Traviva’s pick for Japan is Nomad: 10GB for 30 days at US$16 (a sale price, normally US$18), on the KDDI au and SoftBank networks. Ubigi (US$16.50) and Saily (US$17.99) are close behind for the same allowance, and Saily’s unlimited plan (US$48.99 for 15 days, 5GB a day at full speed) is the better pick for heavy users such as skiers posting video every day. It suits most travellers with an unlocked, eSIM-capable phone that supports Japanese LTE bands — Japan no longer has any 3G network to fall back on.
Updated · Prices in US dollars unless marked A$; figures marked “checked October 2026” were read off each provider’s own site on 7–8 October 2026.
Japan eSIMs at a glance
The 10GB, 30-day plan from each provider, or its unlimited plan where it sells no fixed data. Hotspot rules come from each provider’s own terms.
| Provider | Plan / data | Validity | Price | Hotspot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad | 10GB | 30 days | US$16 (sale; normally US$18) | Yes | KDDI au and SoftBank. Price checked October 2026. |
| Ubigi | 10GB | 30 days | US$16.50 | Yes | Network not disclosed. Unlimited: US$65 for 30 days (60GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps). Price checked October 2026. |
| Saily | 10GB | 30 days | US$17.99 | Yes | KDDI and SoftBank. Unlimited: US$48.99 for 15 days (5GB a day at full speed). Price checked October 2026. |
| Airalo | 10GB | 30 days | US$18 | Yes | SoftBank plus one other partner. Price checked October 2026. |
| Holafly | Unlimited | 30 days | US$73.90 | 1GB a day | No fixed-data plans; 15 days is US$50.50. Price checked October 2026. |
| Maya Mobile | Unlimited | 30 days | US$49.99 | Allowed, with guidance | 3GB a day, then 10 Mbps, then 1 Mbps. Price checked October 2026. |
| Simify | 10GB | 30 days | A$49 | Allowed | Billed in Australian dollars. Price checked October 2026. |
Data eSIMs are outside Japan's ID law today — and that is scheduled to change
Japan requires identity verification to buy a mobile service, and for visitors buying a voice plan that means showing a passport in person. Data-only SIMs are explicitly outside that law. A 2026 amendment brings them in.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications answers this directly in its own Q&A on the Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act: a data-only SIM card cannot carry voice service, and so is “法の対象外” — outside the scope of the law. For voice contracts, visitors face in-person passport checks as the standard method.
That changes. An amendment promulgated on 29 May 2026 brings data-only SIMs within the identity-verification obligations. The ministry’s own paper says the amended law commences on a date to be fixed by cabinet order within one year of promulgation — so by around May 2027, with no date named yet.
The ministry also flags the risk of over-regulating inbound visitors and IoT devices in the process. What it does not say anywhere in that document is how international roaming is treated. The obligation falls on providers contracting inside Japan, which suggests a foreign-issued roaming eSIM is untouched — but the document does not say so, and we are not going to claim it does.
The bigger practical risk in Japan is your handset, not your paperwork
Japan has no 3G fallback left anywhere. NTT Docomo ended FOMA and i-mode on 31 March 2026, the last of the three to go; KDDI au closed its 3G in March 2022 and SoftBank in April 2024. If your phone lacks Japanese LTE band support, no eSIM on this page will help it.
Docomo also warns that from 1 April 2026, a 4G handset with VoLTE switched off cannot make voice calls on its network. Worth checking before you fly.
What a 10GB month costs in Japan
Same plan, same duration, five sellers. Prices in US dollars, checked 7 October 2026.
Holafly sells no fixed-data plans anywhere — its 30-day unlimited plan is $73.90, which is a different product and so is not plotted on the same scale.
Nomad
Nomad's 10GB for 30 days at $16 was the cheapest verified option, with Airalo at $18 close behind. For a ski trip where you're posting video daily, Saily's unlimited at $48.99 for 15 days gives you 5GB a day at full speed — more headroom than anyone else's unlimited.
See Nomad Japan plans →Every verified plan
Prices in US dollars, read off each provider’s own page. Where we could not confirm a price, we say so rather than estimate.
| Provider | Fixed data plans | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Saily | 1GB/7d $3.99 · 3GB/30d $7.99 · 5GB/30d $10.99 · 10GB/30d $17.99 · 20GB/30d $24.99 | 15d $48.99 |
| Airalo | 1GB/3d $4 · 3GB/7d $8 · 5GB/7d $10 · 5GB/30d $11 · 10GB/30d $18 · 20GB/30d $25 | 3d $11.50 · 5d $17 · 7d $26.50† · 10d $34.50 · 15d $48 · 30d $69 |
| Nomad | 1GB/7d $4 · 3GB/30d $7 · 5GB/30d $10 · 10GB/30d $16 · 20GB/30d $23 · 50GB/30d $35 The 10GB and 20GB prices were sale prices at the time of checking (normally $18 and $26). | 3d $11 · 7d $25 · 14d $41 · 21d $49 |
| Ubigi | 1GB/7d $4 · 3GB/30d $7 · 10GB/7d $14 · 10GB/30d $16.50† · 25GB/30d $33 | 8d $24 · 15d $48 · 30d $65† |
| Holafly | No fixed-data plans — unlimited only | 3d $11.90 · 5d $20.50 · 7d $27.50 · 10d $36.50 · 15d $50.50 · 30d $73.90 |
| Maya Mobile | No fixed-data plans — unlimited only Maya sells no fixed-data plans anywhere; its product is one global unlimited plan. | 3d $9.99 · 7d $19.99 · 14d $27.99 · 30d $49.99 The same four prices apply in every country Maya covers. |
| Simify | 5GB/7d A$29 · 10GB/30d A$49 · 20GB/30d A$75 · 30GB/30d A$99 · 45GB/45d A$135 · 60GB/60d A$159 · 100GB/90d A$219 | A$2.19 per day, any length up to 180 days Simify prices unlimited by the day rather than in fixed blocks. |
Provider names link to their own site. Some of those links earn us a commission — the disclosure page says exactly which, and it plays no part in which plan we call cheapest.
Every price on this page is in US dollars except Simify’s, which are in Australian dollars because it bills in A$. An Australian card adds a foreign transaction fee of around 3% to the rest, which none of them mention at checkout — what that actually costs you →
Before you choose on price
All seven providers selling in Japan offer an unlimited plan, and not one of them is unlimited. Saily gives you 5GB a day before dropping to 1 Mbps; Airalo gives you 3GB a day before dropping to 1 Mbps; Nomad gives you 2GB a day before dropping to 512 kbps; Holafly publishes no figure at all, though third-party analysis puts it near 2–3GB a day; Maya Mobile gives you 3GB a day before dropping to 10 Mbps, then 1 Mbps; Simify publishes no firm figure at all — only an approximate 1–1.5GB, and only in a troubleshooting article rather than on any plan page. Ubigi’s 30-day unlimited plan gives you 60GB at full speed before dropping to 2 Mbps.
The cap matters less than what happens after it, and it decides whether a cheaper fixed-data plan would serve you better. Every provider’s daily cap and throttled speed, in one table →
Which network you actually roam onto
An eSIM is a roaming agreement with a local carrier. In Japan, that means:
| Provider | Local network |
|---|---|
| Holafly | KDDI and SoftBank |
| Saily | KDDI and SoftBank |
| Nomad | KDDI au and SoftBank |
| Airalo | SoftBank, plus one unnamed partner |
| Ubigi | Not disclosed |
| Maya Mobile | au, Rakuten and docomo |
| Simify | Not disclosed |
When Australians go to Japan
The most seasonal major destination Australians visit — 159,090 trips in January against 61,650 in June, a 2.6x swing. Japan runs 103k–159k every month from December to April and briefly overtook Indonesia for second place in February 2026. Ski season is the whole story.
Japan eSIM questions travellers ask
Do I need an eSIM for Japan?
No, but it is the simplest way to get mobile data. Data-only eSIMs are outside Japan’s identity-verification law today, so you can buy one online before you fly with no passport check, while visitor voice plans need an in-person passport check. An amendment promulgated on 29 May 2026 brings data-only SIMs into the law within a year, with no start date named yet.
How much does an eSIM for Japan cost?
A 10GB, 30-day plan cost US$16 to US$18 from the four cheapest providers we checked in October 2026: Nomad US$16 (a sale price), Ubigi US$16.50, Saily US$17.99 and Airalo US$18. Unlimited plans start at US$11 for three days with Nomad.
Will my phone work in Japan?
Only if it is unlocked, supports eSIM and supports Japanese LTE bands. Japan has no 3G left: NTT Docomo ended its 3G service on 31 March 2026, the last of the three big networks to do so. Docomo also says a 4G phone with VoLTE switched off cannot make voice calls on its network from 1 April 2026.
Can I use my Japan eSIM as a hotspot?
Yes with Nomad, Saily, Airalo and Ubigi, which all allow tethering. Holafly limits hotspot sharing to 1GB a day. Tethering draws on the same data allowance, so a laptop will use up a daily cap far faster than a phone.
Is an unlimited eSIM really unlimited in Japan?
No. Saily gives you 5GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps; Airalo 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps; Nomad 2GB a day, then 512 kbps; and Maya Mobile 3GB a day, then 10 Mbps, then 1 Mbps. Holafly publishes no figure at all.
Should I get an eSIM or pocket wifi for Japan?
For one or two people with eSIM-capable phones, an eSIM is simpler: there is nothing to collect at the airport, charge every night or return. A pocket wifi can still make sense for a group sharing one connection, or if your phone does not support eSIM.
Which Japanese networks do travel eSIMs use?
Nomad, Saily and Holafly use KDDI (au) and SoftBank, Airalo uses SoftBank plus one other partner, and Maya Mobile uses au, Rakuten and docomo. Ubigi and Simify do not disclose their Japanese network.
Related
- Nomad comes out cheapest in Japan, and it is the provider we have looked at hardest — our full Nomad review, including what it will not tell you →
- Airalo and Holafly both sell Japan plans and are the two most-searched eSIM brands, but they work in completely different ways — we put them side by side →
- None of these gives you a Japan phone number by default — which travel eSIMs actually include one →
- Going on to Korea? The best eSIM for South Korea, compared →