Japan SIM Card for Tourists: Data SIM, Phone Number and the 2026 ID Rules

Last updated on 10 October 2026

As a tourist in Japan you can buy a data-only SIM card without an ID check, for example ¥1,980 (€11.16) for 5 GB over 10 days at b-mobile. A SIM with a Japanese phone number needs your passport in person and costs ¥4,950 (€27.91) plus a monthly plan from ¥1,650 at Mobal. The POVNOMAD Japan eSIM costs from €2.90 for 1 GB and €5.90 for 5 GB over 30 days, and you install it before you fly. As of 10 October 2026.

Many travel sites say Japan has required ID for every SIM card since April 2026. That is not what the Japanese ministry writes: the April 2026 change concerns online contracts for voice SIMs, and data-only SIMs remain outside the law until an amendment from May 2026 takes effect. The details and sources follow below. Travelling as a family of four with tablets? Then read our comparison Japan eSIM vs pocket WiFi first.

Local SIM, travel eSIM or roaming: Japan at a glance

Prices read on 10 October 2026 on bmobile.ne.jp, mobal.com, povnomad.com and vodafone.de (ReisePaket Data Woche, country zone 1 including Japan). Yen converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 October 2026 (€1 = ¥177.34). b-mobile and Mobal both run on NTT Docomo, POVNOMAD on NTT Docomo or KDDI/au. b-mobile and POVNOMAD both name hotspot as included.

Can tourists get a Japanese SIM card with a phone number?

Yes, but it is the expensive option and needs your passport. Japan’s Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act requires an identity check for every contract that comes with a phone number. For foreign visitors, the ministry of communications (MIC) names showing the passport in person as the basic method, together with a home address that you add by hand or prove with a second document (MIC Q&A for mobile carriers, revised 1 April 2026, item 4-5).

The b-mobile tourist SIMs we checked are data only. Mobal is one provider that sells voice SIMs to short-stay visitors: the SIM costs ¥4,950, and the plans run from ¥1,650 a month for 1 GB to ¥3,630 (€20.47) for 10 GB, with the first month charged by the day. At pick-up you show the original passport, not a copy or scan. Mobal says many Japanese apps and ticket sites only send verification codes to Japanese numbers. If you only need maps, messaging and LINE calls over data, a data SIM or eSIM is enough.

Do you need a passport for a SIM card in Japan since April 2026?

For a data-only SIM, not under current law. Three separate things are often mixed up:

• Since 1 April 2026: carriers verify online contracts for voice SIMs by reading the IC chip of your ID instead of a photo of it. The ministry promulgated this ordinance on 1 April 2025 (MIC Q&A, item 4-2). It concerns voice contracts, not data SIMs.
• Data-only SIMs today: the MIC Q&A, revised on 1 April 2026, still states that data-only SIM cards fall outside the law because they cannot make calls (item 2-2). SIM cards issued by foreign operators are covered only if a Japanese carrier provides them (item 2-4).
• The amendment of May 2026: the Diet passed a law extending the ID check to data services, promulgated on 29 May 2026 as Law No. 25. It also sets out how foreigners without a Japanese address prove their identity. It takes effect on a date set by cabinet order, at the latest one year after promulgation (House of Councillors, bill record).

On 10 October 2026 we found no cabinet order that fixes the start date. Once it applies, expect a passport check for data SIMs bought in Japan as well. Whether it will also reach travel eSIMs bought abroad is open, because the bill summary does not mention them. This is no legal advice. Check the MIC pages or ask the seller before you buy.

Where do you buy a tourist SIM at the airport in Japan?

The simplest way is to order online and collect on arrival. b-mobile sends its VISITOR SIM to an airport post office for ¥430 or to your hotel for ¥600, and for airport pick-up and its eSIM you have to start using it within 14 days of purchase. Mobal hands out SIM cards for free at counters such as the JAL ABC counter in Haneda Terminal 3, open from 4 am to 1 am, at Narita Terminals 1 and 2, Fukuoka and other airports. You show your order confirmation and passport.

For SIM vending machines and walk-in counters at the airports we found no current official price list on 10 October 2026. A pre-ordered SIM or an eSIM saves you the search after a long flight.

Is a local data SIM or a travel eSIM cheaper in Japan?

For normal use, the travel eSIM. With heavy daily data, Mobal’s large packs come close.

Prices as of 10 October 2026, yen at the ECB rate of 9 October 2026. After the daily allowance, Unlimited Smart and L continue at up to 1 Mbit/s. For comparison, 15 days of unlimited data cost €44.00 at Airalo (SoftBank and KDDI) and €46.90 at Holafly on the same day.

If you stream or upload video every day, Mobal’s 50 GB over 16 days give you about 3 GB at full speed per day, more than Unlimited L. For everyone else, the eSIM costs less and needs no pick-up.

How to buy a local SIM in Japan the right way

1. Check that your phone is unlocked. b-mobile and Mobal run on Docomo, and Mobal asks for 4G band 1 (2,100 MHz) support.
2. Check the SIM slot. Mobal points out that US iPhones from the iPhone 14 on have no slot for a physical SIM, and that Pixel phones from the Pixel 7 on can have connection problems on its data SIM.
3. Order before the trip and pick a collection point that is open when you land.
4. For a Japanese number, bring the original passport and plan for the monthly fee.
5. Keep your German SIM active as second line, so banking codes still reach you.

When the eSIM is the better choice, and when it is not

The eSIM suits you if you want to land online, skip pick-up times and pay less for typical volumes. It works on Docomo or KDDI/au, includes hotspot, and its validity starts with the first connection in Japan. Which network reaches the countryside is in our guide to networks and regions in Japan.

A local SIM is the better choice if you need a Japanese phone number, for example for reservations or apps that only accept Japanese numbers. A family of four with tablets often pays less with one pocket WiFi router, as our pocket WiFi comparison shows. If your phone has no eSIM support, dial *#06#: if no EID appears, a physical SIM or a router is your option. Cash and card tips for the trip are in ATM fees in Japan, all eSIM tariffs side by side in the Japan eSIM provider comparison.

Frequently asked questions

As of 10 October 2026. Prices read on bmobile.ne.jp, mobal.com, povnomad.com, airalo.com, esim.holafly.com and vodafone.de on that day, exchange rate from the ECB. Legal status from the MIC and the House of Councillors. Prices can change at any time.