Japanese Cell Phone Company: Best Mobile Plans!

Using a mobile phone in Japan is very important to both residents and tourists. It makes your life easier, aside its being used for communication but also in making transaction, internet searching, finding directions and more.

As an international student moving to Japan, it is important to decide ahead what mobile phone provider you are going to choose. This article will surely help you. But first, let’s talk about the options for those staying short-term in Japan.

  1. Rental – Phone rentals are available in Japan. You can find some as you arrive at the airport. Some traveling agency or hotels will offer it to you upon booking your tour or hotel and sometimes deliver them to you at your hotel room. Advance reservations come cheaper and it is a sure way that you can get one.
  2. SIM Card only – If you choose to use your phone and get a SIM only, you can purchase it at the airport or at retailers in Japan. Just make sure that your phone is unlocked to Japan’s network and supports the GSM frequency of the SIM that you will buy. 

But if you are a medium to long term resident, you may opt to get a subscription. NTT Docomo, au by KDDI and SoftBank Mobile are the giants in Japan’s cellular phone industry. When you apply for a subscription, the contract bond is usually for two years and cancellation before the end of the contract means a penalty. Some Japanese people decide to switch to cheaper plans after their contract ends.

We understand and support mobile phone users and subscribers’ feelings, so we will show you a comparison of some companies. 

NTT Docomo

AU

Softbank

Comparison of Contract Prices

Network 2GB 3GB 5GB 6GB
Line Mobile   2,570 3,860  
UQ Mobile 2,980     3,980
NTT Docomo   6,000 7,000  
au by KDDI 4,480 5,540 6,480 7,480
Soft Bank Mobile 5,500   7,000  

*Data as of 17 Sept 2018.

Some companies offer low-cost phone plans but with slow network speed and limited coverage. Most of them use the major companies’ network. The following are companies in Japan that offer a SIM with a mobile phone package. 

  1. Rakuten Mobile 
  2. nuro Mobile
  3. u-mobile 
  4. OCN Mobile ONE 
  5. Line Mobile 
  6. Mineo 
  7. IIJmio
  8. DMM Mobile 
  9. UQ Communications
  10. BIGLOBE 
  11. NifMo 
  12. Sakura Mobile
  13. Mobal

Of course, we don’t want you to have a hard time to decide to choose from the list above. We prepared a comparison of the contract price that we most recommend you to get. Please click Phone Contract Services and know more about these companies and how to apply for a contract.

To know how to rent pocket wifi in Japan, check out for the following article.

“Why You Need a Pocket WiFi in Japan?”

pocket wifi

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