Internet in Japan for travellers: which eSIM to choose

Which plan suits your trip length

A quick reference. The left-hand column is what's usually enough if you use your phone for maps, messaging and social media; the right-hand one is the unlimited plan for the same number of days.

Prices include VAT and match the Japan page. Validity: the 1 GB plan, 7 days; 3 to 50 GB, 30 days.

If you're not sure how much you'll use, work it out in two minutes: the calculator starts from what you actually do on your phone, not from a round number.

When unlimited pays off and when it doesn't

The maths is simple: a week of unlimited data in Japan costs €19.95. For less than that, a data plan gets you 20 GB (€17.95).

• If you'll use less than 20 GB in the week, the data plan works out better. That's almost 3 GB a day, and with maps, messaging, social media and a bit of video it's hard to get there.
• If you'll stream a lot of video, or share data with another phone, unlimited takes the counting off your mind. Your full allowance comes back every day.
• If you're travelling for a month, look at both numbers: 50 GB for €34.95 or unlimited for €73.95. The gap is large there, and unlimited only pays off if you really use more than 50 GB.

What exactly the unlimited plan includes in Japan

The unlimited plan for Japan gives you 2 GB a day at full speed. Once you've used that allowance you stay connected, but at 256 Kbps until the next day starts.

256 Kbps is enough for messaging and loading a simple web page; it isn't enough for video or for maps to run smoothly. It's the trade-off for this plan's traffic exiting in Japan rather than in a third country, which is the other side of the coin and we explain it just below. We say it here, and it's written on the plan card itself before you pay: that's the difference between an "unlimited" plan with small print and one that's upfront. If you want the details of how these plans work across the industry, we cover them in the truth about "unlimited" plans.

The daily allowance and the speed afterwards vary by destination: in Turkey, for example, it's 3 GB a day and 1 Mbps. Each destination page states its own.

Where your traffic exits

In Japan, your traffic exits in Japan. That's the best case, and it isn't always so in other destinations.

The traffic exit is the country your internet connection appears to come from. When it's the same country you're in, websites and apps see you where you really are: banks don't flag anything unusual, search engines give you local results and services that are blocked outside a country work normally. When traffic exits in a third country, some apps behave as if you were there.

The network in Japan is 5G. As in any country, coverage depends on the area and on your phone.

How to activate it: install before you go, activate on landing

1. Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. Installing the profile needs a connection, and you won't have one yet when you land. Installing doesn't use data or start the clock.
2. When you land, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line and keep your usual line for calls and texts only.
3. The days start with the first connection to a Japanese network, not when you buy or install.

The exact steps for each phone are in the installation guide. And before you buy, check that your phone supports eSIM with the compatibility checker.

Frequently asked questions about internet in Japan