Japan Travel eSIM
Data for Japan — including the Shinkansen and the subway tunnels.
Plans & prices
Buy now — the plan activates when you land, not when you pay.
- Fast delivery
- Check your device
- Secure payment
Japan
Nationwide data coverage
- 5G ready
- Hotspot
- Top-ups
- No ID needed
Coverage & network in Japan
Japan is where travel eSIMs are at their most boring, in the best sense. Coverage is close to universal wherever visitors actually go, Japan has some of the deepest plan inventory on this site, and the whole rental-Wi-Fi-router ritual — airport counter, deposit, returns envelope, a second device to charge — becomes unnecessary.
Coverage worth naming: the Tokyo and Osaka subway networks are covered inside the tunnels, not just at stations. The Shinkansen holds a connection along the Tokaido and Sanyo lines with only brief tunnel dropouts. 5G is live across the cities and main corridors on 5G-marked plans; LTE elsewhere is fast and stable, including through the Alps and along rural lines.
Where it thins out: high mountain hiking above the treeline, some of the smaller islands, and the deepest tunnels. Nothing that affects a normal itinerary.
Payments: mobile Suica works on iPhone and Apple Watch over this connection and can be topped up with an international card. Android Suica needs a Japanese-market handset — a physical Welcome Suica from the airport is the simple workaround.
Multi-country trip? The Asia plan covers East Asia on one profile, or pair with South Korea and Taiwan.
How to install it
- 1
Buy in a minute
Pick a Japan plan and pay. Your QR code arrives by email within minutes — no account, no shipping.
- 2
Install on Wi-Fi
Scan the code before you fly. The profile sits alongside your normal SIM and stays switched off until you need it.
- 3
Land connected
Turn on data roaming for the TravelNet line when you arrive. The plan starts counting down on that first connection, not at checkout.
Will my phone work?
You need an eSIM-capable, carrier-unlocked phone: an iPhone XS or newer, a Pixel 3 or
newer, or a recent Samsung Galaxy S, Z or A-series flagship. Dial *#06# — if
an EID number is listed alongside the IMEI, the phone has an eSIM.
Travelling beyond Japan?
One Asia plan covers up to 21 countries from $4.49 — worth it from the third border.
- Asia from $4.49 · up to 21 countries
- Global from $11.99 · up to 173 countries
- Japan & South Korea from $8.99
-
Kazakhstan
from $4.49 -
Kyrgyzstan
from $4.49 -
Laos
from $5.49 -
Macau
from $6.49
Planning a multi-country trip? Find the plans that cover every stop →
Japan eSIM questions
Which network does the Japan eSIM use?
A major Japanese carrier — the profile attaches to a national network on arrival, and coverage is effectively universal in the areas visitors travel: all of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, the Shinkansen corridors, and the subway systems including the tunnels. We don't lock plans to one named operator.
Is a pocket Wi-Fi router better than an eSIM?
Not any more, for most people. Rental Wi-Fi routers were the standard answer in Japan for years, but they mean an airport counter, a returns envelope, a deposit, a device to charge and a thing to lose. An eSIM is installed before you fly and there's nothing to give back. A router still wins if you have four people sharing one connection all day — but so does tethering from one eSIM.
Is 5G available in Japan?
Yes, widely in the cities and along the main corridors, on plans marked 5G. Outside them you'll be on 4G/LTE, which in Japan is fast and unusually consistent, including in mountain areas and on rural rail lines.
Will it work on the Shinkansen?
Yes, along essentially the whole Tokaido and Sanyo route. There are brief dropouts in the longest tunnels, including under the Seikan strait to Hokkaido, but the practical experience is a working connection for the length of the journey.
How much data do I need for two weeks in Japan?
A mid-size plan suits a typical two-week trip. Japan pushes you toward heavy map and transit-app use — Google Maps, Japan Transit Planner, translation apps pointed at menus — so it's more than a beach holiday would need but less than a working trip. Go a size up if you're hotspotting or posting a lot of video.
Do I need to register the eSIM?
No. Japanese prepaid SIMs sold to visitors are data-only and don't require registration either, but an eSIM skips the counter entirely. Nothing to fill in, nothing to show.
Will it work in the mountains — Hakone, the Japanese Alps, Nikko?
In the towns and at the main sights, yes. Coverage follows the roads and rail lines closely, so Hakone, Nikko, Takayama and the Kamikochi approach are fine. Genuinely remote hiking above the treeline is where it drops out, as anywhere.
Can I use IC cards and mobile Suica with it?
Mobile Suica on an iPhone or Apple Watch works over any data connection, including this one, and you can top it up with an international card. Android mobile Suica is tied to Japanese-market handsets with Osaifu-Keitai, which is a phone limitation rather than a SIM one. A physical Welcome Suica card from the airport sidesteps the whole question.
Can I tether?
Yes, hotspot is enabled on every Japan plan and it's the standard way for a couple or a family to share one plan. Consider a bigger plan if more than two devices will lean on it.
Also visiting South Korea or Taiwan?
The Asia plan covers a multi-country East Asia trip on one profile. For two countries specifically, separate plans for South Korea and Taiwan often work out cheaper — compare against the regional price for your dates.