In my previous post, I realized (even just a little) how important it is to have some kind of internet access while you’re out. So this time, I’m sharing a quick report on budget SIM card options in Japan.
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I’ve just returned from overseas, and my accommodation has Wi-Fi. So what I really need is something for occasional use when I’m outside—meaning I don’t need much data, but I do want something easy to set up. After searching around, I found a few options that looked surprisingly good.
Carrier SIMs feel complicated and expensive
I found several prepaid SIMs sold by major carriers and well-known providers, but most of them were quite similar—and not exactly cheap.
OCN Mobile ONE Prepaid 1GB
- Price: 3,200 yen
- Data: 1GB
- Validity: until the end of the month, three months later
- Official site: OCN Mobile ONE
IIJmio Prepaid Pack
- Price: 3,791 yen
- Data: 2GB
- Validity: until the end of the month, three months later
- Official site: IIJmio
Prepaid LTE SIM
- Price: from 3,704 yen
- Data: unlimited and up
- Validity: from 10 days
- Official site: nuro mobile
b-mobile 7GB Prepaid SIM
- Price: from 3,850 yen
- Data: from 7GB
- Validity: from 30 days
- Official site: b-mobile
This brought back a memory: about 10 years ago, when “SIM-free” wasn’t a common term yet, I bought an overseas iPad and used a b-mobile SIM in it. I didn’t expect the brand to still be around, but it seems they survived (nice).
Major carrier options might be easy to purchase, but they often feel complicated, the prices are higher, and extra fees seem likely—so I gave up on that route.
I searched again, looking for something that feels more like buying a SIM while traveling abroad—simple to purchase and reasonably priced.
After researching, I found a few Japan SIM options that are easy to buy and relatively cheap. Here are the ones that stood out.
mineo Prepaid Pack
- Price: 200 yen
- Data: 200MB
- Validity: until the end of next month from activation date
- Official site: mineo Prepaid Pack
200 yen is honestly shocking. The data allowance is small (200MB), but if you only need quick searches while you’re out, it’s enough.
You can buy it on Amazon, either delivered to your home or picked up at a convenience store.
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The mineo prepaid pack is great value, but SIM plans often come with hidden inconveniences. Here are the main downsides.
- No SoftBank-network version of the mineo prepaid pack
- Once you use the 200MB, data stops completely (no low-speed fallback)
- Validity is up to about 2 months (from activation date to end of the following month)
mineo Trial 200MB Plan
- Price: 300 yen
- Data: 200MB
- Validity: until the end of next month from activation date
- Official site: mineo
If 200MB on the prepaid pack feels too risky, mineo has another good-value option. You can choose from all three major carrier networks, and even after using the data limit, you can still connect at up to 200kbps. SMS is also available (for an extra fee).
However, there are important cautions—and the extra fees can add up.
- After the trial period ends, it automatically switches to a 500MB plan at 700 yen/month
- Additional fees apply: contract handling fee 500 yen and SIM issuance fee 400 yen
- Online application only
- Validity is up to about 2 months (from activation date to end of the following month)
- Credit card payment only
CALENDAR SIM: 1GB per month for 1 year
- Price: 2,900 yen (tax included)
- Data: 1GB per month
- Validity: 1 year starting from the month after purchase
- Purchase site: Calendar-World (Calendar World) (https://www.jpsimshop.com/shopdetail/000000000003/all_items/page1/brandname/)
This SIM is sold by a company called CALENDAR in Miyagi Prefecture. If you calculate it monthly, it comes to about 242 yen per month (tax included). No extra fees like activation, setup, or cancellation costs.
It’s not a short-term plan, but 2,900 yen for a full year is impressive. However, it was popular and out of stock at the time of writing (May 18, 2020).
CALENDAR SIM: 15 days / 220MB
- Price: 980 yen
- Data: 220MB
- Validity: 15 days
- Purchase site: JPSIM 15 days / 220MB prepaid data-only SIM
This is also a CALENDAR product. Since there are no extra fees, you can simply buy what you need. But it may also be in short supply, so it’s better to purchase early.
The SIM authentication validity was listed as ending around late May 2020, so it might stop being sold. In the future, a similar product may appear—if so, checking the JPSIM page on Amazon is the easiest way.
All the SIMs introduced here require an unlocked, SIM-free device. If your phone is still carrier-locked, you’ll need to unlock it first.
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