Mar 22, 2016, 3:00 am
Last edit by: RichardInSF
Japan - Prepaid Data SIM Wikia
1) get a SIM before the trip, activate it when you land. you can find japan-specific prepaid SIMs on ebay/amazon/... .Some countries have providers that offer good roaming rates in other countries(eg Starhub in Singapore, Ais Sim2Fly available globally)
2) preorder it, delivered to your hotel
3) preorder it to airport post office, can pick up when you land
4) preorder it, pickup at some airport counter/store
5) at airport/city, find an store/kiosk/vending machine and buy from them
6) Use an app such as Iijmio, Airalo or Ubigi to buy an e-SIM if your phone supports it
If you are arriving at Haneda international terminal without a SIM: Exit customs, turn right, and continue to the BIC camera store on the left side. Ignore any other places and vending machines that will sell you a SIM. BIC has a good selection at regular camera store prices.
1) get a SIM before the trip, activate it when you land. you can find japan-specific prepaid SIMs on ebay/amazon/... .Some countries have providers that offer good roaming rates in other countries(eg Starhub in Singapore, Ais Sim2Fly available globally)
2) preorder it, delivered to your hotel
3) preorder it to airport post office, can pick up when you land
4) preorder it, pickup at some airport counter/store
5) at airport/city, find an store/kiosk/vending machine and buy from them
6) Use an app such as Iijmio, Airalo or Ubigi to buy an e-SIM if your phone supports it
If you are arriving at Haneda international terminal without a SIM: Exit customs, turn right, and continue to the BIC camera store on the left side. Ignore any other places and vending machines that will sell you a SIM. BIC has a good selection at regular camera store prices.
Prepaid SIM discussion (consolidated)
Dec 3, 2014, 11:14 pm
#151
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
I have the b-mobile Visitor SIM (1GB) on a CDMA iPhone 6 (A1549). The phone constantly shows no signal (all the pips are hollow) ....
For the price, I am very disappointed with the quality of the service and the connectivity. (It is basically none). Docomo uses Band 1 for their LTE, and my phone supports it, so I don't get why connectivity is so terrible on this SIM.
For the price, I am very disappointed with the quality of the service and the connectivity. (It is basically none). Docomo uses Band 1 for their LTE, and my phone supports it, so I don't get why connectivity is so terrible on this SIM.
Must be your first time using this kind of products in Japan. It never shows signal.. i.e. always 0 bars, whether it's iOS, Android or my good old SONY 3G dumb phone. But the data connection always worked.
B-Mobile is the worst visitor data SIM on the market - overtaken by all the new comers. Slowest actual speed (rarely over 1 Mbps), among the highest per-unit data cost, shortest support hours for non-Japanese speakers, no Chinese/Korean support (for those who need it).
The only good thing for B-Mobile is free shipping to any address (i.e. your hotel) in Japan.
It used to be a very good product when it first launched 3-4 years ago - speeds of 2 Mbps and up, the only for-purchase SIM card available to tourists. Then they "enhanced" it with an English website, card shipped pre-activated, reduced the validity period by half, and secretly throttled the speed 7/24.
Last edited by beep88; Dec 3, 2014 at 11:26 pm
Dec 4, 2014, 1:39 am
#154
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 557
It 'works' for most values of work. It's just way disappointing compared to what locals get (I ran a speed test on an iPhone 6 at Sofpal yesterday and got over 100 Mbps!!)
I will have to tell the friend that recommended this to me about the other options, too. Specifically, beep88's sounds like a way better deal all the way around. Alternately, if I had known this forum existed, I could've asked here! Lesson learned.
I also have a bone to pick with Apple - putting in the foreign SIM immediately deactivated my US number from iMessage and Facetime... which there is apparently no way to work around without turning off iMessage and Facetime entirely on the device, and only doing so in an area withOUT wi-fi coverage. Reactivating the US number requires putting in the US SIM and then sending an international text message to Apple, because that makes sense at all.
Dec 6, 2014, 7:36 am
#156
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
- The initial data charge is good for 3-4 months vs. 1 month on So-Net.
- The SIM is good for 18 months if you keep refilling.
- Refills are much cheaper e.g. 1100 yen for 500MB vs 2000 yen on So-Net.
If you're a one time traveler to Japan for a short trip, SO-Net might be better but generally I think you're better off with IIJ. SO-net also started offering a 12GB 180 day SIM, which I think might be a good deal.
I also have a bone to pick with Apple - putting in the foreign SIM immediately deactivated my US number from iMessage and Facetime... which there is apparently no way to work around without turning off iMessage and Facetime entirely on the device, and only doing so in an area withOUT wi-fi coverage. Reactivating the US number requires putting in the US SIM and then sending an international text message to Apple, because that makes sense at all.
Dec 8, 2014, 10:46 pm
#157
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Skymiles GM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, National EE, Hertz 5*
Posts: 383
I placed an order for the bmobile 3GB prepaid SIM
日本通信 bモバイル 3GB定額 SIM (標準SIM) [BM-FRML-3GB]
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%97%A5%E6.../dp/B00NN7JM6A
3,901 yen and free expedited shipping (Amazon Prime trial need to cancel!). Plan to activate with a friend's phone. Will let everyone know how it goes.
日本通信 bモバイル 3GB定額 SIM (標準SIM) [BM-FRML-3GB]
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%97%A5%E6.../dp/B00NN7JM6A
3,901 yen and free expedited shipping (Amazon Prime trial need to cancel!). Plan to activate with a friend's phone. Will let everyone know how it goes.
Dec 9, 2014, 8:27 am
#158
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Gold, JGC Sapphire, OZ Diamond, AF Silver, CX GR, Marriott Lifetime SL
Posts: 3,598
I placed an order for the bmobile 3GB prepaid SIM
日本通信 bモバイル 3GB定額 SIM (標準SIM) [BM-FRML-3GB]
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%97%A5%E6.../dp/B00NN7JM6A
3,901 yen and free expedited shipping (Amazon Prime trial need to cancel!). Plan to activate with a friend's phone. Will let everyone know how it goes.
日本通信 bモバイル 3GB定額 SIM (標準SIM) [BM-FRML-3GB]
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%97%A5%E6.../dp/B00NN7JM6A
3,901 yen and free expedited shipping (Amazon Prime trial need to cancel!). Plan to activate with a friend's phone. Will let everyone know how it goes.
http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/l_3gb/faq.html
b-mobile 3GB定額は、速度制限をしていますか？
以下の条件において速度制限する場合があります。
・ファイル交換（P2P)のアプリケーション等の連続したデータ通信利用時
・当日を含む3日間のパケット通信が300万パケット以上の利用時
パケット制限はありますか？
お客様間の公平を確保するため、 特にご利用の多いお客様（当日を含む直近3日間の 通信量の合計が300万パケット(360MB相当)以上）に対しては 通信の速度を制限する場合があります。
Dec 20, 2014, 7:23 am
#159
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 89
I've read reports that claim the contrary.
Anyway it's only 3200 JPY on Amazon JP with occasional flash sales. One can consider delivery to the hotel.
Dec 23, 2014, 1:16 pm
#160
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
Apparently only 1GB and 3GB versions available from the vending machines at prices quoted above.
https://mobareco.jp/a1847/
Dec 23, 2014, 9:56 pm
#161
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 89
You were reading outdated reports from 3 months ago.
Apparently only 1GB and 3GB versions available from the vending machines at prices quoted above.
https://mobareco.jp/a1847/
Apparently only 1GB and 3GB versions available from the vending machines at prices quoted above.
https://mobareco.jp/a1847/
Dec 25, 2014, 8:09 am
#162
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Skymiles GM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, National EE, Hertz 5*
Posts: 383
I finished with my 3gb prepaid sim and left japan (man was it slow on my Huawei Ascend Y300!). Passed it off to a random person at the airport. Hopefully it'll be put to good use.
Feb 8, 2015, 9:56 am
#163
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,781
Bumping a slightly old thread, but is this requirement not present on cards purchased in person? The so-net site says the SIM just needs to be inserted and activated via a browser upon purchase.
Feb 12, 2015, 9:02 pm
#164
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
They were talking about the local SIM bought from amazon.co.jp .
Anything else you see on an official website in English are meant for foreign tourists and do not require activation with a Japanese phone.
Anything else you see on an official website in English are meant for foreign tourists and do not require activation with a Japanese phone.
Feb 14, 2015, 10:19 am
#165
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,781
Thanks. I saw the so-net SIM on offer during a flash sale last week for 2200 yen, so I figured I might try that, but I found a similar SIM on eBay for $24.50 instead that I could have shipped to me before departure, so I opted for that to save some hassle on arrival.