Best eSIM for Japan: five brands compared

For most trips to Japan the best eSIM is a fixed data plan sized to your stay, and when we checked on 6 October 2026 RoamMore's 5GB and 10GB plans for 30 days cost less than the same plans from Airalo, Nomad and Jetpac. If you want unlimited data and use 2GB or 3GB a day, Nomad, Airalo and Jetpac cost less for a week than our Endless plan at the same daily amount. If 1GB a day covers you, Endless costs less than any of their unlimited weeks.

RoamMore wrote this page and sells eSIMs for Japan, so read it with that in mind. Every rival price below was read on the brand's own Japan page on 6 October 2026, in US dollars, and links back to that page. Our prices come from our live catalogue and change when it does. If you spot a mistake, email [email protected] and we will fix it.

How do the Japan eSIMs compare on price?

Fixed data plans

Holafly does not sell fixed data plans here.

Unlimited plans

The fixed plans are like for like: the same amount of data for the same 30 days. The unlimited plans are not. Each brand gives a different amount of full speed data a day, so compare the price at the daily amount you will really use, not the word unlimited. Nomad and Jetpac showed some prices as discounts from a higher struck price, and a sale can end at any time.

Which networks will you use in Japan, and is there 5G?

Our Japan plans list four networks, NTT docomo, SoftBank, KDDI (au) and Rakuten Mobile, all four with 5G, so your phone has four networks to choose from. Airalo, Holafly and Nomad each list SoftBank and KDDI on their Japan pages, and Airalo and Holafly both mention 5G. Jetpac's Japan page did not name its networks.

5G needs a phone that supports it. Where there is no 5G, the eSIM uses 4G. The Japan page lists every plan with its networks and speed.

How much data do you need for a week in Japan?

These are the daily amounts our plan finder uses. Not sure? Most people are Standard.

So a 10GB plan covers a week of Standard use in Japan with room to spare, and a fortnight at that rate needs a bigger plan or a top up. Lite is maps, messages and browsing with hotel wifi most evenings; Heavy is streaming and long video calls. Our cost and data guide breaks the figures down by app.

Should you get unlimited data or a fixed plan in Japan?

A fixed plan is usually the cheaper buy if you know roughly how much you use, because one allowance stretches across light days and busy ones. Unlimited is the simpler buy if you stream, make long video calls or would rather not watch a meter.

If you do want unlimited, compare plans at the same daily amount. For a week in Japan:

• At 1GB a day, Endless is US$14.50, less than any unlimited week in the table, though each of those gives you more full speed data a day.
• At 2GB a day, Nomad's week is US$25 against US$26.40 for Endless, so Nomad is the better buy.
• At 3GB a day, Airalo's week is US$26.50 and Jetpac's is US$25.99 at a sale price, against US$40.40 for Endless, so either is the better buy.
• Holafly's week is US$27.50. It states no daily amount, and says a network may slow heavy use for no more than a day.

Endless charges one price for the exact number of days you pick, so a 12 day trip is priced for 12 days, not the nearest pack. Our guide to what unlimited really means explains the daily amounts and the slower speeds after them.

When do the days start?

Our Japan plans start when the eSIM first connects to a network in Japan, so you can install it at home and it waits. The one exception is a 100MB trial, which starts when you install it, and the Japan page marks it. Endless also starts on first connection there, and its full speed amount refills every 24 hours from that moment.

Airalo's Japan plans start on first use. Nomad's start when the eSIM connects to a network, or after 60 days if it has not. Holafly says to install before your trip and activate once you arrive. Jetpac keeps a pack you have not activated in your account for 3 months from purchase.

Can you use a Japan eSIM as a hotspot?

On our daily plans and on Endless, yes: sharing your connection works, and what you share counts toward the day's full speed amount. Holafly's Japan page allows 1GB of sharing a day, so a 7 day plan includes up to 7GB of shared data. Jetpac's says it allows unlimited tethering with no data cap. If you plan to work from a laptop, ask the seller before you buy.

What should you do before you fly from New Zealand or Australia?

Install the eSIM at home on wifi a few days before you leave, and leave it switched off. When you land in Japan, switch it on, set it as your data line and turn on data roaming for it. Keep your home SIM on for calls and texts, with its own data roaming off, so your carrier does not charge you for data. Our landing day checklist walks through each step.

Our prices are in US dollars, so your bank converts the payment.

When is another brand the better choice?

• You want unlimited at 2GB or 3GB a day. Nomad, Airalo and Jetpac cost less for a week than Endless at the same daily amount.
• You would rather not count anything. Holafly states no daily amount at all, only that a network may slow heavy use for up to a day.

Choose RoamMore if you want a fixed plan at the lowest price we found, four networks to choose from in Japan, no app to install, and a real person who answers by email or WhatsApp.

How did we check these prices?

We read every rival price on 6 October 2026 on the brand's own Japan page, in US dollars (Airalo with its own currency setting), with no codes, credits or memberships. We did not go through any checkout. Prices change, so each one links to the page it came from, and we check them again each month. To compare RoamMore with Airalo and Holafly on support, refunds and apps, see our honest comparison.

Prices for popular trips

• Japanfrom US$3.60
• Asiafrom US$4.10

Cheapest plan with 1GB or more, in US dollars from our catalogue, updated 27 Sep 2026.