At a place
Free Wi-Fi
Good for checking things at an airport, hotel or participating café.
You lose the connection when you leave its range.Find Wi-FiA little preparation. A lot more freedom.
Your next train. A place to eat. A little help from Fumi. Let’s get your phone ready for Japan.
Wi-Fi connects you at a place.
Mobile data connects you on the move.
Illustration only · these are not your phone’s settings
01 / Find your fit
You do not need to become a phone expert. Start with where you want to use the internet.
02 / Land. Connect. Explore.
Airport Wi-Fi gives you a place to read your instructions, contact your provider and get your bearings.
Free airport Wi-Fi
HANEDA-FREE-WIFISelect the network, open your browser and follow the sign-in instructions.
Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Some shops are excluded and the signal varies by area.
Official airport instructionsFree airport Wi-Fi
FreeWiFi-NARITAChoose the network and complete the browser connection screen.
Airport terminal Wi-Fi areas. Look for the official signs.
Official airport instructionsFree airport Wi-Fi
#AirportFreeWiFi-Kansai#AirportFreeWiFi-Kansai2.4GChoose an official airport network and follow its connection screen.
Designated areas in Terminals 1 and 2, Aeroplaza and the airport station; some areas are excluded.
Official airport instructionsConfirm the network name on airport signs. A Wi-Fi symbol alone does not mean the login is complete: try opening a new web page.
Tick these as you go.
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03 / Your eSIM, made simple
Getting the app, buying a plan, installing an eSIM and connecting are four different things.
Is your exact model eSIM compatible and unlocked?
Choose a plan for your days away and the data you expect to use.
Follow your provider’s steps. Check when the validity period starts first.
In Japan, enable the travel line, select it for data and test the connection.
The setting that matters
The name “Primary” is only a label on some phones. Always check which line is actually selected for mobile data.
Travel eSIMON
Mobile dataJapan travel
Automatic data switchingOFF
Travel data roamingFollow your plan
This is a guide, not a live reading of your phone.Choose this separately from your Japan data connection.
Switch Home off in SIM settings. Your home line will not receive normal calls or SMS while it is off. Arrange access to banking and other sign-in codes before you travel.
Already-set-up internet messaging apps may still work over Japan data or Wi-Fi.
Select Japan for data, disable automatic data switching and switch Home data roaming OFF where there is a separate control.
Ask your home carrier about calls, SMS, voicemail and Wi-Fi Calling charges. These settings are not a guarantee of zero home-carrier charges. If unsure, turn Home off.
Read the roaming guidanceThe words on your screen may vary by model, country and software version.
To check unlocking: Settings → General → About → Network Provider Lock / Carrier Lock. Look for “No SIM restrictions”. Exact eSIM support depends on model and country of purchase.
Apple: using two SIMs · Travel eSIM helpMenu names and dual-SIM features vary with model, Android version and carrier.
Google Pixel: using two SIMsSamsung layouts vary by country, model, carrier and One UI version. Do not assume “Primary” has the same meaning as on someone else’s phone.
Samsung guidance · Australian Galaxy exampleTick these as you go.
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A worked example
Steve found Airalo convenient on his travels in Scotland and Japan. Here is how the process fits together; other providers offer similar options.
When does it start? Your selected package decides. Some plans start at installation; others at connection to a supported network. Do not assume landing always activates it.
An example, not an exclusive recommendation. Steve’s experience is personal, not a coverage guarantee.
04 / Pause. Connect. Carry on.
Start with your hotel or an airport. Out exploring, use official hotspot guides and check the signs where you are.
You need to be within range of a participating hotspot. A login, registration or profile may be needed before it works.
At your hotel
Check the network name, password, whether it works in your room, and any charges. Lobby and room Wi-Fi may be different.
Show a Japanese phrase →9 official guides
Participating facilities on the official map, not continuous citywide coverage.
OpenRoaming needs an initial profile setup. Follow the official instructions while you have internet.
Participating hotspots; conventional and OpenRoaming services vary by location.
Use the official guide to find a hotspot and its connection method.
Selected public facilities and transport locations shown in the tourism guide.
Follow the facility signs and login page. The link here is the tourism guide, not a live coverage map.
JR-Central_FreeDesignated station hotspots, not every platform or train.
Follow the official station connection guide.
Shinkansen_Free_Wi-FiTrains displaying the Wi-Fi service mark on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen.
Email or social-account registration; reconnect after a 30-minute session. Speed and signal vary.
Use the current official station list to check your stop.
Look for the service mark and follow the station's login instructions.
Only the locations displaying the official Wi-Fi service mark.
Check the operator's PDF guide and the signs at your station.
at_STARBUCKS_Wi2Participating stores. Check the store before relying on it.
Select the network and accept the browser terms. Follow the session instructions shown.
GINZA_MITSUKOSHI_WiFiThe department store's designated service areas.
Open the browser connection screen and follow the store's guide.
No match in this small directory. Try a city name or choose “All places”. Your hotel or an airport may be a useful starting point.
Suspended
The operator currently lists its free Wi-Fi as suspended during equipment upgrades. Do not plan your connection around it.
Official service noticeService ended
Free Wi-Fi on the listed Osaka Loop, Hanwa and Kansai-airport local services ended on 31 March 2024. The notice excludes Haruka. Check stations separately.
Official service noticeCoverage changed
Subway service ended on 30 September 2024; bus-stop service on 31 March 2025; some public-facility service on 31 August 2025. Use the current city guide.
Official service noticeOfficial information checked 25 October 2026; not field-tested at each location. Services can change. Use a staff-confirmed network and never ignore a browser security warning.
05 / Know what you are buying
Compare the total price, data allowance, days, activation rule and hotspot limits. “Unlimited” can still have speed or fair-use limits.
The worked example
Choose your package
Open the current Japan plans to check the exact allowance, duration and checkout currency.
See current plansA small-data example
US$4 / 1 GB
7 days. Compare current allowances and validity periods on the provider’s own page.
Check this planA larger-data example
US$16.50 / 10 GB
30 days. This package lists destination-based Smartstart activation and data sharing.
Check this planPrice snapshots checked 25 October 2026, in US dollars; not Australian dollars. These are different allowances, not a like-for-like ranking. Check the final amount, currency, taxes, fees and terms before purchase. No referral codes or affiliate tracking are added to these links.
Messages, occasional maps and looking up places use less than video. Use hotel Wi-Fi for large downloads.
Frequent navigation, browsing and sharing photos need more. Check your usual usage in phone settings and allow a margin.
Streaming, video calls, backups and tethering can use a lot. Check speed limits, hotspot allowances and top-up options.
Turn off unneeded photo backups and app updates over mobile data. There is no fixed data estimate for using Fumi on this page.
Check that your phone is unlocked, supports the network and has a compatible physical SIM tray. Keep your home SIM in a labelled holder if you remove it.
Compare b-mobile and Mobal , or Kansai’s staffed counters . Ask whether setup help is included; a vending machine cannot do it for you. Use only the provider’s APN settings.
A dated b-mobile example: 5 GB / 10 days ¥1,980, plus delivery of ¥430 or airport delivery of ¥600 (totals ¥2,410 / ¥2,580). Check delivery charges and the current product before buying.
A small rechargeable router shares mobile data with your phones over Wi-Fi. Useful when you stay together; people who split up lose access to that router.
Compare Sakura Mobile and Easygo . Check collection, return, battery life, speed limits, device limits and the total rental price including delivery. Carry a charger.
Your home carrier may include Japan or offer a travel pass. Check the included data, fair-use limits, calls and texts, and whether a daily fee is triggered by use.
If you deliberately choose that plan, follow your home carrier’s roaming instructions. The Japan-eSIM settings above apply when using a separate travel eSIM.
Most travel data-only plans do not include normal calls, SMS or a Japanese phone number. Already-set-up messaging apps can use data, but they do not replace every local-number requirement.
Check a voice-capable Japan SIM for identity checks, eligibility, fees and cancellation terms. A rental handset alone is not enough: JAL ABC’s rental-phone table lists a smartphone option without internet. Confirm data and the apps you need before renting.
06 / Let’s sort it out
Start with the symptom. Keep your eSIM installed while you check these steps.
Move to an area with reception. Check the travel line is enabled and the provider supports your exact model, network and location. Use Wi-Fi to contact support if restarting does not help. Wi-Fi can still work without mobile reception.
Select the Japan line for mobile data and switch automatic data switching off. Check Home data roaming. If you do not need normal home calls or SMS, turn Home off. Your carrier can confirm any charges already incurred.
Check remaining data, fair-use speed limits and expiry. Congestion, tunnels and weak coverage can slow a connection. Pause backups and video, use trusted Wi-Fi, or check your provider’s top-up options.
Turn Home on and select it for mobile data. Turn the travel line off when you no longer need it. Check subscription and auto-renewal settings with the provider: switching an eSIM off does not cancel a paid plan.
A little Japanese helps
Open a phrase in large Japanese text to show hotel, café or SIM-counter staff.
Wi-Fiは使えますか?
Wi-Fi wa tsukaemasu ka?
Say it why-fy wah tsoo-kah-eh-mah-soo kah?
Wi-Fiのパスワードを教えていただけますか?
Wi-Fi no pasuwādo o oshiete itadakemasu ka?
Say it why-fy noh pah-soo-wah—-doh oh oh-shee-eh-teh ee-tah-dah-keh-mah-soo kah?
部屋でもWi-Fiは使えますか?
Heya demo Wi-Fi wa tsukaemasu ka?
Say it heh-yah deh-moh why-fy wah tsoo-kah-eh-mah-soo kah?
Wi-Fiは無料ですか?
Wi-Fi wa muryō desu ka?
Say it why-fy wah moo-ryoh— deh-soo kah?
インターネットにつながりません。
Intānetto ni tsunagarimasen.
Say it een-tah—-neht-toh nee tsoo-nah-gah-ree-mah-sehn.
このスマホで使えるSIMカードはありますか?
Kono sumaho de tsukaeru SIM kādo wa arimasu ka?
Say it koh-noh soo-mah-hoh deh tsoo-kah-eh-roo shee-moo kah—-doh wah ah-ree-mah-soo kah?
データ通信専用ですか?
Dēta tsūshin sen’yō desu ka?
Say it deh—-tah tsoo—-sheen sehn-yoh— deh-soo kah?
日本の電話番号は付いていますか?
Nihon no denwa bangō wa tsuite imasu ka?
Say it nee-hohn noh dehn-wah bahn-goh— wah tsoo-ee-teh ee-mah-soo kah?
設定を手伝っていただけますか?
Settei o tetsudatte itadakemasu ka?
Say it seht-teh-ee oh teh-tsoo-daht-teh ee-tah-dah-keh-mah-soo kah?
A little backup goes a long way
Keep this one-page arrival checklist, your hotel address and your provider’s instructions on your phone. Open the saved files with internet switched off to check they really are available.
A bookmark alone is not an offline copy. Live Fumi help and online pages need a connection; use only downloaded files you have tested.
PDF · one page · no app installation needed · Open PDF in your browser ↗
No. Mobile coverage, speed and Wi-Fi availability vary. Save essentials before rural journeys, tunnels or places with weak reception.
It supports internet messaging apps over data. It does not, by itself, give you ordinary SMS service or a local phone number.
Often, but read the selected package’s activation policy first. Installation, network connection, a selected date or a deadline may start validity. A regional plan covering your home country can start sooner than expected.
Do not rely on live assistance or an online page without internet. Save and test the individual files you need.
Last editorial check: 25 October 2026. Provider and operator information, not a guarantee of service at a particular place. Check the linked current details before buying or travelling.
Connected? Find your next place · Make sense of the trains · Choose something delicious
“Say it” gives approximate sounds for English speakers. Keep Japanese sounds light and fairly even; follow the Japanese recording when one is available.