Hey everyone, I’m brand new here and wondering what recommendations could you guys give me for a good value data-only SIM card (for a new iPad I’m getting) in Japan? Are there any unlimited plans? And while we’re at it, what are your thoughts / recommendations for general mobile phone plans with Japanese carriers? Thanks for your tips everyone!
5 comments
There are no cheap “Unlimited” plans. 80-100GB from non-mainline carrier/mvno will run around 5-6k yen. 5Gギガホ (unlimited, for now) from docomo is ~8500 a month before possible discounts.
Why do you need so much data on a tablet? Just get proper internet at home and use wifi.
And if you must have celluar on it, IIJMio gigaplan is a decent deal.
Sakura Mobile looks reliable with good Docomo network and English support
The three main operators are Docomo, au, and SoftBank. Rakuten is still catching up. Anything else beside those 4 are called MVNO, basically they borrow main operators’ network to operate.
MVNOs like Nuro are generally cheap(er), so pick any depending on whether you can get a great deal or not. But usually they don’t have much data quota.
If you really need the data quota, go on with any of the 4 major operators. Even though expensive, I recommend Docomo since it has the best coverage especially if you go to rural areas, or Rakuten since it’s the more affordable one.
Second the recommendation of Sakura. Great support for English speakers and convenient if you’re near the major airports.
If you want something cheap, data only Iijimo plans are 20GB for JPY 1650 (eSIM, data only).