Getting a SIM Card in Japan: A Complete Guide for Expats (2026)

After arriving in Japan, a phone number is one of the first things you need — for navigation, translation, deliveries, and the address confirmations that banks and employers send by SMS. Japanese mobile plans run from a few hundred yen a month to over ¥10,000, and the gap between the cheap end and the expensive end is mostly about who provides support and how much data you actually use.

Japan's Two Types of Mobile Plans

Major Carrier Brands (三大キャリア)

• docomo (NTTドコモ)
• au (KDDI)
• SoftBank (ソフトバンク)

Characteristics: The widest network coverage and the best in-store support, at the highest prices. Their flagship unlimited plans sit around ¥5,500–¥10,500 a month before discounts, and store handling fees run from ¥3,850 to ¥4,950 for a new contract (often free when you apply online). These brands are also stricter about paperwork, so bring your Residence Card and expect to be asked for an address that matches it.

Budget Plans and Sub-Brands

The cheapest plans come from the carriers' own online sub-brands — ahamo (docomo), LINEMO (SoftBank), povo (au), UQ mobile (au) and Y!mobile (SoftBank) — and from independent MVNOs such as IIJmio, 日本通信 SIM and Rakuten Mobile. They lease network capacity from the big three or, in Rakuten's case, run their own.

Characteristics: Monthly fees of ¥290–¥4,000 for most people, no store visit, and far less paperwork. The trade-off is that support is online or by chat, and there is nobody to hand your phone to when something goes wrong.

Plan Comparison Table (2026)

Prices are tax-inclusive monthly fees as of September 2026. Carriers change plans often — confirm on the carrier's page before you apply.

Provider Breakdown

LINEMO (SoftBank-based)

Three flat plans: ¥990 for 3GB, ¥2,090 for 10GB, ¥2,970 for 30GB. LINE messages and calls don't count toward the allowance, which matters if LINE is your main channel — it is the default messenger in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. The older ミニプラン and スマホプラン are closed to new applications.

• Fully online signup, eSIM supported, ¥3,850 handling fee
• No physical stores — support is chat and email
• A cancellation fee of ¥990–¥1,100 applies within 12 months

🔗 LINEMO plans

povo 2.0 (au-based)

¥0 base monthly fee — you buy data "toppings" when you need them:

• 3GB / 30 days: ¥990
• 5GB / 30 days: ¥1,380
• 30GB / 30 days: ¥2,780
• 1GB / 180 days: ¥1,260 (great as a backup line)

Unlimited-data toppings are sold by time rather than by month: ¥330 for 24 hours, and 1-hour, 2-hour and 3-day options from ¥250.

Best for: People with variable data needs, second SIMs, or anyone who wants to see exactly what they spend.

Note: if you buy no paid topping within any rolling 180 days — and your call and SMS charges in that window stay under ¥660 — the line is suspended, and terminated 30 days later if you still haven't bought anything.

🔗 povo topping list

Rakuten Mobile (Rakuten's own network)

One price ladder for everything: ¥1,078 up to 3GB, ¥2,178 for 3–20GB, and ¥3,278 from 20GB with no further data charges. Usage on Rakuten's own network and on the partner (KDDI/au) network counts toward the same total.

• All-online signup with eSIM; ¥3,300 handling fee plus a device payment if you take their router or phone
• Rakuten Points cashback, and free calls through the Rakuten Link app
• Signal is strongest in cities; in the countryside you switch to KDDI's network at lower speeds. Rakuten has said roaming continues after October 2026 in areas it does not cover itself, and is being withdrawn only where its own coverage is already good.

🔗 Rakuten Saikyo Plan

IIJmio

A long-established MVNO on the docomo or au networks with the widest choice of data sizes. ギガプラン pricing per month:

• eSIM is available on every ギガプラン
• Family discounts for multiple SIMs on one account

🔗 IIJmio ギガプラン

日本通信 SIM (NTT docomo-based)

The cheapest way onto a proper network:

• ¥290 / 1GB per month
• ¥1,390 / 20GB, including 5 minutes of free calls per call or 70 minutes of call time
• ¥2,178 / 50GB for heavy users
• ネットだけプラン, data-only: ¥1,200 for 20GB, or ¥119 when you use under 1GB

eSIM is available, and activation can take as little as 20 minutes.

🔗 日本通信 SIM

Required Documents and Application Process

Required Documents

Online Application Process

1. Choose your carrier and plan
2. Apply on the carrier's website (申し込む)
3. Verify your identity — for online contracts the standard method since 1 April 2026 is transmitting the IC-chip data of your Residence Card through the carrier's app or verification service. Emailing or uploading photos of the card is no longer accepted
4. Enter your address and payment method
5. Choose a physical SIM or eSIM
6. Approval normally takes one to three days; the SIM arrives by mail, or the eSIM profile by QR code
7. Install the SIM and, if required, load the carrier's APN profile — most modern phones and all eSIM activations configure themselves

Which Plan Is Right for You?

Final Takeaway

There is no single best SIM in Japan, only the best fit for how you actually use data. If your monthly usage is unpredictable, povo 2.0 lets you buy capacity only when you need it, and 日本通信 SIM's ¥290 plan covers a light user who lives on Wi-Fi. If you want one flat bill and a lot of data, ahamo at ¥2,970 for 30GB — or Rakuten's capped ¥3,278 plan if you are in its own coverage area — is the simplest answer. Somewhere in the middle sit LINEMO, IIJmio and UQ mobile, all around ¥1,000–¥3,000 for 10–30GB.

Whichever you choose, sort out the essentials before you shop: an address on your 住民票, a payment method the carrier accepts, a working phone that supports the network bands and — for online applications since April 2026 — your Residence Card ready for IC-chip verification. Do that and the whole thing takes about ten minutes.