I’ll be there for 2 weeks, leaving next Tuesday. My cell service’s (Visible) international data plan is $10/day. I searched and there are several companies with much cheaper plans. Ubigi, Airalo, Holafly, and Nomad all get mentioned.
Are there one or two that are better than others?
TIA
I wish I knew. I find the whole thing so confusing, I just hold my nose and pay the $15/day (two phones). We used to rent a mobile hotspot, which worked well when it worked, but didn’t always work.
Ubigi worked flawlessly for our family over a two week visit in 2024 ranging from Tokyo to Miyajima. Good performance, simple to setup and reload as needed.
I use Ubigi all the time when I visit Japan and it has worked flawlessly.
I’ve always used a mobile hotspot and it’s worked well for me. But my phone will not accept and esim, otherwise I’d try that. I’ve always used Sakura Mobile which has both.
Does each device need it’s own eSim and plan? I think that’s what I am reading. That might make it more expensive than the mobile hotspot, which allows many devices to connect. Or can you use it to create a mobile hotspot that other devices can join?
You should be able to use it as a hotspot as well.
Thanks. But only works if we’re in the same place. Separate plans is probably better.
With the caveat that I’ve not used it myself, a colleague of mine who I trust with mobile network-related matters (based in Japan) uses Maya:
https://maya.net/esim/japan
We’ve used Nomad eSIM for the last 3 years of overseas travel for our data needs. Seamless usage all over Europe, can use various social media messaging apps to telephone-facetime restaurants, hotels that has the app, much more economical than using our local US carrier travel roaming plans.
Used it in Japan in May and it worked perfectly.
Btw, Airalo is the most popular these days for travelers, but we’ve had Nomad app since and it never failed us
Thanks everyone. I went with Ubigi. Definitely cheaper than my cell service plan!
Well this is frustrating. I am not that tech savvy, I admit. I purchased an eSIM from Ubigi and went to install it, but was met with the fact that my phone isn’t unlocked, so it can’t be used. It would be nice if this requirement was posted BEFORE you make a purchase! Anyway, I went to AT&T to try and have it unlocked, but found out that only fully paid off phones can be unlocked. Of course, the last time I needed help from AT&T they talked me into an upgrade, so my phone is still on the installment plan, meaning it can’t be unlocked. I tried to call ATT to see if an exception could be made for a longtime customer who has always paid on time (I read this was sometimes possible), but could not get through to an agent after several tries and gave up. There is more left on my payment plan than I want to make right now, so I guess I’m SOL.
There really should be some kind of message on the info page when you buy an eSIM telling you what is needed on the device for it to work.
Sorry to hear that! I can’t recall where on Ubigi’s website, but I saw the unlocked phone part prior to purchasing. My phone is paid off as I got it through the Apple friends and family discount. No payment plan through that. I checked my domestic cell provider account to make sure it was unlocked.
ATT is terrible for esims. My phone is fully paid, but they won’t unlock it. The main reason I use pocket wifi. I have another unlocked phone, but it’s not my main one and I hate having to carry around two phones.
Ubigi is great. Easy. ATT sucked.
I think I may have managed to unlock it using one of those services you have to pay for. I figured that, if it worked, it would be worth it for all eSIM use from now on, or at least until I get another phone.
I’ve been through several online sources that explain how to check if it’s unlocked and since I am able to switch to that SIM (won’t connect, of course, since I’m still in the US), it is now available to me. I assume I have to toggle the eSIM on when I arrive, even though nothing in the instructions says that.
Didn’t want to start a new thread so figured I would ask here. Is there any need to have Yen for Japan or is everything pretty much electronic payment? If cash is needed, I might consider buying some in advance when the exchange rate is favorable.
Yes, you should have cash, especially if you intend to get out of the cities or deal with artisans and small merchants. For a country with very advanced technology, Japan still relies heavily on cash, though it is shifting more and more quickly.
I would not buy yen ahead of time. The exchange rates to buy currency here are never good. Your ATM card, provided it has no foreign exchange fees, will give you much better rates when you are there. And never use the airport Currency Exchanges.
As for the yen being favorable now, it has been for a couple of years and it’s unlikely to make a rapid turnaround any time soon. So if you are going in the next few months I wouldn’t worry. But you can certainly pay for some things in advance now if you want some peace of mind.
I’d like to add to Sarah’s post above – I think most local trains in Japan are still cash-only. (Bullet train takes credit cards.)
Each in-town trip is inexpensive, mostly $2 to $5 or so, but, on a busy day of sightseeing, they add up quickly. You can buy a ticket for each train ride but, unless you are going to be there only for a day or two, you’d want to purchase a pre-paid, stored-value “IC” card, available for sale at most train stations. (You can buy them in the US from 3rd party vendors but at a premium.) Both individual tickets and IC cards (initial purchase and subsequent top-ups) are cash-only.
If you have an iPhone, you can GREATLY reduce the need for cash while in Japan by turning it into an IC card – by selecting one of a few Japanese IC cards available in the Transit Card section of your Apple Wallet. (You can pick any IC card because they can all be used nationally.) You can use any payment method in your Apple Pay to purchase and top-off your IC card. (You can top-off while still in the US, if you think the exchange rate is particularly favorable.) Once set up, you can swipe your iPhone at any fare gate of a train station, even with the screen turned off. More info from Apple Support.
Some stores in Japan, even those that are otherwise cash only, take IC cards. Most buses and taxis take IC cards too. Taxis may also take credit cards but you may have to ask since it’s not always obvious if they do. (You can bypass all that and the potential language barrier in many cities by using the Uber app on your phone to call a licensed taxi that has joined Uber Taxi program.)
But, as Sarah says, you still need some cash, and it’s best to get it from local ATM’s in Japan. Keep in mind, though, most Japanese bank ATM’s don’t accept foreign debit/ATM cards. Instead, look for an ATM operated by Japan Post (JP Bank) or 7-Eleven (7-BANK). You can find them inside post offices and 7-Eleven’s, but also at airports, and around big train stations and busy shopping areas.
Getting off the original topic, but I can echo the need for cash and the awesome convenience of contactless payment via phone. We added Suica cards to our Apple wallets and reloaded a couple times as needed using Apple Pay. It worked for all public transportation except for a few buses in more rural areas and for Shinkansen, which has it’s own (shockingly clunky) mobile app that you purchase tickets through, and then it’s contactless as well. Just wave your phone when entering the bus/station and again when exiting. No need to unlock, and it will even work after your battery is drained.