eSIM vs Pocket Wifi: Which is better in Japan?

Asia

3 Mar

You booked your flights, planned your itinerary, and now you want to know how to stay connected while you’re in Japan. You’ve likely heard that data roaming charges can cost a fortune, so getting a local SIM card or pocket wifi is a better choice. But which one is best for you?

rows of sake barrels with japanese characters and motifs

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For our first few trips to Japan, we used physical SIM cards, but have recently switched to an eSIM on the latest month-long winter trip to Japan. Why? Because the convenience of having data whenever we needed it for maps, Google translate, or to communicate with eachother was a must.

Before travelling to Japan, I’d heard about a lot of people using pocket wifi. So naturally, you probably have too. If you’re wondering which one is best though, I run through the pros and cons of SIMs and pocket wifi, and which one I recommend depending on your preferences and travel style.

Read on to find out whether a SIM or pocket wifi is better in Japan while you’re travelling.

Is it better to get eSIM or physical SIM in Japan?

If you have a compatible phone or device, then my recommendation is to use an eSIM. That’s what we did on the most recent trip using an iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro. This meant we could run data via the eSIM as our primary device, while we could still have our usual numbers to receive calls and texts, but not rack up big bills for data roaming.

Previously, we’d used physical SIM cards and these also worked well, but if we needed to receive one-time passcodes, it meant we had to swap the SIMs each time, which can be inconvenient in an age where anti-fraud measures mean we’re getting access codes for credit card charges more than ever before (which I’m totally for by the way!).

I loved the convenience using an eSIM gave us, and it meant we always had internet access when we needed it. We chose to use Airalo after reading lots of positive reviews, and our experience was great. We each used two 10GB data packs during our one-month winter trip, which only cost us US$9.99 per pack. That’s cheaper than the physical SIMs we had used in the past.

mock up of the airalo travel esim app for japan — Image template by Rawpixel

What are the cons of Pocket WiFi?

Pocket wifi is one of the options for internet access while you’re travelling, but it does have a few things to keep in mind. To use pocket wifi, you connect in the same way you would to wifi or hotspotting from another device. This means you don’t automatically always have a connection.

Pocket wifi also means carrying around an additional device, which may be inconvenient for some travellers. Not only do you have an extra device to carry, but you also need to keep it charged to use it too.

You can also only use pocket wifi if you are carrying the device. That means if you choose one device for your whole travel group, if you split up during the day, some people won’t have access if they aren’t with the person carrying the pocket wifi. While public wifi is available in a lot of restaurants and other key public spaces, it may still be inconvenient.

However, if those aren’t dealbreakers for you, then pocket wifi might be the right choice for your travels.

Is Pocket WiFi worth it in Japan?

Pocket wifi is just one of your options for using local internet access while you’re in Japan. Whether it’s worth it for you will come down to convenience and how you personally want to use it. The need to charge the device, as well as adding to the items we had to carry around each day made it less appealing for data use while in Japan.

For us, pocket wifi wasn’t worth it. Instead, we opted for eSIMs as they were more flexible for us and once we were connected, all we did was top up when we used up the data pack we bought through an app - super convenient!

Is Japan pocket WiFi unlimited?

You might have seen pocket wifi deals being advertised as providing unlimited data, but this isn’t always the case. Often there will be a daily cap, which means if you use all of the daily cap allowance, you’ll have slowed internet speeds until it resets at midnight.

If you truly want unlimited data with your pocket wifi in Japan, be sure to read all the T&Cs before booking. In most cases, the daily cap is quite high - some are around 15GB - so if you use data for activities like directions/maps, translation apps, and messaging, you won’t have any issues. But if you plan on streaming video content or uploading a lot of content online, then I’d suggest connecting to wifi when you can.

lantern lit alley with small izakaya restaurants lining it

woman's hand holding a mobile phone taking photos of red torii gates in tokyo

Can I use my data roaming with my cell provider in Japan?

Some phone providers offer packages for data roaming that might seem like good value, however most of the time these end up more expensive than using a local SIM or pocket wifi. Using your mobile phone contract abroad usually means a daily cap or daily fee and the amount of data you get is limited. I wouldn’t recommend using your home provider.

Is an eSIM or pocket WiFi better in Japan?

If your phone is compatible with eSIMs, I would recommend this as the top choice for using data in Japan. If you use a service like Airalo, you can set everything up before you leave home so you’ll be connected as soon as you arrive. The costs are good value and you can always be connected. If you plan to split up from your travel companions at all (or even unintentionally) you won’t be caught without data if you aren’t carrying the pocket wifi device.

I’d also choose a SIM or eSIM because you don’t need to carry an additional device and you don’t need to charge it either. If you are travelling with kids and don’t want a SIM for each person, you can hotspot from your phone and treat it much the same as you would a pocket wifi device. For those reasons, I personally think a SIM or eSIM is better than pocket wifi in Japan.

How to save data on eSIM and pocket wifi in Japan

If you want to minimise how much data you use while you’re travelling in Japan, here are a few tips to make it go further.

Connect to wifi wherever possible so you don’t use your data so your hotels, restaurants, and even on the shinkansen!
Keep app background refresh switched off for any apps you don’t need to be constantly updated when you’re not using them.
You can download maps to use offline data for Google Maps if you really want to conserve your data - but do keep in mind this will impact your real-time directions and public transport information.