Should you rent or buy a SIM card in Japan?
Want a SIM that just works when you land?Our Japan eSIM and prepaid SIM for tourists run on the docomo network from 2,480 JPY, with the QR code emailed within minutes and nothing to return. Need a Japanese phone number? Choose the Talk SIM or a rental phone. Sharing with family or bringing a laptop? An unlimited pocket WiFi is usually cheaper per person — see Pocket WiFi vs eSIM.
Reasons to Rent a SIM Card
If you want to have a phone number
If you want to have a local mobile phone number, you should rent a SIM card from us with a phone number. You need to return it but you can receive phone calls and SMS (text messages) in Japan for free.
Due to Japanese regulations, you will not be able to get a phone number with the prepaid SIM cards.
If you want to use more data
If you want to use more data, you should rent a SIM card from us. You can use 1-2GB per day with our data SIM cards. This is a much larger plan compared to prepaid SIM cards.
If you want to use the SIM card for a long period of time
If you want to use the SIM card for a long period of time, you should rent a SIM card from us.
All prepaid SIM cards has a limited usage period like one week or one month, but you can rent our SIM cards as long as you need.
If you want to save the cost
If you want to save the cost, you should rent a SIM card from us. You can rent our SIM cards at 240 JPY/day. And the contract is on a daily basis, thus you don't have to pay extra.
But...
Please return the SIM card after you use it.
Want a SIM that just works when you land?Our Japan eSIM and prepaid SIM for tourists run on the docomo network from 2,480 JPY, with the QR code emailed within minutes and nothing to return. Need a Japanese phone number? Choose the Talk SIM or a rental phone. Sharing with family or bringing a laptop? An unlimited pocket WiFi is usually cheaper per person — see Pocket WiFi vs eSIM.
