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)
Oct 6, 2022, 9:44 pm
#616
Join Date: Sep 2021
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 5
Might be a stupid question, but how do I know I'm good to go after purchasing the IIJMIO eSIM? I've followed all the steps in the posts above and am in a similar situation to the post below. Main concern is the APN/Username/Password not populating under my Cellular Data Network page yet, but that could be totally normal.
Just want to make sure I'm data-ready right after I jump off the plane later this month.
Iphone 13. Scanned the QR code on the website, which then came up with an Activate Now screen on the phone which I selected. Then got a message saying I could continue using my phone. 10 mins later got a message saying sim not activated. It has however populated the IMEI2, ICCID, MEID slots under about and also displays the Japanese Number associated with the sim.
Oct 6, 2022, 10:54 pm
#617
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 940
I used the 30 day Mobal SIM (the one that comes with a local number) in July without issue. A family member was using an IIJmio tourist SIM during the same period and it seemed like the Mobal connection was generally faster / more consistent even if the margin wasn't necessarily wide. YMMV
Oct 8, 2022, 9:38 am
#618
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, OZ*G, AA Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 1,874
Might be a stupid question, but how do I know I'm good to go after purchasing the IIJMIO eSIM? I've followed all the steps in the posts above and am in a similar situation to the post below. Main concern is the APN/Username/Password not populating under my Cellular Data Network page yet, but that could be totally normal.
Just want to make sure I'm data-ready right after I jump off the plane later this month.
Just want to make sure I'm data-ready right after I jump off the plane later this month.
Oct 8, 2022, 10:37 am
#619
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 51
If you're in that situation, then you should get signal as soon as you touch down in Japan. That was how it went for me last week. You won't see a "personal hotspot" option appear, though- if you want that you have to go download the carrier profile from their website (or if you have a Japanese App Store account, from the My IIJMio app), install it, then type out the APN info for "personal hotspot" (same as for regular internet). Worked fine for me during my 3-hour transit at NRT, I was able to tether both my laptop and my Switch to the phone and finally run down the data I'd accumulated (took some trying, though- bought a couple new games for the Switch, ran a Windows update on my laptop, downloaded a bunch of app updates I'd banked up in the preceding week).
My ESim screen for the IIJ sim looks like this, fairly standard looking imo but I won't know if it works or not until my phone sees a Docomo tower.
Oct 8, 2022, 12:05 pm
#620
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 1,216
This one? https://www.amazon.co.jp/Version-Ini...jaz10cnVl&th=1
Is this the process?
1. Buy esim from Amazon/iijmio for download
2. Activate esim Giga Plan https://www.iijmio.jp/gigaplan/esim/
Plans
IIJMio doesn't seem to offer sms or direct voice on the esim plan https://www.iijmio.jp/simguide/esim/cons.html though the esim can be exchanged for a physical sim? Voice & SMS on Au/Docomo seems to still require a MyNumber/id (should have clarified that) and you're right that various MVNOs do offer contract data only plans which don't require id verification.
From https://www.iijmio.jp/hdc/spec/
Just asking about sms/phone number since some people still want that for 2FA or local calls.
Is this the process?
1. Buy esim from Amazon/iijmio for download
2. Activate esim Giga Plan https://www.iijmio.jp/gigaplan/esim/
Plans
- 2 GB 440 yen
- 4 GB 660 yen
- 8 GB 1,100 yen
- 15 GB 1,430 yen
- 20 GB 1,650 yen
IIJMio doesn't seem to offer sms or direct voice on the esim plan https://www.iijmio.jp/simguide/esim/cons.html though the esim can be exchanged for a physical sim? Voice & SMS on Au/Docomo seems to still require a MyNumber/id (should have clarified that) and you're right that various MVNOs do offer contract data only plans which don't require id verification.
From https://www.iijmio.jp/hdc/spec/
Just asking about sms/phone number since some people still want that for 2FA or local calls.
Oct 9, 2022, 12:20 am
#621
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, OZ*G, AA Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 1,874
And I should be seeing "No Service" all the time if I'm outside of Japan right? The activation was kind of weird, it was stuck at "activating" for 15 minutes, and then it says it failed, and then no updates and looked like it was "activated"
My ESim screen for the IIJ sim looks like this, fairly standard looking imo but I won't know if it works or not until my phone sees a Docomo tower.
My ESim screen for the IIJ sim looks like this, fairly standard looking imo but I won't know if it works or not until my phone sees a Docomo tower.
Oct 10, 2022, 12:28 am
#622
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
IMO the iijmio method seems like a lot of work to save a few dollars. After checking esimdb, Ubigi is 16 USD for 10GB for 30 days, is it really worth it to go through all the steps of rolling over data to get maybe 16 GB with Iijimo vs 10GB with Ubigi?
Not sponsored btw, it just seems like that company is the best price performance at the moment without going through those hoops.
Not sponsored btw, it just seems like that company is the best price performance at the moment without going through those hoops.
Oct 11, 2022, 11:49 am
#624
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: AA Plat Pro, SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 193
According to the Ubigi website, the clock starts ticking when you purchase the data plan.
When is the best timing to buy
When is the best timing to buy
Oct 11, 2022, 1:56 pm
#625
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
According to the Ubigi website, the clock starts ticking when you purchase the data plan.
When is the best timing to buy
When is the best timing to buy
Oct 16, 2022, 5:59 pm
#627
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: MM / UA 1K
Posts: 473
The short answer seems to be setting your Amazon home address to Japan or signing up directly through IIJmio.
Oct 17, 2022, 12:20 am
#628
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, OZ*G, AA Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 1,874
For now, just use the IIJMio site directly and sign up with the address of the first place you'll be staying at in Japan, since the total activation fee is the same. So long as you're doing eSIM, nothing will be shipped. The only reason to do Amazon is if you want a physical SIM (lower activation fee) or anyone signing up after 10/31 (activation fee on IIJMio site goes back up to 3300 yen until the next promo comes around).
Oct 17, 2022, 5:30 am
#629
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 24
Tried searching FT for updated info on renting pocket wifi at Haneda airport but can't seem to find really much. Seems Pupuru and globaladvancedcomm.com, to which I found references, are not delivering/operating at HND anymore.
Can someone please throw some light on the current situation at HND for renting pocket wifi? Our scheduled arrival is 0700 on Nov 13.
And apologies for being in the wrong forum but I couldn't find anything else.
Can someone please throw some light on the current situation at HND for renting pocket wifi? Our scheduled arrival is 0700 on Nov 13.
And apologies for being in the wrong forum but I couldn't find anything else.
Oct 17, 2022, 11:37 am
#630
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 62
For now, just use the IIJMio site directly and sign up with the address of the first place you'll be staying at in Japan, since the total activation fee is the same. So long as you're doing eSIM, nothing will be shipped. The only reason to do Amazon is if you want a physical SIM (lower activation fee) or anyone signing up after 10/31 (activation fee on IIJMio site goes back up to 3300 yen until the next promo comes around).