So you’ve finally made it to Japan! You’ve passed through immigration, left the airport, and even your phone has automatically updated its time to JST! Thinking of your phone, though, using data to post updates to the Gram, and making calls to your friends and family back home — as well as the new ones you’ll make here — can get pretty expensive using your home country’s SIM card and charges.
Luckily, there are options that you have when you’re visiting or living in Japan to keep your phone costs down while keeping your connectivity up. And even better, it’s all dreadfully SIMple with Mobal!
Why Having a SIM Card in Japan is an Essential
The first thing is that, whether one likes to admit it or not, many of us are addicted to our phones, if not totally tethered to them. Even if you don’t like to jump on Twitter to get in a fight just to feel a rush of righteous indignation (and if you’ve kicked this habit, tell me how), our bank accounts, travel cards, and more are all on our phones these days: and using these invaluable features requires data.
Additionally, much as most people born after 1990 hate it, sometimes a phone is best used as — urgh — a phone. If you get a phone call, you might have to respond. Alternatively, you might be required to call someone else: checking in with family when you’re away from WiFi, connecting with someone you’ve lost in Tokyo’s busy streets, or even possibly the emergency services.
So, what do our experienced and knowledgeable staff recommend?
Introducing Mobal
Mobal, which began as a humble company providing brick phones to construction companies in the 1980s, has grown into one of the premier mobile phone SIM card providers for both tourists and expats now living in Japan.
Top Pick
Mobal offers a wide range of services at a variety of prices to suit the needs of anyone who walks the islands of the Kami. So let’s go through why Mobal is a fabulous option for people visiting or living in Japan!
Key Benefits of Mobal
One of the biggest advantages of using Mobal for your Japanese SIM is that it doesn’t come with any contract: you pay for the time period that you ask for, whether it be for a set number of days (best for tourists) or on a rolling, recurring monthly basis (best for residents). This means that if you need or want to change your service or provider, for whatever reason, you can do so easily.
The other big advantage is the English-language support. While some domestic services may, depending on the plan you have, be more affordable, Japanese phone companies do not have good English language assistance. If there’s a problem, or if you want to change your plan, Mobal can facilitate your needs easily.
Another benefit is that the majority of Mobals profits go towards helping charitable causes around the world. These include donations to Seibo Japan, which provides meals for hungry children around the world, and the Krizevac Project, which provides education and helps set up enterprises in Africa.
How to Set Up Your Mobal Japanese SIM in Minutes
But nothing that good comes easily, right? Well, this is an exception. Setting up your Mobal Japanese SIM is simple and quick — especially if you are getting an eSIM.
Simply go to the Mobal website, and choose the option that is best for you, whether that be a tourist SIM or eSIM, or a physical SIM, for either option. Those looking for a physical SIM will of course need an address to send it to, but Mobal is happy not only to send a SIM to a hotel or home in Japan, but also abroad in preparation for your trip. eSIMs, on the other hand, will arrive in your email inbox in minutes.
Due to Japanese laws, you will need to provide photo evidence of your ID. However, this doesn’t need to be a Japanese ID, like a zairyu card: your passport will suffice perfectly well.
Get Your Mobal SIMLooking for a Japanese SIM card that’s as reliable as it is effortless? Sign up for a Mobile Japanese SIM card today. It’s easy, affordable, and suits the needs of everyone from the quick visitor to the long-term resident!
Mobal vs Other Japan SIM Options
To really lay it out, let’s take a look at Mobal Japan SIM against other Japanese phone company offerings.
| Mobal Japanese SIM | Domestic Providers |
|---|---|
| Calls and data with a Japanese phone number, with incoming calls free | Often data-only SIM cards |
| Ordered easily | Requires going to a physical location and filling out paperwork |
| Payment by Debit/Credit Card or PayPal | Requires a Japanese bank account |
| No contract required | Contract required |
| Flexibility in pausing, upgrading, or cancelling | No flexibility in pausing, upgrading, or cancelling |
| No additional taxes, no minimums, or hidden extras | Often includes complicated hidden fees and charges |
| English language customer support | Almost exclusively Japanese-only customer service |
My Experience Using Mobal
Your humble writer is also a long-time user of Mobal, and I can tell you that it has been a real help to me in my time here. Not only are they very responsive when I’ve had questions or concerns, but they also have actually reduced the cost of my subscription as the company grew and were able to make savings — all without reducing their donations to charities!
So don’t hesitate, whether you’re a visitor or a resident, to look to Mobal to help with all your phone needs.
