Japan Tourist SIM Card (2026): Prepaid Prices, ID Rules & Where to Buy

Tourists can buy prepaid SIM cards in Japan without signing up for a normal resident mobile contract. b-mobile offers some of the clearest fixed visitor pricing, IIJmio sells both capped and Unlimited Japan Travel SIM options, and SoftBank has a data-only prepaid product specifically for overseas visitors.

Total cost deserves closer attention than the headline plan price. Some products include a required delivery charge when ordered, while others leave the physical SIM price entirely to the retailer.

Japan tourist SIM card prices at a glance

Prices and terms checked on 20 August 2026. Retail pricing, stock, delivery charges and product conditions can change. b-mobile totals above apply to physical SIMs ordered through its official website using the listed delivery methods; in-store pricing should be checked separately.

IIJ's Unlimited label needs important qualification. High-speed tethering is limited to 9GB on the 10-day plan, 14GB on the 15-day plan and 30GB on the 31-day plan; after that tethering allowance is used, the maximum tethering speed drops to 128kbps. IIJ also states that throughput may be restricted during congestion or heavy data use.

Roafly can remove the local-store step when mobile data is the main requirement. Japan eSIM plans use the owner-verified NTT docomo network listing, keep the physical SIM slot free and support hotspot use across the purchased data allowance.

Can tourists buy prepaid SIM cards in Japan?

Yes. Japan has prepaid data products marketed directly to overseas visitors and temporary returnees, so a residence-based monthly contract is not necessary simply to get mobile data during a trip.

The important distinction sits between tourist prepaid service and an ordinary domestic mobile plan. IIJmio illustrates that difference clearly: Japan Travel SIM is a prepaid visitor product, while regular monthly services follow different signup requirements.

Physical tourist SIMs in this guide are primarily data products. Voice calling and SMS should never be assumed from the presence of a SIM card or a number printed on the package.

Device compatibility matters too. An unlocked phone is essential for products that require a physical SIM swap, and supported network technology should be checked before buying. More device-specific guidance is available in phone compatibility in Japan.

Which Japan prepaid SIM is best?

No single operator wins every trip. b-mobile provides unusually transparent direct-order pricing, IIJmio offers the widest range of allowance styles among the products reviewed here, and SoftBank gives visitors a prepaid option sold under a major Japanese network brand.

b-mobile VISITOR SIM: easiest total cost to calculate

b-mobile keeps the decision relatively simple with two physical visitor plans: 5GB for 10 days and 7GB for 21 days.

Both are data-only prepaid products. The official website publishes the package price and delivery charges separately, making it possible to calculate the actual web-order total before purchase.

Useful details include:

• 5GB / 10 days at ¥1,980

• 7GB / 21 days at ¥2,970

• ¥430 delivery to supported airport post offices

• ¥600 delivery to hotels, homes or offices

• no phone service on these visitor plans

• physical multi-cut SIM format

Airport post-office collection requires the name on the package to match the passport presented at pickup. Hotel delivery works differently: the package name needs to match the reservation name so the property can accept it.

Buying directly in a store removes the official web-delivery calculation from the equation, so the table totals should not be treated as universal retail prices.

Current package and delivery conditions are published on the official b-mobile VISITOR SIM page.

IIJmio Japan Travel SIM: capped and Unlimited choices

IIJmio has expanded its tourist lineup beyond the older fixed-data structure.

The standard Japan Travel SIM provides seven capped data allowances from 3GB through 55GB, each with a 30-day usage period. IIJ also sells Japan Travel SIM Unlimited for BIC SIM, with 10-day, 15-day and 31-day validity options.

Physical SIM pricing is less straightforward than b-mobile's direct-order model. IIJ points visitors toward airports and electronics retailers, while the Unlimited BIC SIM carries open pricing rather than nationwide fixed amount.

Current Unlimited products are sold through BIC Camera, Kojima and Sofmap stores and shops, with availability varying by outlet.

“Unlimited” does not mean unlimited high-speed hotspot use. IIJ caps high-speed tethering at:

• 9GB with the 10-day plan

• 14GB with the 15-day plan

• 30GB with the 31-day plan

Tethering continues at a maximum of 128kbps after the relevant high-speed allowance is reached. IIJ also warns that throughput may be restricted during congestion or heavy data use.

The Unlimited BIC SIM is data-only and does not include voice calling or SMS. A SIM-lock-free device with nanoSIM support is required, and some phones may still need APN configuration.

Current product conditions and tethering limits appear in the official IIJ Japan Travel SIM Unlimited announcement.

SoftBank Prepaid SIM for Travel: explicit passport registration

SoftBank's tourist product follows a different path. Its Prepaid SIM for Travel is a data-only prepaid service aimed specifically at foreign visitors in Japan.

The company does not publish universal sales price. SoftBank states that the price is set by the retailer, so seeing a package or at airport does not establish the nationwide upfront cost.

Eligibility and setup rules are much clearer:

• subscriber must be at least 18

• device must be SIM-lock-free

• original passport is required for the registration process

• passport image is uploaded during application

• service is data-only

• SoftBank shops, electronics stores and selected airport SoftBank rental counters are listed as purchase channels

Retailer-set pricing is the main limitation for advance budgeting. Someone who wants an exact total before arriving should confirm the price with the intended seller rather than rely on an old observed airport or electronics-store price.

SoftBank maintains the current requirements on its official Prepaid SIM for Travel page.

Where to buy a tourist SIM in Japan

Buying channels differ enough that “available in Japan” does not mean every product will be sitting in every airport or convenience store.

Useful channels include:

• electronics retailers

• operator or authorized mobile shops

• selected airport retail locations

• airport post-office pickup for eligible b-mobile orders

• hotel, home or office delivery through b-mobile

• BIC Camera group stores carrying eligible IIJ products

IIJ specifically points visitors toward airports and electronics stores. SoftBank lists its shops, electronics retailers and airport rental counters, while b-mobile also identifies retailers such as AEON, Yodobashi Camera and BIC Camera alongside its direct ordering route.

Airport stock, counter location and opening hours remain location-specific. Narita details belong in the dedicated Narita Airport SIM buying guide rather than being generalized to every Japanese airport.

Broader choices such as roaming and Wi-Fi sit outside the local-SIM decision covered here. The internet options in Japan guide handles those connectivity methods without turning this page into another general internet overview.

Passport, ID and registration rules in Japan

No universal registration process currently applies in exactly the same way to every tourist product covered here. Operator instructions and the type of service still matter at the point of purchase.

SoftBank explicitly requires the original passport during registration. b-mobile requires a matching passport when collecting a pre-ordered physical SIM from an eligible airport post office, while its hotel-delivery instructions focus on matching the recipient name to the hotel reservation.

Japan also changed its wider legal framework in 2026. The Diet completed passage of an amendment to the Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act on 22 May 2026, and the law was promulgated on 29 May 2026 as Act No. 25.

The amendment expands identity-verification obligations beyond voice communication services and also introduces rules covering contracts with foreign nationals who do not have a residence in Japan. The official parliamentary record says the main provisions take effect on a date set by Cabinet Order within year of promulgation.

That distinction matters for tourists reading older Japan SIM advice. Current operator procedures should still be checked for the exact product being purchased rather than assuming every data SIM follows identical passport process.

The official House of Councillors bill record shows the May 2026 passage, promulgation date and implementation framework.

Registration and payment checklist

Purchase procedures are easier when the operator-specific requirements are checked before reaching the counter.

• Check that the phone is unlocked. SoftBank explicitly requires a SIM-lock-free device, and IIJ's Unlimited BIC SIM requires a SIM-lock-free nanoSIM-compatible phone.

• Carry the original passport when the selected process requires it. SoftBank uses it during registration, while b-mobile airport post-office pickup uses it to verify the recipient.

• Match booking and order names carefully. b-mobile airport collection requires the package name to match the passport; hotel delivery should match the hotel reservation.

• Confirm the final retailer price before paying. IIJ physical packages and SoftBank's tourist SIM can involve seller-set pricing.

• Check payment rules at the actual sales channel. Retailer acceptance can differ from operator-level rules.

• Do not assume staff will complete every setup step. APN configuration or an operator registration process may still be needed after the SIM is inserted.

Local SIM vs Roafly eSIM

Physical prepaid SIMs remain useful when someone wants a locally sold product, finds a better-fitting large allowance or specifically prefers dealing with a Japanese retailer.

Roafly takes away several of the physical-SIM steps. Setup can be handled before travel, no plastic SIM needs to be swapped, local stock does not affect access to the purchased plan, and the primary SIM can remain in the phone.

The Japan plans are data-only. Roafly's owner-verified network listing is NTT docomo, and tethering is supported throughout the purchased data allowance without a separate hotspot quota.

Local prepaid SIMs can still be the better fit when the verified allowance suits a long or data-heavy trip more closely, when an eSIM-compatible phone is unavailable, or when a locally sold service has a required feature the travel eSIM does not provide.

Readers comparing travel-eSIM providers rather than physical Japanese SIMs should use the Japan eSIM provider comparison. That provider-level decision is intentionally kept separate from this local prepaid guide.

Network differences that matter before buying

Network names help explain which domestic infrastructure a product uses, but they do not prove that tourist SIM will always be faster or work better everywhere.

Roafly lists NTT docomo for its Japan product. IIJ's conventional capped Japan Travel SIM uses NTT docomo mobile infrastructure, while the Unlimited BIC SIM uses au network coverage. SoftBank's visitor product uses the SoftBank network.

Those facts should not be converted into guarantees about 5G, priority, exact speed or nationwide superiority. Underground spaces, mountain routes, remote islands and specific buildings can produce very different results from central Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto.

Which SIM fits your Japan trip?

Short visit with predictable usage: b-mobile's fixed visitor plans are easy to budget when their data limits and delivery arrangements match the itinerary.

Month-long trip with a chosen allowance: IIJ's 30-day capped lineup provides several data sizes without moving into a resident monthly contract.

Heavy on-device data use: IIJ's Unlimited plans add 10-, 15- and 31-day choices, but tethering is not unlimited at high speed. The relevant 9GB, 14GB or 30GB high-speed hotspot cap needs to fit the trip.

Passport-ready major-network option: SoftBank's visitor SIM works as a clearly tourist-targeted physical product when retailer-set pricing is acceptable and the registration requirements are not a problem.

Data ready without a store visit: Roafly makes more sense when preserving the physical SIM slot and avoiding retailer stock, delivery or pickup logistics matters most.

Japan tourist SIM FAQ

Do Japan tourist SIM cards include calls and SMS?

The local products compared here are data-focused. b-mobile VISITOR SIM has no phone service, SoftBank describes its tourist prepaid SIM as data-only, and IIJ's Japan Travel SIM data products do not include voice or SMS.

Someone who needs ordinary Japanese voice calling should choose a product after that feature is explicitly confirmed.

Does every tourist need a passport to buy a SIM in Japan?

No single passport rule should be applied to every tourist data product.

SoftBank explicitly requires an original passport during its registration process. b-mobile requires passport matching for eligible airport post-office pickup, while other products and sales methods follow their own current procedures.

Japan's 2026 legal amendment broadens the identity-verification framework, but the implementation timetable and the rules applying to a specific purchase should be checked against current operator instructions.

Can I buy a Japan SIM at the airport?

Yes, selected prepaid products are sold or collected through airport channels. Exact sellers, opening hours, stock and pickup arrangements depend on the airport and should be checked for the actual arrival location.

Can I buy a prepaid SIM at an electronics store?

Yes. Electronics retailers are an important sales channel for Japanese tourist SIMs, particularly IIJ products, and SoftBank also lists consumer electronics stores among its buying options.

Seller-set pricing means the displayed shelf price should be checked before purchase rather than inferred from another retailer.

Does IIJ Unlimited include unlimited hotspot data?

No. The Unlimited BIC SIM has separate high-speed tethering limits of 9GB, 14GB or 30GB depending on the 10-, 15- or 31-day plan.

Maximum tethering speed drops to 128kbps after that plan-specific allowance is consumed. Heavy use or network congestion can also trigger throughput restrictions.

Is a local SIM cheaper than a travel eSIM?

Not automatically. b-mobile provides totals that can be calculated when buying through its official website, while IIJ and SoftBank physical SIM prices may depend on the retailer.

Convenience also has value: a lower local shelf price may still involve finding stock, changing SIMs or completing an in-person purchase.

Final recommendation

Japan has genuine prepaid options built for international visitors, but their buying models differ substantially. b-mobile gives the clearest direct-order totals, IIJ offers both fixed-data and Unlimited tourist products with separate tethering limits, and SoftBank combines retailer-set pricing with explicit passport registration.

Roafly is the simpler alternative when the trip mainly needs mobile data and avoiding a physical SIM purchase is the priority. Local SIMs remain worth checking when their verified allowance, trip length or purchase format fits the itinerary better.

Roafly publishes this guide and offers the travel-eSIM alternative discussed above.