eSIM for Japan

Free Wi-Fi in Japan, and when you want your own data

The Japan Tourism Agency runs a free Wi-Fi programme for foreign visitors: after a simple registration you can use Wi-Fi at places that show the public wireless LAN mark. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) adds that the major international airports provide free Wi-Fi in their terminals.

That Wi-Fi depends on finding the mark and signing in. Between those places, on the walk from a station exit to a ryokan or while you work out a transfer, maps and timetables need data of your own.

JNTO also reminds visitors that a phone must be unlocked to use a SIM card. Check your phone before you fly with the compatibility guide.

Visit Japan Web on your phone

Visit Japan Web, provided by Japan's Digital Agency, is free of charge. Japan Customs warns about fake websites that imitate it and says no fee is charged for arrival declarations.

Since 25 January 2024 the immigration and customs codes in Visit Japan Web have been combined into a single 2D code. At the airport you hold that code and your IC (chip) passport over the electronic declaration terminal, so arrive with the phone charged and the code ready to open.

Charging: 100 V and shinkansen outlets

Japan uses 100 V everywhere, at 50 Hz in the east and 60 Hz in the west (including Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka), and sockets take plug types A and B. Check that the input range on your charger's label includes 100 V.

JNTO notes that new shinkansen models have outlets next to the window seats, which helps on a long rail day of maps and tickets.

Japan alone, or a longer trip

Local plans cover Japan by itself, which is all a trip needs if it begins and ends in Japan.

A trip that goes on to Seoul or Shanghai can use a regional plan: those that include Japan also cover South Korea and China. Daily plans divide the data into a fixed amount per day, for travellers who think in a daily budget rather than one balance.

For how much data each plan includes and for how long, see “Plans at a glance” above; the activation guide explains what to look for before you install a plan.