Public Wi-Fi in Japan Compared: Gigazo, Wi2 300, Carrier Wi-Fi, and Fon

Hello everyone. This is TKG—currently in full stay-at-home mode and actively job hunting. A staffing agency recently contacted me about a role, but since it was simple clerical work, I politely put it on hold for now.

Last time, I introduced a recommended public Wi-Fi service in Japan called Gigazo. After that, I started wondering what other services are available, so in this post I compare the public Wi-Fi services currently offered in Japan.

I expected to find more options outside major telecom carriers like Docomo, but I was surprised by how few there actually are. I also looked into the older “portable Wi-Fi device” style services that were popular around 10 years ago—so if you remember those, you might find this interesting.

Earlier this week, the stay-home advisory was lifted, and I think this kind of connectivity infrastructure will be useful again—especially for people who work from cafés and those returning to Japan from overseas.

Gigazo Wi-Fi (Smartphone Plan)

This is the smartphone-only plan from Gigazo Wi-Fi, which I introduced in my previous post. There are other plans as well, such as the Standard Plan (455 yen/month) and a Family Device Support Pack (780 yen/month), but the best value is still the smartphone plan at 182 yen/month (before tax).

It offers a large number of Wi-Fi spots, and one big advantage is that it can be used even on the Shinkansen.

まだスマホでネット通信を契約してない人が街中でWi-Fiに繋ぐおすすめの方法。

みなさんこんにちは。絶賛就活中のティケイジイです。フィリピンから帰国して、未だ外出中のネット接続環境を模索しているところです。街中で、モバイルネットワーク以外でネットに接続する方法は、そこらへんに飛んでいる公衆無線LAN。「Wi2_free...

asia-study.com

Wi2 300 Public Wi-Fi

A long-established public Wi-Fi service in Japan.

Carrier-Based Public Wi-Fi (Bundled with Telecom Contracts)

In this section, I compare public Wi-Fi services that you can use as an option bundled with a telecom carrier contract.

This is not about targeting one service specifically—it’s more like: “Wait, my carrier plan includes free Wi-Fi?” (Yes, that kind of discovery.)

Docomo Wi-Fi

Docomo’s well-known Wi-Fi service. According to available information, it was scheduled to end (the plan changed from “within FY2021” to “within FY2022”). There are also prepaid options starting from 396 yen/day (tax included), which seem aimed mainly at visitors to Japan.

SoftBank Wi-Fi

BB Mobile Point

If you have a contract with certain telecom or ISP providers, you may be able to use this service (often under different branding, such as “Yahoo! Wi-Fi Spot”). For details, it’s best to check with your provider.

By the way, the difference between mobilepoint and mobilepoint2 is that mobilepoint2 is said to offer higher security and faster connectivity.

au Wi-Fi SPOT

FLET’S SPOT

This service ended on March 31, 2019.

Fon

My personal “Japan IT trend memory” is kind of stuck 10 years in the past, so I sometimes bring up older services. Fon was one of those internet connection services that got attention back then, and it seems to still exist.

Fon is essentially a sharing-economy style network: members install a Fon router at home or in a shop. In return, they can use the network and allow others to access it as well.

Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

Many Japanese travelers returning from overseas say the same thing: “Japan has very little free Wi-Fi in public.” After looking into it, I found that it’s not completely absent.

Most free networks have time limits, but they’re still enough for quick searches or checking email. I also remember catching a Wi-Fi signal near a Lawson after my self-quarantine period.

You can check nationwide free Wi-Fi spots on the site below.

無料のフリーWi-Fiスポットはココ！カフェ・コンビニ・公共機関リスト

prebell.so-net.ne.jp