Investigating Japan SIM cards? If you balk at the enormous monthly fees and hidden charges of the big mobile players like NTT DoCoMo, Softbank and AU, you might have contemplated going the “SIM-free” route—ditching your locked cellphone for an unlocked handset paired with a cheap MVNO SIM from one of the plethora of vendors that have seemingly popped up overnight.



The focus of this post is on longer-term SIM use in Japan. For a comprehensive guide to the whole mobile data scene, with an emphasis on Japan SIM cards for short-term stays, see our sister article on Your Prepaid SIM Card Options in Japan.

Introduction to Japan MVNOs

MVNO stands for “Mobile Virtual Network Operator”, which means an operator that piggybacks on the network of one of the major players. For most MVNOs in Japan, this means using mega provider NTT DoCoMo’s high-speed LTE network. In general, the offerings from MVNOs in Japan are so much cheaper than the cabal of three (sorry, but Y! Mobile is just SoftBank in disguise, with even worse service), that for saving money you should just change right now. This minute.

The problem is that there are so many different Japanese cellphone plans that it can be hard to choose. Mobal, Sakura Mobile, BIC SIM, Biglobe, DMM Mobile, IIJMIO, Mineo, Nifmo, Rakuten Mobile (now partly using its own network), Nuro Mobile, LINE Mobile and U-mobile are just some that we know of—there are possibly quite a few more. Our basic advice when looking for an MVNO in Japan is to consider three things: the amount of data, contract cancellation fees and whether English-language support is offered. Anything that answers lots, none/low and yes to those is worth considering.

Note that mobile contract cancellation penalties have been reduced from autumn, 2019, following a government ruling to this effect.

The two basic Japan SIM card types

Japan SIM plans are divided into two different categories—data only, or data + voice. Just because you get data only, it doesn’t mean you can’t text using SMS—most providers have an option for this (it just costs a bit extra). Without the voice option, you won’t be able to make or receive regular phone calls, but Skype, WhatsApp and other apps that allow calls over the internet will work.

To save you the time of trawling through all the Japanese mobile carrier sites and all the fine print, we have prepared comparison charts for some of the most popular data-only SIMs and data + voice options. We even added sales tax, since almost every company conveniently leaves it out because well, it’s just so difficult to add 10% to everything right? Poor sneaky things.

Data + voice SIMs

Data + voice SIMs differ to data-only SIMs in that they typically have a minimum contract period and cancellation fees. Just like the data SIMs, they have a starting fee of approximately ¥3,300 (Sakura Mobile’s set-up is a little different, though). They all charge somewhere in the region of 29-47 yen/minute for voice calls and 3-30 yen for sending domestic SMS texts. Receiving texts (both domestic and international) is free. Billing is monthly.

All prices in the table include 10% consumption tax.

Notes on above:

Mobal – When your monthly cap is reached, data is still available at throttled speeds. ¥1,000/month voice + text plan also available. Domestic SMSes at ¥12 each. No resident card or visa requirements. Bulk of profits go to charity. If you’re traveling from China, you have access to a range of other packages.

Sakura Mobile – Includes 30 to 60 minutes of free local/international calls (depending on the plan). Although there are no cancellation fees, there is an all-in-one ¥15,000 “activation” fee, often discounted to ¥5,500. Flexible payment options. Student discounts.



Nuro Mobile – Formerly So-net (run by Sony). Softbank, au and DoCoMo options differ in price.

Biglobe SIM – Also offer 20 and 30GB plans. Discounts may be available on long-term plans.

IIJmio – Often run promotions.

Rakuten Mobile – Recently launched their own network, with good starter deals for major urban areas in Japan. Data is either unlimited or 5GB each month, depending on your area.

With some of the plans mentioned in this article, it may be possible to reduce call rates by using data-based apps. Although not explicitly stated above, many also allow data sharing with partners and family members. Note that other plans may be available in addition to those listed above. Data services may continue, though throttled, once the monthly limit has been reached.

Data-only SIMs

As above, there are certain things that all plans share. For example, they generally have a “starting fee” (they have different names for this) of roughly ¥3,300. But unlike data + voice SIMs, data-only SIMs often have no set contract period or cancellation fees. Also note that for the additional feature of SMS, you will generally pay a small monthly fee (upwards of 130 yen a month), plus 3-30 yen per domestic message sent. Receiving SMS messages is free.

All prices listed include 10% consumption tax.

Notes on above:

Sakura Mobile – Activation fee of ¥5,500. Unused data accrued to following month. Flexible payment options available.

With some of these mobile network providers, it may be possible to split one data plan among multiple SIM cards—this is great for families/couples. Ask when applying. Note that other plans may be available in addition to those listed above.

Unlimited data SIM cards in Japan

We don’t know of any unlimited data SIMs in Japan that allow you to do endless stuff on the interwebs at the same fast speeds forever. Packages that are described as offering unlimited data generally have a fair usage cap after which speeds get slowed down—meaning you can still do stuff on the internet, but maybe only at a (pre-climate change) glacial pace. Anecdotal evidence suggests there was once a time of unlimited (or almost unlimited) data on some of the Japanese mobile carriers—but those heady days seem to be over.

Payment options

One of the most frequently-asked questions is how to pay for a voice + data or data-only SIM contract in Japan. All of the providers accept Japanese credit cards, but unfortunately, some do not accept international credit cards. Mobal, GTN Mobile and Sakura Mobile are okay with international cards, and also allow payment by cash at convenience stores. For all the others, ask at sign-up.

Japan SIM cards: In summary

As you can see from the above, there is lots of fine print with each of these Japanese SIM card plans. Things to look out for are daily maximum usage limits, connectivity speeds, payment methods (as noted, all accept Japanese credit card, some also accept direct debit from Japanese bank accounts) and age restrictions (some are restricted to 20 or over, while others are fine as long as you have a credit card).

More options for mobile internet connections in Tokyo

Watch our short YouTube video on getting hooked up with wifi in Japan and investigate some of the best wifi router rental options. Also consider cellular roaming.

While we do our best to ensure that the information here is correct, it is subject to change. This article was originally published on December 2, 2015. Last update: September 1, 2020.