Value Village ／ Before you come to Japan
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Connectivity is the second most searched practical topic after money. The market has shifted sharply toward eSIM since 2023, and much older advice about airport counters and rental routers is now the expensive option.
| Option | Cost (typical, 2025) | Best for | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel eSIM (bought online) | ¥1,500–4,000 for 7–15 days, several GB or unlimited | One phone, recent model | Phone must be carrier-unlocked and eSIM-capable |
| Physical prepaid SIM (airport or shop) | ¥3,000–6,000 for 15–30 days | Older phones | Data-only; passport ID checks are being introduced under a 2026 amendment to the mobile-phone fraud law — carry your passport |
| Pocket Wi-Fi rental | ¥450–1,000 per day (unlimited plans from about ¥440/day) | Groups, laptops, tablets | Another device to charge and return |
| Free Wi-Fi | ¥0 | Occasional use | Coverage is patchy; hotels are reliable, streets are not |
[Verify] Prices are observed 2025 ranges. 3G shutdown dates with each carrier's announcement before publication.
Convenience stores, stations and cafés offer it, but registration pages, time limits and gaps between hotspots make it unreliable for maps. Budget for data.
It needs an eSIM-capable, unlocked phone. Phones bought on contract in some countries are locked; check with your carrier before leaving.
Keep your home SIM installed for calls and texts (roaming for SMS is usually cheap or free) and use the travel eSIM for data. Turn off data roaming on the home SIM to avoid charges.
For three or more people sharing, or anyone needing a laptop online all day, a rental router is still competitive and charging one device is manageable.
Airport counters are convenient but the most expensive point of purchase, and queues at peak hours can be long. Buying an eSIM online before departure means you land connected.
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https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/eng/
https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/wifi-and-connectivity/
https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
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