By Shawn Gallagher
Note: I was not paid to write this article.
Having a reliable mobile connection is vital for making our way around in today’s world. Moreover, it’s imperative to have that reliable connection when you’re traveling overseas. However, just using your own connection back from your home country can drive up costs, especially if you’re traveling for a long time. This is where a travel SIM card will come in handy.
I recently had to visit Tokyo for 18 days (which ended up being longer, 27 days), and I purchased and used one of these travel SIM cards. I got mine from mobal.com, and I had a great experience. Here’s an overview of what they offer, and the experience I had with it during my 27 days.
Related: Top 5 BEST Japan Travel SIM Cards In 2024
What Plans Do They Offer?
Once you get to the website, you’ll have an option to choose between a SIM and an eSIM. I highly recommend getting an eSIM. They’re what’s called an embedded SIM, where they use a SIM card that’s “embedded” into the phone. This means there’s no need to get a physical SIM card; you can just follow the process to add the connection on your settings app. In addition to them being cheaper, you also don’t have to go through the hassle of getting the SIM card at the airport or having it shipped to your place of stay.
IMPORTANT: Some older model phones may not be eSIM compatible. Make sure to check beforehand whether your phone will work or not. If you have an iPhone, the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, and any model later will work. Your phone also has to be unlocked (for physical SIMs too).
These are the eSIM plans that they offer. They have options for 8, 16, and 31 days. I got the 31 day 50GB plan, which essentially felt like unlimited data to me. If you need a plan longer than 31 days, try out their long term eSIMs.
With the current weak Japanese yen, the 4900 JPY plan right now will be about 32.81 USD (1 USD to 149.33 JPY as of February 9th, 2024).
The Overall Experience
I found the whole thing simple and easy to use. Once you purchase it, you will get a confirmation email from them which has the information and directions to connect to the network. Note that you have to be in Japan to start the process, and you also need a stable connection. I recommend starting it once you get to your hotel or your place of stay and use the wifi there to connect.
I found the connection to be very stable. It uses the SoftBank 4G LTE network, which has great coverage across the country. I didn’t find anything about data limits for each day on their website either. I average about 1.5 to 2GB of data use per day, and my connection never got slowed. However, there were a few times the connection began using 3G, but it was always at a particular spot while I was at work. It’s expected that there will be a few places here and there where it isn’t as fast.
You’ll also be able to use tethering/personal hotspot. I found this very convenient, as I was able to use my other phone and my MacBook using the same data plan through my main phone.
The Bottom Line
In my opinion, this is one of the best Japan travel SIMs you can find. The reliable connection and ability to use personal hotspot for other devices was absolutely worth my money. And the price isn’t that bad either! I highly recommend considering their travel SIMs if you have an upcoming trip to Japan. See you in another story!