Buying guideIndependently ranked · 6 picks

Best Travel eSIMs for Japan in 2026

Live /japan 10 GB rows for 30 days, cheapest first after Maya is removed and Yesim falls to seventh: Nomad $16, Sim Local $16.50, Ubigi $16.50, GigSky $16.79, Saily $17.99, Airalo $18.

Prices on this page are updated daily from live plan data — last refreshed . · How we rank

Live /japan 10 GB rows for 30 days, cheapest first after Maya is removed and Yesim falls to seventh: Nomad $16, Sim Local $16.50, Ubigi $16.50, GigSky $16.79, Saily $17.99, Airalo $18. A named host on the shop or SKU splits a tie only when two of those 10 GB totals are the same. Sim Local and Ubigi meet at $16.50; Sim Local is cheaper at 5 GB ($11), and Ubigi has no 5 GB 30-day country row.

Opensignal's Japan Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2026 (90 days from 1 January to 31 March 2026), covers au, NTT docomo, Rakuten Mobile and SoftBank. au took ten sole awards and one joint award, including a clean sweep of the experiential metrics. Download Speed Experience: SoftBank 65.1 Mbps (sole). Upload Speed: Rakuten Mobile 15.8 Mbps. 5G Download: NTT docomo 159.1 Mbps. 5G Upload: Rakuten Mobile 23.8 Mbps. Consistent Quality: au 88.3 per cent. Reliability: au 967 (100 to 1000). Coverage Experience: NTT docomo 9.0 (0 to 10). 5G Coverage: NTT docomo 5.0. Time on Network: au and NTT docomo 99.7 per cent, joint. Time on 5G: SoftBank 27.4 per cent. Video Experience: au 74.1. The same report notes MIC applications for 26 GHz mmWave, with an auction later in 2026, NTT docomo's 3G FOMA shutdown on 31 March 2026, and nationwide emergency JAPAN Roaming from 1 April 2026. TCA's English FY2026 table prints a mobile-telephone total of 232,875,800 at 1Q June 2026; per-carrier HTML cells were not retrieved this pass. Those scores describe the four national MNOs. They do not name a host for any pick.

Japan is not in a roam-like-at-home bloc with South Korea or Taiwan. A Japan-country plan stays inside the storefront's Japan coverage. Korea and Taiwan stay empty on the Japan-country SKUs unless that shop names a latch; none of the six did this pass. Ubigi's Asia 10 GB 30-day dest row is a different SKU ($42).

Island and territory cells stay empty unless that shop or SKU names the place. Airalo's Moshi Moshi 10 GB 30-day payload other_info says it covers all of Japan, including Okinawa and Hokkaido. That list is Airalo Moshi Moshi-only. Nomad's Japan shop warns that coverage may not include overseas territories and markets Tokyo and Osaka. Sim Local 5/10/20 GB country SKUs print coverage as Japan and do not name Okinawa or Hokkaido. Ubigi 10 GB and 25 GB SKUs do not name them. Yesim's country shop city list is Fukuoka, Kawanakajima, Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Saitama, Sapporo, Tokyo, Yokohama, and other cities in Japan. Sapporo on that list is not a Hokkaido coverage line. Saily names Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo, and prints rural Hokkaido as patchier for any carrier. Do not infer Okinawa, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku or Tsushima from KDDI, SoftBank or Docomo.

The live /japan order at 10 GB for 30 days is Nomad, Sim Local, Ubigi, GigSky, Saily, Airalo. Top-ups sit in each provider's app once the plan is on a Japanese network.

Suica or ICOCA already loaded and the Shinkansen seats already booked: skip to the plans. Still sizing nights against gigabytes for a city hop versus a countryside stretch, Plan Match at /plan-match ranks the live country table from both answers.

In a hurry? Skip to the at-a-glance list. Planning something specific? Use our comparison tool to filter live plans by destination and budget.

The best travel eSIMs at a glance

Our 6 top picks, ranked. Tap one to jump to the full review.

All 6 compared on the same numbers

“Cheapest per GB” is the best value across a provider’s whole Japan range; the columns after it hold the size fixed so providers are compared like for like. All figures come from live plans, refreshed daily. Host network is the local carrier each provider actually rides — the thing that decides how well an eSIM works away from the coast and the big cities.

ProviderHost network in JapanCheapest per GB10 GB20 GBUnlimited, 30 daysDaily fair-use cap
1NomadKDDI au / SoftBank$0.70/GB$1.60/GB$1.15/GBNone sold
2Sim LocalKDDI au$0.94/GB$1.65/GB$1.27/GBNone sold
3UbigiKDDI and NTT Docomo$1.10/GB$1.40/GBNo plan$65Not published
4GigSkyNot publicly disclosed unconfirmed$1.68/GB$1.68/GBNo plan$65.492.5 GB/day
5SailyKDDI and SoftBank$1.25/GB$1.80/GB$1.25/GB$71.995 GB/day
6AiraloSoftbank + KDDI$1.20/GB$1.70/GB$1.20/GB$693 GB/day

“No plan” means the provider sells nothing at that size in Japan, not that it is unavailable. Fair-use caps are taken from each provider’s own published policy and cited in the unlimited table below; where a provider publishes no figure we say so rather than estimate one.

1
Cheapest ranked 10 GB 30-day total; dest 3 GB, 5 GB, 20 GB and 50 GB☆☆☆☆☆ 0.0/5

Nomad

FROM$0.70/GB
Host networkKDDI au / SoftBank (shop; 10 GB SKU both; 50 GB SKU KDDI au)
CoverageOverseas territories not claimed. Shop markets Tokyo and Osaka
HotspotYes on the Japan shop FAQ
CodeDest prints ATESIM 20% on sale 10/20/50 GB rows. Programme excludes sale, unlimited, Thailand 50 GB, plans under USD 5
★ Exclusive all things eSIM code
ATESIM20% off

Nomad's Japan shop names KDDI au / SoftBank. The 10 GB 30-day SKU (Japan 10 GB 30 Days) lists KDDI au and SoftBank on mask_network. The 50 GB 30-day SKU lists KDDI au only. The same shop FAQ prints: Yes, Nomad's eSIMs support tethering / hotspot. Coverage may not include overseas territories. The shop markets Tokyo and Osaka. Okinawa and Hokkaido are not on that shop as coverage.

Live-table 10 GB 30-day is $16, ATESIM 20% where the dest table prints it, matching the shop USD 16 amount (regular_price USD 18, is_on_sale true). That is the cheapest 10 GB dest total among the six. ATESIM 20% does not apply to unlimited, add-ons, business, sale, Thailand 50 GB, or plans under USD 5. Dest still prints ATESIM on this 10 GB sale row, on 20 GB $23, on 50 GB $35 (is_on_sale true), and on unlimited 3/7/14/21-day rows. There is no Nomad 30-day unlimited country row. Shop 1 GB 7 days is USD 4 (under the USD 5 floor). Live-table 3 GB 30-day is $7. Live-table 5 GB 30-day is $10. Live-table 20 GB 30-day is $23. Live-table 50 GB 30-day is $35. No 25 GB 30-day Japan-country row.

Strengths
  • +Cheapest 10 GB 30-day dest total among the six ranked picks ($16)
  • +Dest cheapest 3 GB, 5 GB, 20 GB and 50 GB 30-day country rows
  • +Shop names KDDI au / SoftBank
  • +Hotspot supported on the Japan shop FAQ
Limitations
  • 10 GB and 50 GB shop rows are on sale, so programme ATESIM 20% does not apply even where dest prints the code
  • 50 GB SKU names KDDI au only
  • No 25 GB or 30-day unlimited country row
  • Overseas territories not claimed
Verdict · $16 at 10 GB for 30 days is the lowest dest total on the live Japan table, on a shop that prints KDDI au / SoftBank.
Buy Nomad
2
Tied 10 GB dest total; cheaper at 5 GB than Ubigi☆☆☆☆☆ 0.0/5

Sim Local

FROM$0.94/GB
Host networkKDDI au (5/10/20 GB SKUs)
CoverageCountry SKUs print Japan. Okinawa and Hokkaido unnamed
HotspotYes on those SKUs
CodeATESIM 10% on the dest row
Unlimited, 30 days$77.50 on dest (KDD-006), 10 GB/day then throttled. Second product line
★ Exclusive all things eSIM code
ATESIM10% off

Sim Local's 5 GB, 10 GB and 20 GB country SKUs name KDDI au. The same SKUs print hotspot and tethering: yes. Coverage on those SKUs is Japan. They do not name Okinawa, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku or Tsushima.

ATESIM is 10% off where the dest table prints it. Live-table 10 GB 30-day is $16.50, tied with Ubigi. Live-table 5 GB 30-day is $11, behind Nomad $10. Live-table 20 GB 30-day is $25.50, behind Nomad $23. Unlimited 30-day is $77.50 on dest (KDD-006-KDDI), with dest printing 10 GB/day then throttled. That au unlimited line is a second product. Orange Holiday World and World 3 GB sit on the same site. They are not Japan-country dest cheapest SKUs.

Strengths
  • +5/10/20 GB SKUs name KDDI au
  • +Hotspot and tethering yes on those SKUs
  • +ATESIM 10% where the dest table prints it
  • +Shop list on 10 GB matches dest at US$16.50
Limitations
  • No dest cheapest-at-size win at 5, 10 or 20 GB (Nomad undercuts all three)
  • Country SKUs do not name Okinawa or Hokkaido
  • 10 GB dest total ties Ubigi at $16.50
Verdict · KDDI au is written on the 5, 10 and 20 GB country SKUs, and the 5 GB dest row is what puts this shop above Ubigi after the $16.50 tie.
Buy Sim Local
3
Best 1 GB and 25 GB 30-day price☆☆☆☆☆ 0.0/5

Ubigi

FROM$1.10/GB
Host networkKDDI and NTT Docomo (10/25 GB SKUs)
CoverageIslands not named on the SKUs
HotspotData sharing allowed on those SKUs
Unlimited, 30 days$65, daily cap not printed
CodeTRAVELCITY10 for 10% off
★ Exclusive all things eSIM code
TRAVELCITY1010% off

Ubigi is the cheapest 30-day Japan-country row at 1 GB ($4) and 25 GB ($32). The 10 GB 30-day SKU names KDDI and NTT Docomo. The 25 GB 30-day SKU prints the same two hosts. Those SKUs say data sharing is allowed. They do not name Okinawa or Hokkaido. The rates listing page did not name the Japan host on the fetched page. The dest host table currently cites the Ubigi partner list; that list is not the cite this pass.

Live-table 10 GB 30-day is $16.50, tied with Sim Local. TRAVELCITY10 is 10% off where the dest table prints it. There is no 5 GB or 20 GB 30-day Japan-country row on the live dest table. Unlimited 30-day is $65 with dest printing no daily cap. The unlimited affiliate SKU path contains FUP60. That is a product code, not a printed daily GB. Do not read 60 GB into that row. Live-table 50 GB 30-day is $55, behind Nomad $35.

Same provider, same 10 GB, 30 days on the live dest table: Japan $16.50, Best Asia $28, Best World $39, Asia $42, World $59. Shop list on the 10 GB SKU is US$16.50.

Strengths
  • +Cheapest 1 GB and 25 GB 30-day rows on the live Japan table
  • +10/25 GB 30-day SKUs name KDDI and NTT Docomo
  • +Same 10 GB 30-day: Japan $16.50, Asia $42
  • +Data sharing allowed on those SKUs
Limitations
  • Rates listing page did not name a host this pass
  • Unlimited daily cap not printed on the 30-day dest row
  • No 5 GB or 20 GB 30-day country row on dest
  • 10 GB dest total matches Sim Local at $16.50
Verdict · The only 25 GB 30-day country row, with KDDI and NTT Docomo written on the 10 GB and 25 GB SKUs, not on the partner list.
Buy Ubigi
4
Fourth at 10 GB 30-day dest total☆☆☆☆☆ 0.0/5

GigSky

FROM$1.68/GB
Host networkNot publicly disclosed
CoverageIslands unnamed (Japan shop not retrieved)
HotspotNot stated (Japan shop Cloudflare this pass)
Unlimited, 30 days$65.49, 2.5 GB/day then reduced, not below 100 kbps
CodeATESIM 15% on the dest row
★ Exclusive all things eSIM code
ATESIM15% off

GigSky's 10 GB 30-day dest country total is $16.79, ATESIM 15% where the dest table prints it. That sits behind Nomad, Sim Local and Ubigi, and ahead of Saily and Airalo. The Japan shop at /country/esim-in-japan did not return a usable page this pass (Cloudflare), so the host stays unpublished. Dest currently cites a GigSky blog for NTT Docomo. Blog is not shop. Policy that names fastest-available is not a carrier.

There is no GigSky 50 GB dest Japan-country row at any duration. Live-table 5 GB 30-day is $10.29, behind Nomad $10. Unlimited 30-day is $65.49 with dest printing 2.5 GB/day, then reduced, not below 100 kbps. Hotspot is empty for this pick because the Japan shop was not retrieved; a GigSky Help Centre article is not the shop.

Strengths
  • +Fourth-cheapest 10 GB 30-day dest total among the six ($16.79)
  • +ATESIM 15% where the dest table prints it
  • +Capped 5 GB and 10 GB 30-day country rows exist on dest
Limitations
  • Japan shop not retrieved this pass; host unpublished
  • No dest 50 GB country row
  • Not the cheapest 30-day row at 5 GB or 10 GB
  • Hotspot line empty on the shop this pass
Verdict · $16.79 keeps GigSky inside the six on dest 10 GB. The host cell stays empty until the Japan shop names an MNO.
Buy GigSky
5
Fifth at 10 GB 30-day dest total☆☆☆☆☆ 0.0/5

Saily

FROM$1.25/GB
Host networkKDDI and SoftBank (shop)
CoverageTokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo. Rural Hokkaido printed as patchier. Okinawa unnamed
HotspotLimitless hotspot sharing with friends and family
Unlimited, 30 days$71.99, 5 GB/day then 1 Mbps

Saily's Japan shop names KDDI and SoftBank on the product page (powered by partnerships with local operators including KDDI and SoftBank). Shop hotspot line: Limitless hotspot sharing with friends and family. Coverage copy names Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo. Rural Hokkaido is printed as patchier for any carrier. Okinawa is unnamed on that coverage line.

Saily is not the cheapest 30-day row at 3, 5, 10 or 20 GB. Live-table 10 GB 30-day is $17.99. Live-table 3 GB 30-day is $7.99, behind Nomad $7. Live-table 5 GB 30-day is $10.99, behind Nomad $10. Live-table 20 GB 30-day is $24.99, behind Nomad $23. Unlimited 30-day is $71.99 with dest printing 5 GB/day, then 1 Mbps. Dest prints no promo on Saily this pass.

Strengths
  • +Shop names KDDI and SoftBank
  • +Shop hotspot line is printed
  • +Shop coverage line names Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo
  • +Unlimited 30-day exists on the live table with a printed daily cap
Limitations
  • Not the cheapest 30-day row at 3, 5, 10 or 20 GB
  • 10 GB dest total is fifth among the six
  • Okinawa unnamed on the coverage line
Verdict · KDDI and SoftBank sit on the Japan product page. At 10 GB, four programme rows still undercut $17.99.
Buy Saily
6
Sixth at 10 GB 30-day dest total☆☆☆☆☆ 0.0/5

Airalo

FROM$1.20/GB
Host networkSoftbank and KDDI (Moshi Moshi 10 GB payload)
CoverageAll of Japan, including Okinawa and Hokkaido (Moshi Moshi other_info)
HotspotNot stated on the Japan shop or Moshi Moshi payload
Unlimited, 30 days$69, 3 GB/day then 1 Mbps

Airalo's Japan shop UI names Softbank as the primary network. The same-origin package payload for the Moshi Moshi 10 GB 30-day SKU (moshi-moshi-30days-10gb, dest $18) says it operates on the Softbank and KDDI networks in Japan. That payload other_info says coverage includes all of Japan, including Okinawa and Hokkaido. Hotspot is not stated on that shop or payload, so it is omitted.

Airalo is not the cheapest 30-day row at 3, 5, 10 or 20 GB. Live-table 10 GB 30-day is $18, the dearest of the six. Live-table 20 GB 30-day is $25, behind Nomad $23 and Saily $24.99. Live-table 5 GB 30-day is $11. Unlimited 30-day is $69 with dest printing 3 GB/day then 1 Mbps (moshi-moshi-30days-unlimited). Dest prints no promo on Airalo this pass.

Strengths
  • +Moshi Moshi payload names Softbank and KDDI
  • +Payload names Okinawa and Hokkaido
  • +Unlimited 30-day exists on the live table with a printed daily cap
  • +20 GB 30-day country row exists on dest
Limitations
  • Hotspot not stated on the Japan shop or Moshi Moshi payload
  • 10 GB 30-day dest total is the dearest of the six
  • Not the cheapest 30-day row at 3, 5, 10 or 20 GB
Verdict · Softbank and KDDI sit on the Moshi Moshi payload, with Okinawa and Hokkaido in other_info. The 10 GB dest total is $18.
Buy Airalo
What it actually costs

What Japan data actually costs

Japan travel eSIM prices look random until you convert every plan to one number: the real cost per gigabyte. Here is what that reveals right now.

The cheapest plan at each size, 30 days

DataCheapest providerTotalPrice per GB
50 GBNomad$35$0.70/GBGet plan ↗🏷 20% off with code ATESIM
25 GBUbigi$32$1.28/GBGet plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10
20 GBNomad$23$1.15/GBGet plan ↗🏷 20% off with code ATESIM
10 GBNomad$16$1.60/GBGet plan ↗🏷 20% off with code ATESIM
5 GBNomad$10$2.00/GBGet plan ↗🏷 20% off with code ATESIM
1 GBUbigi$4$4.00/GBGet plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10

Cost per GB rises from $0.70/GB at 50 GB to $4.00/GB at 1 GB. Buying a little more data than you expect to use is almost always cheaper per gigabyte than buying exactly what you need.

The "unlimited" trap

The same words, unlimited for 30 days, cover a wide price range, and most plans slow down after a daily threshold that the label hides.

ProviderUnlimited, 30 daysFair-use cap
Maya$49.993 GB/day, then 10 Mbps sourceGet plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM
Yesim$51.68Not publishedGet plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY
Ubigi$65Not publishedGet plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10
GigSky$65.492.5 GB/day, then reduced, but not below 100 kbps sourceGet plan ↗🏷 15% off with code ATESIM
Airalo$693 GB/day, then 1 Mbps sourceGet plan ↗
Saily$71.995 GB/day, then 1 Mbps sourceGet plan ↗

Unlimited 30 day plans run from $49.99 to $71.99, a spread of about 44 percent, for a label that means the same thing on paper. Check the daily cap before you buy, especially if you plan to tether a laptop.

Do not overpay for coverage you will not use

If your whole trip is in Japan, a Japan only plan is far cheaper per gigabyte than a Asia or global plan carrying the same data. Same provider (Sim Local), same 20 GB, 30 days:

Sim Local planPricePrice per GB
Japan only$25.50$1.27/GBGet plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM
Asia$34.50$1.73/GBGet plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM
Global$35$1.75/GBGet plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM

A Japan only plan costs much less per gigabyte than a regional or global plan with the same data. Only pay for the wider plan if you are actually crossing borders on this trip.

The bottom line

Nomad is the cheapest ranked 10 GB 30-day dest total ($16) and the dest cheapest 3 GB, 5 GB, 20 GB and 50 GB 30-day rows. Sim Local and Ubigi meet at $16.50; Sim Local is cheaper at 5 GB. Ubigi wins 1 GB and 25 GB. GigSky is fourth at 10 GB ($16.79) with no dest 50 GB row. Saily is fifth. Airalo is sixth. Yesim's 10 GB dest total is $18.52, so it is not one of the six. Dest unlimited 30-day cheapest is Maya $49.99 (out); among the six, Ubigi $65 is the lowest 30-day unlimited country row. Hosts: Nomad KDDI au / SoftBank on the shop; Sim Local KDDI au on the SKUs; Ubigi KDDI and NTT Docomo on the 10/25 GB SKUs; GigSky unpublished (shop blocked); Saily KDDI and SoftBank on the shop; Airalo Softbank and KDDI on the Moshi Moshi payload. Nomad, Sim Local and Saily print a hotspot line. Ubigi SKU says data sharing allowed. Airalo and GigSky hotspot lines are empty this pass.

Airalo Moshi Moshi names Okinawa and Hokkaido. Nomad prints an overseas-territory hedge and does not name those islands. Saily names rural Hokkaido as patchier. Sim Local country SKUs, Ubigi SKUs and Yesim city list leave Okinawa and Hokkaido empty as coverage. South Korea and Taiwan stay empty on Japan-country SKUs.

The live Japan table is at /japan. Plan Match is /plan-match.

Still weighing it up for a specific destination? Our travel eSIM comparison toolranks live plans by real price per GB, filtered to exactly where you’re going.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Japan eSIM cover Okinawa or Hokkaido?

Airalo Moshi Moshi 10 GB payload: all of Japan, including Okinawa and Hokkaido. Nomad shop: overseas territories may be excluded; Okinawa and Hokkaido unnamed. Saily shop: rural Hokkaido printed as patchier; Okinawa unnamed on the coverage line. Sim Local 5/10/20 GB SKUs: coverage Japan. Ubigi 10/25 GB SKUs: unnamed. Yesim city list: Sapporo is listed; Hokkaido and Okinawa are not printed as coverage. Do not copy KDDI, SoftBank or Docomo onto an island the shop did not name.

Can I tether or use a hotspot?

Nomad Japan shop FAQ: yes, tethering / hotspot. Sim Local 5/10/20 GB SKUs: yes. Saily shop: Limitless hotspot sharing with friends and family. Ubigi 10/25 GB SKUs: data sharing allowed. Airalo Japan shop and Moshi Moshi payload did not state a tethering line. GigSky Japan shop was not retrieved, so the hotspot cell stays empty.

Which network will I actually use?

Nomad shop: KDDI au / SoftBank (10 GB SKU both; 50 GB SKU KDDI au). Sim Local 5/10/20 GB SKUs: KDDI au. Ubigi 10/25 GB SKUs: KDDI and NTT Docomo. Saily shop: KDDI and SoftBank. Airalo Moshi Moshi payload: Softbank and KDDI. GigSky: unpublished on the shop this pass. Opensignal's April 2026 report is a coverage map for au, NTT docomo, Rakuten Mobile and SoftBank. It does not name a host for these picks.

Does ATESIM 20% apply to Nomad's Japan 10 GB or 50 GB plans?

ATESIM 20% does not apply to unlimited, add-ons, business, sale, Thailand 50 GB, or plans under USD 5. The Japan 10 GB 30-day shop row is_on_sale true (USD 16, regular_price USD 18). The Japan 50 GB 30-day shop row is_on_sale true (USD 35). Dest still prints ATESIM on those rows and on unlimited 3/7/14/21-day rows. Shop 1 GB 7 days is USD 4, under the USD 5 floor.

Does a Japan-country plan latch onto South Korea or Taiwan?

No first-party Japan-country shop named a Korea or Taiwan latch this pass, so those cells stay empty. Ubigi Asia is a separate product. A Japan-only dest row is not a border plan.

See these ranked for your destination

Compare 14,000+ travel eSIMs by real price per GB across 110+ destinations — filtered to where you’re going.

Compare eSIMs →