If you will be in Japan for several months it’s good to have a cheap and reliable long-term mobile plan to keep in touch with friends and family at home.
Japanese operators are known for their strict regulations and red tape.
Luckily a new wave of virtual operators has entered the scene.
Gone are the days of 2-year lock-ins and loads of hidden charges. You can now subscribe to flexible plans you can cancel whenever you want. You can pay with foreign credit cards and speak with an English-speaking support agent if you have questions or experience problems.
SIM cards for long-term stays in Japan
Long-term is generally seen as longer than 3 months. If you are in the country for less than 3 months, you can find SIM cards with a fixed term tailored to your travel period. They will automatically disconnect at the end of their term and you don’t need to take any action to cancel your contract.
For periods longer than 3 months you can opt for one of these long-term SIMs specifically on the market for foreigners. (most also have English-speaking support)
Data-Only Plans vs Data+Voice Plans
Before you enter into a contract, you will first have to decide whether you only want to have access to data or also want a local phone number. A second question is whether you need that Japanese phone number only to send/receive SMS or if you will also be making/receiving phone calls.
You only need data: You can opt for a data-only plan where you get a monthly amount of data. Be sure to compare this with the prepaid plans. If you will only use the data occasionally these can be the better choice.
You will be texting but not calling: With the rise of messaging apps like WhatsApp, the use of SMS for regular communication has decreased significantly. However, it still remains relevant for specific purposes such as two-step authentication or verifying a phone number when installing a new application. If this applies to you you can opt for a data SIM with SMS functionalities.
You need voice+text+data: If you answered yes to all three then you need a voice+data plan.
Data+Voice Plans
These are the plans on the market that are specifically tailored to foreigners. Except for IIJmio, they all come with English support.
Below we provide more information about the different operators and discuss the plans in more detail. The more info link takes you to the details of the plan.
Data+Voice Plans
| Network | Minimum Contract | Speed | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobal | Softbank |
No |
4G (LTE) |
$$+ | ||
| Sakura Mobile | NTT Docomo |
3 months |
4G (LTE) |
$$$$ | ||
| GTN Mobile | Y!Mobile (Softbank) |
No |
5G |
$$ | ||
| IIJMio | NTT Docomo or AU by KDDI |
2 months |
5G |
$ |
Data-Only Plans
As we said above, these data-only plans are not necessarily the best solution.
They come with a fixed amount of data per month. If it is too little, you will be forced to purchase additional data. This is usually possible but sometimes expensive. If you do not use your data, you will lose it at the end of the month. (Sakura Mobile used to carry over data to the next month but stopped doing so with their new plans)
There is a much wider range of prepaid SIM cards. Unless you need to be able to text, which is possible with IIJmio’s data-only+SMS plan, it is worth taking a look at the prepaid plans as well.
Below we provide more information about the different operators and discuss the plans in more detail. The more info link takes you to the details of the plan.
Data-Only Plans
| Network | English Support | SMS possible | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sakura Mobile | NTT Docomo |
Yes |
No |
$$$ | ||
| GTN Mobile | Y!Mobile (Softbank) |
Yes |
No |
|||
| IIJmio | NTT Docomo |
No |
Yes |
$ |
Some important notes about the above table:
- GTN: This is a prepaid data SIM card with either 50GB for 30 days or 135GB for 90 days
- IIJmio: For an extra fee you can add a telephone number that can be used for texting
- All operators allow tethering (internet sharing), sometimes limited to 10 users
The Operators
Mobal
Mobal specializes in communication solutions for international travelers visiting Japan.
It’s an American/Japanese company, with offices located in New York and the UK. This allows them to provide English support to customers who require assistance.
Whether you are planning a short-term or long-term stay, Mobal offers various options for data-only or data+voice services.
They have a good website with comprehensive information about their offerings, it’s easy to find the solution you need.
One of the standout features of Mobal is their responsiveness and customer service. When I reached out to them for additional information, they replied within a remarkable timeframe of 2 hours.
The plan details
The Options
| Data | Voice+Text | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | Yes | JPY ¥1,650 |
| 5GB | Yes | JPY ¥3,190 |
| 10GB | Yes | JPY ¥3,630 |
| 30GB | Yes | JPY ¥4,378 |
Check prices and order your SIM card:
Mobal
Sakura Mobile
Sakura Mobile is a renowned Japanese company specializing in wireless services for visitors to Japan. They offer a range of cost-effective solutions that allow you to stay connected throughout your stay in the country.
Whether you need data, calling, or messaging services, Sakura Mobile has got you covered.
If you subscribe to Sakura Mobile, it is best to also install their official app. With the Sakura Dial app, you can take advantage of savings on international calls.
The plan details
The Options
| Data | Voice+Text | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 4GB | You choose | JPY ¥3,278 |
| 25GB | You choose | JPY ¥4,378 |
The monthly fee for the data-only and data+voice plans is the same. The only difference between both plans is that there’s no one-time activation fee if you opt for a data-only plan.
Check prices and order your SIM card:
Sakura Mobile
GTN Mobile
GTN Mobile is an operator that caters specifically to non-Japanese residents, offering excellent services tailored to their needs.
What sets GTN Mobile apart is the fact that customer support is available in six different languages, namely English, simplified & traditional Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and of course Japanese.
The website is originally in Japanese with machine translations into the other languages.
In terms of prices, GTN Mobile is close to Mobal. Because Mobal has a clear website in English with a sign-up process created in English (and not auto-translated) it still has our preference.
The plan details
The Options
| Data | Voice+Text | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | Yes | JPY ¥2,730 |
| 5GB | Yes | JPY ¥3,190 |
| 15GB | Yes | JPY ¥4,630 |
| 25GB | Yes | JPY ¥6,130 |
| 50GB for 30 days | No, data-only | JPY ¥5,000 |
| 135GB for 90 days | No, data-only | JPY ¥10,000 |
Check prices and order your SIM card:
GTN Mobile
IIJmio
The name IIJmio may sound familiar to those who have already been in Japan. IIJmio holds a significant market share. They claim to have the most number of SIMs in circulation of all providers.
If you have ever been in a BIC Camera store you may have seen the IIJmio tourist SIMs. We used one of those during our very first trip to the country.
In addition to this, they also have long-term plans.
While you can find detailed information and explanations about IIJmio’s plans in English on their website, it’s important to note that the application page is only available in Japanese.
Support is also not available in English.
IIJmio may be the cheapest on the list, but this can be a stumbling block.
If you’re not confident in reading and speaking Japanese, it would be advisable to look for another provider.
The plan details
The Options
| Data | Voice+Text | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2GB | Yes | JPY ¥850 |
| 5GB | Yes | JPY ¥990 |
| 10GB | Yes | JPY ¥1,500 |
| 15GB | Yes | JPY ¥1,800 |
| 20GB | Yes | JPY ¥2,000 |
| 2GB | No, data-only or data+text | Data: JPY ¥740 Data+text: JPY ¥820 Data eSIM: JPY ¥440 |
| 5GB | No, data-only or data+text | Data: JPY ¥900 Data+text: JPY ¥970 Data eSIM: JPY ¥660 |
| 10GB | No, data-only or data+text | Data: JPY ¥1,400 Data+text: JPY ¥1,470 Data eSIM: JPY ¥1,100 |
| 15GB | No, data-only or data+text | Data: JPY ¥1,730 Data+text: JPY ¥1,780 Data eSIM: JPY ¥1,430 |
| 20GB | No, data-only or data+text | Data: JPY ¥1,950 Data+text: JPY ¥1,980 Data eSIM: JPY ¥1,650 |
Check prices and order your SIM card:
IIJmio
FAQ about Japanese Long-Term SIM plans
Is a Japanese Phone Required?
A Japanese Phone is not required to subscribe to these plans. You just need to ensure your phone works on the Japanese operators’ networks.
- It needs to be compatible with the frequency bands used by the operators
- It needs to be unlocked.
Is a Japanese Bank Account Required?
This is often one of the obstacles with the major Japanese cellular service providers.
The providers we retained for this list however don’t require a Japanese bank account. They either accept foreign credit cards or allow you to settle your bills in convenience stores.
We mention the payment options when discussing the provider.
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