eSIM & SIM cards for visitors to Japan

You have three practical ways to get online in Japan: a data-only eSIM, aphysical 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 calls pocket Wi-Fi (a portable hotspot) “the safest option for guaranteed Wi-Fi from all corners of Japan”: “Rental kiosks are located at all major airports,” or you can “make a prior reservation via the internet and have your device delivered straight to your hotel.” Haneda’s official site adds that “prepaid SIM cards for use in Japan can be purchased from Vending Machines in Terminal 1,” and that alongside its staffed counters “a 24-hour unmanned Wi-Fi rental service is available in front of the store” at its Terminal 3 arrival lobby. Whether an airport offers free Wi-Fi inside its terminals is set by that airport, so check its own page rather than assuming it.

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.