Japan eSIMs on a local network, KDDI 5G or NTT Docomo, with a Japanese IP address, from $1.99. Tell us how long you are staying and how you use your phone, and buy the right plan in two taps.
✓ QR code by email within minutes ✓ Install before you fly ✓ Starts when you first use data in Japan ✓ Hotspot included
1. How long is your trip?
2. How do you use your phone?
Japan KDDI 21 GB · 1 week
No refund once the QR code is issued.
KDDI 5G plans: our pick for Japan
Local au lines on KDDI’s 5G and 4G network, with a Japanese IP address, from $6.49. The unlimited plans at up to 10 Mbps are fast enough for HD video and have no daily cap. Before you buy:
- No refunds once the QR code has been issued. This is stricter than our usual refund policy, which applies to the Docomo plans.
- The QR code works only once. Do not delete the eSIM after installing it, because it cannot be installed again.
- No usage check on our site.
- Hotspot: on the unlimited plans, sharing is limited to one GB less than the number of days in total, for example 6 GB on a 7-day plan. The fixed plans can share all their data.
- Fixed plans slow down instead of stopping: after the 12, 21 or 30 GB, data keeps working at 128 kbps until the plan ends.
Docomo best sellers
All Docomo data plans
Choose your trip length, then a size. Each plan runs at full speed until the data is used up, with no daily limit. On these plans 1 GB is 1,000 MB.
Docomo day passes and unlimited data
A day pass gives you 1, 2 or 3 GB of high-speed data each day, then 256 kbps until the allowance resets at midnight Japan time. That is enough for messages and email, but not for video. Unlimited plans have no daily allowance; the local network’s fair-use rules may apply to very heavy use.
Compare every Docomo price in one table
| Data | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days | 10 days | 15 days | 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | $3.09 | $3.19 | $3.29 | $3.29 | $3.39 | $3.49 |
| 3 GB | $3.89 | $3.89 | $3.99 | $4.09 | $4.19 | $4.29 |
| 5 GB | $3.99 | $4.19 | $4.49 | $4.49 | $4.79 | $5.30 |
| 10 GB | $5.59 | $5.89 | $6.09 | $6.39 | $6.79 | $7.00 |
| 15 GB | – | – | – | – | – | $10.60 |
| 20 GB | $9.09 | $9.39 | $9.89 | $10.39 | $10.79 | $11.80 |
| 30 GB | $11.99 | $12.39 | $12.99 | $13.59 | $14.19 | $14.89 |
| 50 GB | $16.99 | $17.99 | $19.19 | $20.49 | $21.69 | $22.99 |
| Length | 1 GB a day | 2 GB a day | 3 GB a day | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | $1.99 | $3.29 | $3.79 | $5.99 |
| 2 days | $3.69 | $4.39 | $4.99 | $7.89 |
| 3 days | $4.00 | $4.79 | $5.89 | $9.80 |
| 4 days | $4.49 | $5.59 | $6.49 | $11.69 |
| 5 days | $5.30 | $6.39 | $7.59 | $13.00 |
| 6 days | $5.39 | $7.29 | $8.59 | $15.39 |
| 7 days | $5.89 | $8.09 | $9.69 | $19.00 |
| 8 days | $6.19 | $8.89 | $10.79 | $19.19 |
| 9 days | $6.59 | $9.79 | $11.79 | $20.69 |
| 10 days | $7.00 | $10.59 | $12.89 | $23.00 |
| 11 days | $7.39 | $11.49 | $13.99 | $23.69 |
| 12 days | $7.89 | $12.29 | $15.09 | $25.19 |
| 13 days | $8.29 | $13.09 | $16.09 | $26.69 |
| 14 days | $8.79 | $13.99 | $17.09 | $28.19 |
| 15 days | $9.29 | $14.79 | $17.99 | $29.69 |
| 16 days | $9.69 | $15.69 | $18.89 | $31.19 |
| 17 days | $10.19 | $16.49 | $19.79 | $32.69 |
| 18 days | $10.69 | $17.19 | $20.69 | $34.19 |
| 19 days | $11.09 | $17.89 | $21.59 | $35.69 |
| 20 days | $11.59 | $18.59 | $22.49 | $37.09 |
| 25 days | $13.89 | $22.19 | $27.09 | $44.59 |
| 30 days | $16.19 | $25.79 | $31.59 | $52.09 |
Good to know before you buy
- Networks: KDDI (au), 5G, on the plans marked KDDI; NTT Docomo, 4G LTE, on the Docomo plans.
- IP address: Japan. Your data does not detour through Hong Kong, as it does on many regional Asia plans.
- Start: on first data use. Install and start within 60 days of purchase.
- Days: calendar days. A plan ends at midnight in Japan on its last day.
- Hotspot: supported on every plan; on the KDDI unlimited plans, sharing is limited to one GB less than the number of days in total.
- Top-up: not available. If you run out, buy another plan.
- Data only: no Japanese phone number.
Why a local line matters in Japan
Many travel eSIMs work in Japan by roaming. The signal comes from a Japanese network, but your traffic is carried back to the eSIM provider’s network before it reaches the internet. On many Asia plans that exit point is Hong Kong, so a website in Tokyo sees a visitor from Hong Kong, and each request travels there and back first. The plans on this page reach the internet in Japan.
- A Japanese IP address. Sites and apps that check where you are, such as the TVer catch-up TV service, see a connection from Japan.
- A shorter route. Traffic to Japanese sites, maps and transit apps stays in Japan instead of going to Hong Kong and back.
- Coverage outside the cities. Docomo is widely regarded as the strongest network in rural and mountain areas, which matters beyond Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
For a side-by-side look at the four Japanese networks, read Japan eSIM: Docomo vs SoftBank vs KDDI.
How the days are counted
The day you first use data in Japan is day 1, and every plan ends at midnight Japan time on its last day. A 3-day plan you start at 8 pm on a Monday ends at midnight on Wednesday, so start a short plan in the morning if you can. You can install the eSIM whenever you like before you travel, because the countdown starts on first data use. Install and start it within 60 days of purchase.
Setting it up
- Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked on our compatibility page.
- Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi before you fly, with the QR code or the one-tap install link in your order email. The installation guide shows each step.
- After you land, switch on the eSIM line for mobile data. If data does not connect, turn on data roaming for that line and set the APN: vmobile.jp on Docomo plans (your phone may show the network as NTT DOCOMO or IIJ), or uad5gn.au-net.ne.jp with username [email protected] and password au on KDDI plans.
- To share data with a hotspot on a Docomo plan, also set the Personal Hotspot APN to vmobile.jp. On iPhone: Settings → Cellular → tap this eSIM → Cellular Data Network → Personal Hotspot → APN.
- On Docomo plans, see how much data is left at any time on the usage page.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a Japanese network or roaming?
These plans connect to KDDI or NTT Docomo in Japan and your data exits in Japan, so websites see a Japanese IP address. Each plan page lists its network and IP location.
Should I choose KDDI or Docomo?
KDDI if you want 5G where it is available, or unlimited data at up to 10 Mbps with no daily cap. Docomo if you want the lowest price, refunds under our usual policy and a usage check on our site. KDDI plans cannot be refunded once the QR code is issued, so be sure of your dates before you buy.
Is the unlimited plan really unlimited?
There is no daily high-speed allowance and no stated point where the speed drops. The KDDI 10 Mbps plans are capped at 10 Mbps all day. As on any mobile network, the local network’s fair-use rules may apply to very heavy use.
Can I share data with a hotspot?
Yes. Every plan on this page lists hotspot as supported, and the hotspot uses the plan’s own data. On Docomo plans, set the Personal Hotspot APN to vmobile.jp first. On the KDDI unlimited plans, hotspot sharing is limited to one GB less than the number of days in total, for example 6 GB on a 7-day plan; the KDDI fixed plans can share all their data.
Can I top up if I run out?
No. These plans cannot be topped up. Buy another plan from this page and install it as a second eSIM.
Do I get a Japanese phone number?
No. The plans are data only. Calls work over apps such as WhatsApp, LINE or FaceTime, and your home SIM can stay on for texts at your carrier’s roaming rates.
Is 1 GB 1,000 MB or 1,024 MB?
On the Docomo plans 1 GB is 1,000 MB, so 10 GB is 10,000 MB.
More on Japan: Japan eSIM prices compared with Airalo, Ubigi and Holafly, the cheapest Japan eSIM by trip, and every Japan plan we sell, including regional plans.
Plan details checked on 23 October 2026. Prices on this page update automatically.