eSIM & SIM cards for visitors to Japan

You have three practical ways to get online in Japan: a data-only eSIM, a physical tourist SIM, or a pocket Wi-Fi rental. This guide covers what’s genuinely fixed — device requirements, the passport/ID rules, and how activation works — based on carrier, JNTO and Japanese government sources. (Prices and plan names change constantly, so we don’t quote them here — check the provider’s live page.)

What an eSIM is, and device requirements

An eSIM is a SIM built into your phone that’s programmed with a downloaded profile instead of a physical card.

“An eSIM is a SIM embedded in a device that can be remotely programmed with customer information such as phone numbers.” (NTT Docomo)

Two things to check before you rely on one:

• Your phone must be unlocked for a SIM to work in Japan. JNTO states plainly: “Your phone must be unlocked to use a sim card,” and SoftBank’s tourist SIM “can only be used with SIM-lock-free terminals.”
• For eSIM, your model must be on the carrier’s compatibility list. Only devices the carrier lists as eSIM-compatible can be used, so check your exact model on the provider’s page.

Data-only vs voice, and the passport rule

Tourist products are usually data-only (internet, no phone number for calls) — for example, SoftBank states its travel SIM “is a data-only service, voice calling is not available.” Voice-capable SIMs exist but come with a legal ID check.

On identity documents, the legal position and the practical one differ:

• By law: Japan’s MIC confirms data-only SIM services are outside the scope of the mobile anti-fraud identity-verification law — no legally required ID check. For voice service, ID is required, and “foreign residents must present a passport.”
• In practice: a provider can still ask anyway. SoftBank’s data-only tourist SIM requires your original passport at purchase (“Documents other than your original passport cannot be accepted”), while some online eSIM sign-ups don’t. Always check the specific product.

How activation works

eSIM setup is usually one of two methods: scanning a QR code (au’s official procedure shows scanning a QR code, after which the profile is written to the phone “automatically within about five minutes”), or an in-app activation (Rakuten Mobile activates “in just a few simple steps using the app”).

Because installing the profile needs internet access, and visitor-eSIM sellers advertise downloading it in advance from overseas, the usual approach is: install on Wi-Fi before you fly, then turn on the Japan data plan after you arrive. Treat this as general practice and follow your provider’s own steps.

If you’d rather not use a SIM: pocket Wi-Fi & airports

JNTO recommends pocket Wi-Fi (a portable hotspot) as a reliable nationwide option, available at “rental kiosks located at all major airports” or by pre-booked delivery to your hotel. Japan’s major international airports — Haneda, Narita, Kansai, New Chitose, Centrair and Fukuoka — “offer complimentary WiFi to terminal visitors upon arrival.” Haneda’s official site adds that prepaid SIM cards can be bought from vending machines and that staffed rental counters (and a 24-hour unmanned Wi-Fi option) are available in its terminals.

Frequently asked questions

Prices, data allowances and plan names change frequently and vary by provider — always confirm the current details on the carrier’s own page before you buy. This guide explains how the options work; it doesn’t endorse a specific vendor.