Wi-Fi & Mobile Phones

First Ask Your Home Provider

If you want to use your non-Japanese mobile phone in Kyoto, we recommend contacting your home provider before leaving your country.

Many mobile phone providers cooperate with Japanese partners and allow roaming services with Japanese telephone networks for their customers.  However, be sure to investigate what your provider’s roaming fees are, as they tend to be more expensive than you might expect.

Check Your Mobile Phone Network Compatibility

GSM and 3G network phones will not work in Japan, so please make sure your mobile phone supports 4G LTE and 5G networks.

Rental Phones and SIM Cards in Japan

To avoid problems it may be better to rent a mobile phone when you arrive at the airport. There are usually several phone rental kiosks within major airports. You could also rent a portable Wi-Fi device, such as Pocket Wi-Fi, and use it for internet access with your smartphone.

Nowadays visitors from other countries can also buy prepaid physical SIM or eSIM cards (data-only) from various vendors online, before arriving to Japan. Please note that SIM cards with local voice phone number require passport registration.

When using the roaming option of your local provider, call rates depend on the country you’re contacting and the plan contracted, so be careful of what costs you may be incurring. It may be safer to use free services like LINE or WhatsApp through internet access such as KYOTO Wi-Fi.