Cellular/Wifi while traveling abroad…

10 comments

1. If you’re on ahamo / ~~povo~~ / softbank americahodai / whatever other plans now include international roaming, you don’t need to do anything. Your current sim will just work.

   edit: povo roaming isn’t free

   If you’re not, you can pickup an international/USA specific eSIM off esimdb, plenty of choices, some good some bad pricing-wise but they’ll all work.

   If you want a physical sim, easiest/cheapest is to buy one of the prepaid tmobile/etc things off amazon.co.jp If you search for something like USA SIM or アメリカ SIM there’s lots of choices. I’ve used t-mobile one myself and had no problems.

   If your phone is not dual-sim I suggest getting esim and keeping Japanese SIM/whatever you have still plugged in – this way you can continue to receive SMS and voice calls, just don’t use it for data (unless on one of those providers with roaming).

2. I am heading back in a couple days for a two week trip. Me and my partner bought T mobile temporary sims from Amazon. They offer both esim (just a piece of paper with a code) and physical sims. All you do is reserve your date in their system prior to leaving and on that the day the sim/esim activates for it’s duration. They are all unlimited plans for set day amounts.

3. Ahamo has two weeks of data usage while abroad. Other plans likely have similar. You could use an esim that would let you keep your Japanese sim activated.

4. Which phone carrier are you currently using in Japan?

   [Rakuten offers 2Gb data for international roaming](https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/service/global/overseas/en/), and you can purchase additional data at 500Y per 1Gb. Their voip app [(Rakuten Link)](https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/service/rakuten-link/) also allows you to make and receive calls, and sms messages to/from Japan for free.

   [Softbank includes USA roaming for free](https://www.softbank.jp/en/mobile/service/global/overseas/america-hodai/).

5. i used airalo esim while travelling in hk recently and it worked perfectly! they have an option for the US as well. set-up was fast and simple.

6. Depending on how long you’re staying, I used google fi for free for the entire duration of my trip, it was a 7 day free trial using an e-sim and just cancel when you return to Japan, it was unlimited calls and text with 10gb data allowance with hotspot

7. Regarding Wifi: I can’t compare it to other pocket wifis in price, but we used イモトのWifi three times (before covid) and was good service overall.

8. Rakuten gives you 2GB of foreign roaming data free per month (maybe other providers do too?). You can buy additional GB for 500 JPY.

   Easiest is to find out what your carrier gives you or you can buy as you then just keep using your phone as normal.

   If you need more than this the first question is, is your present phone dual sim?

9. >I may need to receive text messages now and again from Japan (account login verification codes)

   In this case you’ll also need to make sure your carrier supports international roaming, even aside from data, since no Japanese carrier offers WiFi calling/texting. No roaming, no texts.

10. On my recent trip to EU, I just got eSim from nomad, worked flawlessly have to say.

    https://www.getnomad.app/en

    In retrospect, the 2G free international roaming from Rakuten could have been enough. Perhaps. Just didn’t want to risk if the hotel wifi sucked.