Best SIM & Mobile Plans in Japan for Foreigners (2026)

If you use a lot of data, pick Rakuten Mobile. If you use very little, pick LINEMO or povo. Everything else in this guide explains why, and what you need to sign up as a foreign resident.

Quick answer

The main brands of docomo, au and SoftBank charge around ¥8,000 a month for unlimited data before discounts and include shop support and extras, so this comparison focuses on the lower-cost brands.

Comparison table

Monthly prices in yen, tax included, before optional discounts unless noted. Sorted by the cheapest large or unlimited plan.

Rakuten's unlimited plan is slowed in congested areas and gives 2 GB a month abroad. povo's monthly figures are converted from long-validity toppings, so you pay in advance. UQ and Y!mobile raised base prices in 2025–2026 and now depend heavily on a bundled home-internet line or a paired credit card. Promotions may lower these prices.

Carrier by carrier

Rakuten Mobile — best overall for foreigners

One plan, three price steps: ¥1,078 up to 3 GB, ¥2,178 up to 20 GB, ¥3,278 for unlimited data. Domestic calls are free when you dial from the Rakuten Link app, and tethering is unlimited at no extra cost. The website and app are in English, and about one in four contracts at Rakuten shops is signed by a foreign resident, so staff are used to residence-card paperwork.

Watch out for: connection quality can vary inside buildings and underground, and some areas use a partner network, so check the official coverage map first. The online identity check also does not work for some residence cards, in which case you apply at a shop.

LINEMO — cheapest for light users, strong for LINE users

Best Plan is ¥990 up to 3 GB and ¥2,090 up to 10 GB. Best Plan V is ¥2,970 for 30 GB with 5-minute domestic calls included. LINE messages, voice and video calls usually do not count against your data, with some exceptions. SoftBank raised its main-brand and Y!mobile prices in 2026 but left LINEMO unchanged.

Watch out for: online only, no shop. The sign-up site has English, but support chat is mainly in Japanese.

povo 2.0 — pay only for what you use

No monthly fee. You buy data "toppings" in the app: 1 GB for 7 days ¥390, 3 GB for 30 days ¥990, 5 GB for 30 days ¥1,380, or long toppings such as 120 GB for 365 days ¥21,600 (about ¥1,800 a month for 10 GB) and 1.32 TB for 365 days ¥39,240 (about ¥3,270 a month for 110 GB).

Watch out for: most toppings expire and must be bought again (the 3 GB / 30-day topping can auto-charge), and if you go 180 days without buying a paid topping the line can be suspended or cancelled. Payment is by credit card or Paidy; through Paidy you can also pay from a bank account or by bank transfer. The app is Japanese-first.

ahamo — docomo network, simple, but changing in December

Until 30 November 2026: 30 GB for ¥2,970 with 5-minute calls and 30 GB of overseas roaming included. From 1 December 2026 it becomes a three-step plan: ¥3,135 up to 40 GB, ¥4,125 up to 60 GB, ¥5,115 up to 120 GB, and overseas data rises to 40 GB. Good if you travel home often and want docomo coverage.

Watch out for: online only, Japanese interface, and you need a d-account to apply.

UQ mobile — au network with real shops

Komikomi Plan Value is 35 GB with 10-minute calls for ¥3,828 (¥3,168 for the first 13 months if you are new). Tokutoku Plan 2 is ¥4,048 for 30 GB but drops to ¥2,948 automatically in months you use 5 GB or less; with au home internet and an au PAY card it falls to ¥1,628 / ¥2,728. Unused data rolls over one month.

Watch out for: there is no small plan any more, and the headline prices are only attractive with the bundled discounts.

Y!mobile — SoftBank network with real shops

Simple 3 is ¥3,278 for 5 GB, ¥4,378 for 30 GB and ¥5,478 for 35 GB after the June 2026 increase. New M and L contracts get ¥1,100 off for 12 months with no conditions, and a SoftBank home-internet line plus a PayPay Card bring S / M / L down to ¥1,298 / ¥2,398 / ¥3,498. Data rolls over.

Watch out for: from 1 July 2026 there is an ¥858 fee if you cancel within 12 months, and the list prices are the highest in this group.

What you need to sign up

Every plan above is for people living in Japan. As a foreign resident you will usually need ID such as a residence card, and the exact documents differ by company. Short-stay visitors without a residence card should look at travel SIMs, eSIMs or prepaid SIMs instead.

• Residence card (在留カード), not expired, with your current address printed on the back. Special permanent residents use their certificate instead. Some companies also accept a Japanese driver's licence or My Number Card.
• Passport. Shops often ask for it alongside the residence card; requirements vary by company and residence status.
• Proof of address if the card address is old or missing: a resident record (住民票) or a utility bill from the last 3 months.
• A way to pay: a credit card or a Japanese bank account in your own name. Documents and payment methods differ by company: povo takes credit cards or Paidy (Paidy allows bank account or bank transfer), while Rakuten, LINEMO and ahamo also accept direct bank debit.
• Period of stay. Carriers will not let a device installment run past your period of stay, and docomo and au require credit-card payment if you have under 90 days left. SIM-only contracts are usually fine on any valid residence card.

Why not docomo, au or SoftBank main brands?

Their unlimited plans cost ¥7,458 (au), ¥8,008 (SoftBank) and ¥8,448 (docomo MAX) a month before discounts, and the discounts assume family lines or home internet with the same company. All three raised prices in 2026. The online brands in this guide are far cheaper, though they come without shop support and most extras, so for a single foreign resident the main brand mainly makes sense if you want in-store support or a phone on installments.

FAQ

I am here for less than 90 days. What can I get?

No residence card means no monthly plan. Buy a prepaid or travel SIM or eSIM instead; they need only a passport.

I have no credit card yet.

Open a Japanese bank account first, then choose Rakuten, LINEMO or ahamo, which accept bank debit. For povo, register Paidy and pay through your bank account.

Can I keep my number if I switch?

Yes. Number portability (MNP) is free, and most carriers support one-stop MNP, so you usually do not need a reservation number from your old carrier.

Which has the best English support?

Rakuten Mobile (English website, app, and shop staff in many cities). LINEMO has an English sign-up page. ahamo and povo are Japanese-only; use your browser's translate function.

Is Rakuten really unlimited?

There is no fixed monthly data limit for domestic data and tethering, but speeds may be controlled in crowded areas or at busy times. Overseas it is 2 GB a month, then slowed.

Sources

• Rakuten最強プラン pricing and unlimited conditions (mobareco, Jul 2026)
• Rakuten Mobile notice on online identity check for foreign residents (May 2026)
• docomo press release: ahamo renewal from 1 Dec 2026
• povo 2.0 topping lineup update (Jun 2026)
• povo 2.0 5 GB topping and long toppings (Oct 2025)
• povo 2.0 topping prices and 180-day rule (Ameba Choice, Apr 2026)
• SoftBank press release: LINEMO Best Plan V 30 GB at ¥2,970
• UQ mobile Komikomi Plan Value and Tokutoku Plan 2 (Selectra, updated Sep 2026)
• UQ mobile new-customer discount, 13 months at ¥3,168 (Jun 2026)
• Y!mobile Simple 3 price increase from Jun 2026 and cancellation fee (Simlabo)
• Y!mobile official notice on 2026 price changes
• Documents and payment rules for foreign residents (E-Housing, Jan 2026)