a minute, over Wi-Fi at home.
3
Switch it on in Japan
Your plan starts when the eSIM first finds a network in Japan, not when you bought it. Turn roaming off on your UK line and you're set.
FAQs
Before you book
Which networks does a Japan eSIM use?
Our Japan plans roam onto KDDI (au) and SoftBank, two of Japan's three major networks. Japanese coverage is excellent by any standard, including through most of the Shinkansen route and the metro systems.
Is this better than renting pocket Wi-Fi?
For most people, yes. No collection desk on arrival, no deposit, no extra device to charge every night, and nothing to post back or queue to return. The one advantage of a hotspot is sharing it across several devices or a group.
What does “unlimited” actually mean?
You get 1GB of full-speed data every day. After that the connection carries on at a reduced 256kbps for the rest of that day, then resets the next morning. There's no hard cut-off and no overage charge, so you can't run up a bill.
What lengths can I buy?
Nine, from a single day up to 30 — including 2, 4 and 14-day options, which is unusually granular and useful if your trip doesn't fall on a neat week.
Isn't roaming with my UK network easier?
Easier, sometimes. Cheaper, almost never. Japan sits outside most UK networks' inclusive roaming zones, so you're usually looking at a daily charge or per-megabyte rates that add up fast. Check your provider's rate for Japan before you travel and compare it with a fixed one-off price.
Can I keep my UK number?
Yes. The eSIM runs alongside your existing SIM, so calls and texts still arrive on your UK number while your data goes over the local networks. Turn data roaming off on your UK line so nothing lands on your normal bill.
How much data do I need for a week?
For maps, messaging, translation and social media, most travellers use somewhere between 500MB and 1GB a day. These plans give you 1GB a day at full speed, which comfortably covers normal sightseeing. Streaming video or tethering a laptop will get through it faster.
Will it work on the Shinkansen and the metro?
Yes. Coverage follows the Shinkansen route and reaches the metro systems in Tokyo, Osaka and the other big cities. Expect brief drops in the longer tunnels, as a local SIM would. Most Shinkansen services carry their own Wi-Fi too.
Do I get a Japanese phone number?
No, these are data-only plans. That covers maps, email, messaging and calls through WhatsApp, FaceTime or Signal. If you need a number that takes ordinary calls and texts, keep your UK SIM active alongside the eSIM.
More destinations
Where else are you going?
Other destinations travellers pair with this one.
Yoi tabi o
Sort your connection tonight and forget about it. One scan now, and Japan is just somewhere your phone already works.