Japan SIM card or eSIM: where to buy and what it costs.

Picking up a Japan SIM card when you land is easy, as long as you know where to go, when counters open and what to budget. Here are the counters and vending machines at Narita, Haneda and Kansai, the shops in town, the prices we checked on sellers’ sites on 3 November 2026, unlimited data options, and when an eSIM is the simpler choice.

Japan SIM card or eSIM: the comparison table.

Where to buy a SIM card at Narita, Haneda and Kansai.

At all three airports, the counters are in the public arrivals area, just after customs. Some sell on the spot, with no booking; others only hand over a SIM card you ordered online a few days before, against your passport. Whichever you choose, your phone must be unlocked, as Japan’s national tourism organisation (JNTO) points out.

Narita

According to Narita Airport’s own page, SIM card and rental counters are all before passport control on the departures side, so you can reach them when you arrive. Most open from 7am to 9pm. AnyFone JAPAN sells prepaid SIM cards with no booking in its Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 shops. The airport also lists 9 SIM card vending machines, but doesn’t say which brands they sell or at what price.

Haneda

At Haneda, international flights mostly land at Terminal 3. On 2F, in the arrivals hall, AnyFone JAPAN and Mobile Center sell prepaid SIM cards from 6am to 11pm. In Terminals 1 and 2, AnyFone vending machines stand on B1F, available while the terminal is open.

Kansai

At Kansai, Sakura Mobile has its own counter in Terminal 1, in the arrivals hall, from 6am to 11pm, to hand over SIM cards ordered online. Mobal hands over its cards at the JTB tourist information centre in Terminal 1. Kansai Airport’s site couldn’t be read on 3 November 2026, so check the vending machines on arrival if you haven’t ordered anything.

How much is a Japan SIM card? Prices we checked.

Prices checked on 3 November 2026 on each seller’s site, tax included, converted at the European Central Bank rate of 2 November 2026 (€1 = ¥177.10). In shops, each store sets its own price.

For an official reference point, JNTO’s connectivity guide gives a rough guide of around ¥3,000 for 1GB over 30 days, or about €17. By comparison, our Japan eSIM costs €1.20 for 1GB, €3.10 for 3GB and €8.60 for 10GB, installed before you fly. Prices are in euros: if you pay with a UK card, your bank converts them into pounds and may charge a fee. Other eSIM brands’ prices are in our Japan eSIM comparison.

Unlimited data SIM cards in Japan.

Many travellers look for an unlimited data Japan SIM card, so they never have to think about it. They exist, at a higher price than fixed-data cards:

Read the small print before you pay:

• Fair use: an unlimited offer may slow you down after a set amount of data, as AnyFone states.
• Hotspot: sharing your connection is sometimes excluded, or counted separately.
• Validity: a big allowance is no use if the card stops working before the end of your trip.

Mobile Companion sells set data allowances instead: 20GB costs €14.60 and 50GB costs €28.90. Our guide on how much data you need in Japan helps you pick the right size for your trip.

In town: electronics stores and convenience stores.

According to IIJ’s official list of shops, its Japan Travel SIM is sold in every BIC Camera, Yodobashi Camera, Kojima and Sofmap store, for example in Shinjuku, Akihabara, Umeda in Osaka or Kyoto. b-mobile’s VISITOR range is also sold at BIC Camera, Yodobashi Camera and AEON. The catch: you have to get there first, relying on free WiFi at the station or your hotel.

What about convenience stores? They mostly sell eSIMs, not cards. At FamilyMart, IIJ’s Japan Travel SIM is ordered at the multi-copy machine, from ¥2,480 (3GB) to ¥5,780 (55GB): you pay at the till, then download an eSIM with the code you get. According to IIJ, a few Lawson stores sell a physical SIM card, as does the FamilyMart at Narita’s Terminal 1 station. 7-Eleven’s site lists prepaid SIM cards but can’t display their details, so we can’t confirm they’re aimed at tourists.

Before you buy: what to check.

• Your phone is unlocked: every seller requires it, as does JNTO. If it’s locked, ask your UK network to unlock it before you go.
• Your passport: you need it to collect a SIM card ordered online.
• The data allowance, and what happens when it runs out: some cards stop, others slow right down.
• How long it lasts, and when the clock starts: at purchase, at activation or at first use.
• The Japanese network: b-mobile and Mobal use NTT docomo, IIJ’s unlimited card uses au, and Sakura Mobile uses one or the other depending on the plan.
• Refunds: b-mobile doesn’t refund once you’ve ordered, and IIJ’s unlimited card can’t be returned or exchanged.

Setting up your SIM card in Japan

1. 1

   Switch off your phone

   Open the SIM tray with the tool, take out your UK SIM and put it somewhere safe.

2. 2

   Insert the Japanese SIM

   Close the tray, switch your phone back on and wait a few seconds.

3. 3

   Follow the seller’s instructions

   If the card doesn’t connect by itself, the leaflet tells you which setting to add. The airport’s free WiFi helps if a download is needed.

4. 4

   Check your mobile data

   Open a web page or a map. The name of the Japanese network should appear at the top of your screen.

Tourist SIM cards: data-only or with a number?

Every tourist SIM card in our price tables is data-only: internet, but no Japanese phone number and no ordinary texts. That’s usually all you need. WhatsApp, FaceTime and other calling apps work over data, with your usual account.

A Japanese number only matters if someone in Japan has to call you on an ordinary line. Some sellers offer voice SIM cards for that, such as Mobal, from ¥4,950 plus a monthly plan from ¥1,430.

Bear in mind that with a SIM card, your UK number leaves your phone along with your UK SIM. With a data eSIM, your UK SIM stays in place, so you can still receive texts on your UK number. Depending on your UK plan, your network may charge for some services abroad, such as calls you receive: check before you go.

When an eSIM is simpler.

An eSIM is a SIM built into your phone: instead of inserting a card, you download your line. Our help centre explains the technical differences between the two. For your trip, it mostly changes one thing: everything happens at home, before you fly, and there’s no counter to find.

• You install it in 1 minute, at home over WiFi: the QR code arrives straight away after your purchase.
• When you land, turn off aeroplane mode: it connects by itself to the NTT docomo network, in 5G where the network and your phone support it. It’s a Japanese line with a real Japanese IP address.
• Your plan starts at your first connection in Japan, not when you buy it, so you can buy it days before you fly.
• Your UK SIM stays in your phone for calls and texts.
• Got a question? A real person answers on WhatsApp, 24/7, in English or French.

Does your phone take an eSIM?

Two conditions apply: your phone must support eSIM, and it must be unlocked, meaning it isn’t tied to your UK network. Check before you buy: is your phone eSIM-ready? A quick test: dial *#06# on your keypad. If an EID number appears, your phone supports eSIM.

If your phone is unlocked but doesn’t support eSIM, a SIM card remains a good option. Travelling as a group? Look at pocket WiFi rental and its prices, which works with any device.

Frequently asked questions.