Japan draws over 25 million foreign visitors annually, making it one of the world’s leading tourist destinations. Those millions of visitors need internet access while they stay in Japan, and an eSIM provides that.
Buying an eSIM for international travel has never been easier. All you do is pick a provider and a plan, install and activate your eSIM before you travel. Once you get to Japan, turn on the eSIM profile to get internet access.
I have done the heavy lifting and narrowed down the top 5 eSIM providers offering the best data plans for Japan. Each was evaluated based on speed, coverage, and affordability, and I’ve also highlighted the unique features that set them apart.
Provider | Japan plans | Features that sold me | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Ubigi | Plans start from $4 for 1GB for 30 days | Unlimited plan for only $25 for 7 days 10% exclusive discount code- TECHRADAR | |
2. Saily | Plans start from $3.99 for 1GB for 7 days | Unlimited plans available to choose between 10-30 days Premium security features included | |
3. Airalo | Plans start from $3.50 for 1GB for 3 days | Best offer- 20GB for 19.50 for 30 days | |
4. Jetpac | Plans start from $4 for 1GB for 4 days | Free access to WhatsApp chat, Uber, and Google maps when data runs out Complimentary lounge access as an add-on | |
5. Holafly | Plans start from $3.90 for unlimited data for 1 day | Fully customizable plans 5% exclusive discount code- TECHRADAR |
The best eSIM for Japan of 2025 in full:
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Best eSIM for Japan overall
Ubigi is a well-known eSIM provider offering services in most countries. It offers a range of data plans, including $4 for 1 GB for 30 days, $8 for 3 GB for 30 days, $17 for 10 GB for 30 days, and $55 for 50 GB for 30 days.
Ubigi also offers unlimited data plans for Japan. You can now get unlimited data for $25, valid for 7 days, or $66 for 30 days. We also like that they not only offer regional plans for Asia, which covers 26 countries (16 with the smaller Asia plan), but they have also bundled up countries from different regions. For example, for $21 you can get 10GB for Japan and the USA, which is valid for 30 days.
This eSIM veteran in the Japan market offers plans valid for up to a year, ideal for people who plan to stay in Japan for a long time. Ubigi works with Japanese mobile carrier NTT Docomo to provide robust coverage across Japan. This eSIM provider is owned by Transatel, a French subsidiary of the NTT Group, which in turn owns NTT Docomo, the largest telco network in Japan.
All Ubigi plans include a 5G connection if you’re in a Japanese region where that’s supported (the number of supported areas is rapidly increasing as time goes on). Buying and activating your eSIM is easy– you’ll pay online and scan the QR code sent to your email address to kickstart the process.
Use our code TECHRADAR to get 10% off your first order.
Read our full Ubigi review.
Best eSIM for Japan for security
Saily is another reliable eSIM provider for Japanese visitors. Founded by Nord Security, it offers various plans, including $3.99 for 1 GB for 7 days, $7.99 for 3 GB for 30 days, $10.99 for 5 GB for 30 days, $18.99 for 10 GB for 30 days, and $26.99 for 20 GB for 30 days.
This eSIM provider is renowned for its user-friendliness. It offers an intuitive app to monitor usage and buy more data if needed. Purchasing and activating an eSIM is a seamless process using this app.
Saily also offers regional plans. The Asia plan covers 19 countries, including Japan. You will also find these plans to be affordable. Plans start from $4.99 for 1 GB for 7 days and go up to 100GB for 180 days, priced at $179.99.
And to top it all off, Saily impresses with its robust security features, including an ad blocker, web protection, and virtual location. Virtual location lets users change location and browse from anywhere in the world, while web protection blocks malicious sites. An independent study also found that Saily's ad blocker feature helps users save 30% of data, making this option more affordable.
Saily also offers unlimited data starting from $34.99. Users can choose between 10 and 30 days. However, the regional plan for Asia does not offer unlimited data.
The only drawback that I could find for Saily is that they don't provide local phone numbers, but users can use VOIP providers like WhatsApp to still stay in touch.
Overall, Saily stands out for its affordability and user-friendliness. It also provides top-notch customer service.
Read our full Saily review.
Best eSIM for Japan for coverage
Airalo offers a Moshi Moshi data package that gives speedy internet access in Japan. You can choose from various plans divided into 3, 7, 15, and 30 days.
Airalo’s Japan plans are pretty affordable compared to its offerings for other countries. For instance, the Indonesia package costs $27 for 20 GB for 30 days, compared to $19.50 for Japan.
Another option is Airalo’s Asialink package, which provides data access in Japan and 17 other Asian countries (China, Hong Kong, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam). Airalo offers 50 GB and 100 GB Asialink plans, unlike the Japan-only plan, which is capped at 20 GB.
Asialink plans are more expensive than the Japan-only plans, e.g., $20 for 5 GB for 30 days for the former, compared to $11.50 for the latter. However, a higher cost is expected, given the broader coverage.
Airalo also offers unlimited plans starting from $10 for 3 days, $16 for 5 days, $23 for 7 days, $27 for 10 days, $38 for 15 days, $57 for 30 days.
Read our full Airalo review.
Best eSIM for Japan for user-friendliness
Jetpac offers coverage in 150+ countries, including Japan. You can choose from various plans, including $4 for 1 GB for 4 days, $7 for 3 GB for 7 days, $10 for 5 GB for 30 days, $20 for 10 GB for 30 days, $29 for 15 GB for 30 days, $40 for 20 GB for 30 days, $60 for 30 GB for 30 days and $80 for 40 GB for 30 days.
Jetpac plans are cosliter than other providers on this list. For example, for 40GB of data for 30 days, it will cost you $80. However, with Airalo, you can get unlimited data for 30 days for $57.
Like its other counterparts in the market, Jetpac also offers regional Asian plans, but we like that they have separated these into Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific plans.
The Southeast Asia plan covers 6 countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). The Asia-Pacific plan covers 17 countries (Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam). We recommend these plans if you are backpacking across Asia and will be traveling all around Asia.
I quite like that users can still access WhatsApp chat, Grab, Google Maps, and Uber even after data runs out. This feature ensures travelers can stay connected for essentials like navigation, communication, and transport.
One of the standout features of Jetpac is that they offer complimentary access to the Airport lounge. Register your flight on the Jetpac app and sign up your co-travelers. You will then receive a digital lounge key that can be used in case of a flight delay. You can sign up to 5 travel companions, ideal for a family.
Jetpac works with KDDI, Japan’s second-largest mobile carrier, to deliver robust internet service in this country. It offers a broad range of reasonably priced plans, although it lacks an unlimited plan.
The intuitive Jetpac mobile app allows you to buy and activate an eSIM, monitor and top up your data on the go, and more.
Read our full Jetpac review.
Best eSIM for Japan for unlimited data
Holafly is an eSIM provider that offers unlimited data plans. In fact, Holafly has no capped data plans (it’s all unlimited) or fixed periods (you choose precisely how many days you want). Pricing depends on the number of days you choose, and Holafly is noticeably expensive.
For instance, one day costs $3.99, 10 days cost $36.90, 25 days cost $68.90, 50 days cost $96.90, and the maximum of 90 days costs $139.90.
Similarly, the Asia plan also has no cap on data, so you can simply choose the number of days. However, the Asia plan mostly covers countries in East and Southeast Asia, so make sure to check the list of countries before you purchase this plan.
Holafly has network-sharing agreements with KDDI and SoftBank Telecom, two major Japanese mobile carriers, to give customers excellent speed and coverage.
Holafly lets you share your data with your smartphone as a hotspot, but it’s capped at 500 MB daily. It doesn’t offer a phone number for calls and SMS, but VoIP apps like WhatsApp and Skype fulfill the same role over the internet.
Use code TECHRADAR to get 5% off.
Read our full Holafly review.
Best eSIM for Japan FAQs
What is an eSIM?
eSIM means embedded SIM. As the name implies, it is a type of SIM embedded directly in a smartphone, instead of the typical SIM embedded in plastic and inserted in smartphones.
An eSIM comprises software installed on a chip embedded into the smartphone. You can’t physically remove the eSIM. Instead, you can reprogram it with new information to add or delete a network profile.
eSIMs are becoming more popular because of their convenience. They eliminate the need to swap SIM cards when switching to another network. Instead, everything works via software configurations, so you can add or remove network profiles without touching any physical components.
A single eSIM can hold up to eight network profiles, but you’ll hardly see a smartphone with eight physical SIM slots. Though less than a decade old, annual sales of eSIM-enabled devices are in the hundreds of millions and are projected to surpass 2 billion by 2025. With this trajectory, most devices could become eSIM-compatible within a few decades.
Why do I need an eSIM for Japan?
An eSIM makes it easy to retain internet access when visiting Japan. There’s no need to wait until you land in Japan for a physical SIM to last throughout your stay.
Instead, you can buy and activate an eSIM in your home country. When you get to Japan, simply turn on the eSIM profile to get data access.
The eSIM providers mentioned in this guide have agreements with Japanese telecom firms like NTT Docomo and SoftBank Telecom. When you buy an eSIM and visit Japan, you’ll tap into the same telecoms infrastructure that locals use.
How to check if your smartphone is eSIM-compatible
Most new smartphones are eSIM-compatible. Some use both eSIMs and physical SIMs, while some have ditched the physical SIM slot and only work with eSIMs. With the current eSIM adoption trajectory, most smartphones could work only with eSIMs in a few decades.
You can check your device’s eSIM compatibility by following the steps below:
For iPhones
- Open the Settings app and click Cellular.
- Look for the Add eSIM button. If you see this button, your iPhone supports eSIMs. If you don’t see this button, your iPhone doesn’t support eSIMs.
For Android phones
- Open the Settings app.
- Select About Phone.
- Look for SIM Status or a similar option.
- Check for any mention of eSIM or Embedded SIM. If you see it, your Android device supports eSIMs. Otherwise, the device likely doesn’t work with eSIMs.
You can also check your smartphone manufacturer’s website for technical specifications. eSIM compatibility will likely be mentioned in your smartphone’s specifications document.
Considerations for choosing an eSIM provider
1. Cost
Cost is the first consideration when looking for an eSIM package. You should compare prices from different eSIM providers to get a fair deal.
However, cost shouldn’t be the only concern. You should weigh pricing against factors like validity, coverage, speed, and customer service.
Unlimited data plans are costlier than capped data plans. The higher the data allocation and validity period, the more you should expect to pay.
2. Coverage
You need an eSIM provider with robust coverage across Japan. Fortunately, all eSIM providers on this list have reliable coverage, although you might be unable to access 5G outside urban centers. You'll enjoy the fastest connection possible in touristy regions like Tokyo and Osaka.
3. Validity
How long is your data plan valid for? Most eSIM providers limit their plans to 30 days, after which you must renew even if your data isn’t exhausted. However, a few, like Holafly, offer up to 90 days, and you can choose the exact number of days your data plan remains valid.
4. Data allocation
Your browsing habits determine the data plan you’ll choose from an eSIM provider. 5 GB to 20 GB is enough for the average foreign visitor. However, an unlimited plan is your best bet if you plan to download or stream lots of content. All the options listed offer unlimited data plans with fast speeds.
5. Customer service
An ideal eSIM provider should offer excellent customer service. If things go wrong, you should be able to contact its support team via email, live chat, or telephone. It’s not just about having a support team; it’s about having skilled and experienced staff willing to resolve customers’ issues.
You can check user reviews of your desired eSIM provider to see if there are noticeable complaints regarding customer service.
How we tested the best eSIMs for Japan
We tested the best eSIMs for Japan by evaluating numerous factors. To start with, we looked at how easy the setup is, the simplicity of use on the go, and the connectivity and reliability of the service. We carried out the tests using both iPhone and Android phone models in order to gauge whether the experience was the same for each, or whether one type had a greater advantage over the other. We then compared the overall results to draw up our list.
Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
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