Ringo
Compare · 8 min read

The best eSIM for Japan in 2026.

Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi and Ringo Light for Japan, priced on the same day, plus eight places to see from Tokyo to Hiroshima and what your phone needs at each. Buy Ringo Light on the page.

· Published · · Updated ·

Cheapest unlimited eSIM for Japan: Ringo Light, $21.99 for 2 weeks and $54.99 for 30 days (Ubigi $39 and $65). Prices read 10 November 2026.

Two weeks of unlimited data in Japan
$21.99

2 weeks · 10 November 2026

Next cheapest: Ubigi $39.00

US dollars, 10 November 2026. Ringo Light sells 14 days, the others 15. Nomad's unlimited now stops at 10 days. Ubigi's 15 days is 30 GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps.

  1. $21.99
  2. Ubigi$39.00
  3. Airalo$48.00
  4. Saily$48.99
  5. Holafly$50.50
$54.99
A month of unlimited data in Japan
· 30 days
$16.00
10 GB in Japan
Nomad· 30 days
Ringo Light · on sale now
Get Ringo Light for Japan, from $9.99.
8 min read

The short answer

I checked the Japan prices on 10 November 2026, and Ringo Light is the cheapest unlimited eSIM: $21.99 for 2 weeks and $54.99 for 30 days, unlimited data at full speed on a local partner network. Airalo asks $48 for 15 days and $69 for 30 days on SoftBank. For 3 days I would pick Ringo Light unlimited at $9.99, against $11 at Nomad. For a 10 GB bucket Nomad is cheapest at $16, on KDDI au and SoftBank.

OUR PICK
Cheapest unlimited for two weeks or a month

Unlimited data at full speed for 2 weeks at $21.99 or 30 days at $54.99, nothing renews. Airalo asks $48 for 15 days and $69 for the month.

Nomad
Cheapest data bucket

10 GB for 30 days at $16, 20 GB at $23, and 3 days of unlimited at $11, on KDDI au and SoftBank.

Ubigi
Docomo coverage

One of the few brands on NTT Docomo, Japan's largest network, with KDDI. 10 GB for 30 days at $16.50.

Holafly
Simplest unlimited

Days, not gigabytes, on KDDI and SoftBank. $27.50 for a week; sharing limited to 1 GB a day.

Prices read on 10 November 2026: Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi on their own sites or listings, Ringo Light from its catalogue. All in US dollars unless stated. Treat every number as a snapshot.

See the full price index for every country.

Travelling further? Compare the best eSIM for Asia and the eSIM for Asia-Pacific.

The prices, charted

Two weeks of unlimited data in Japan

US dollars, 10 November 2026. Ringo Light sells 14 days, the others 15. Nomad's unlimited now stops at 10 days. Ubigi's 15 days is 30 GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps.

$21.99 · 2 weekscheapest44% less
Ubigi
$39.00 · 15 days
Airalo
$48.00 · 15 days
Saily
$48.99 · 15 days
Holafly
$50.50 · 15 days

Side by side

Swipe to compare →

Prices read on 10 November 2026, in US dollars
PlanAiraloHolaflySailyNomadUbigi
ModelBuckets or unlimited daysUnlimited days onlyBuckets or unlimited daysBuckets or unlimited daysBuckets, then 2 MbpsUnlimited trips: 2 weeks or 30 days
Unlimited, 3 days$11.50$11.90No 3-day plan$11No 3-day plan$9.99
Unlimited, 7 days$26.50$27.50$26.99$258 days, 5 GB a day, $25No 7-day plan; 2 weeks $21.99
Unlimited, 2 weeks15 days $4815 days $50.5015 days $48.99No 14-day plan; 10 days $3315 days, 30 GB, then 2 Mbps, $39$21.99
Unlimited, 30 days$69$73.90$71.99No 30-day plan; unlimited stops at 10 days, $3360 GB, then 2 Mbps, $65$54.99
10 GB, 30 days$18No buckets$17.99$16$16.50No buckets; unlimited 2 weeks, $21.99
20 GB, 30 days$25No buckets$24.99$2325 GB $32No buckets; unlimited 30 days, $54.99
Full speed on unlimited3 GB a day, then 1 MbpsNo daily cap stated; sharing 1 GB a day5 GB a day, then slowed2 GB a day, then slowerA fixed amount, then 2 MbpsUnlimited data at full speed
NetworksSoftBank and one otherKDDI, SoftBankKDDI, SoftBankKDDI au, SoftBankKDDI, NTT DocomoLocal partner network
Renews?NoNoNoNoMonthly plans doNo; the trip ends when it ends
App neededYesNo, QR codeYesOptionalOptionalNo, the eSIM arrives by email

Head to head

Get Ringo Light for Japan, from $9.99.

Installed once, next to your own SIM. Your eSIM arrives by email in seconds.

Japan
Japan
  • 3 days $9.99
  • 2 weeks $21.99
  • 30 days $54.99
Loading plans for this destination.

We sell data eSIMs for now to fund the full Ringo service. Ringo is self funded. Every plan bought here pays for the build of one plan that works everywhere.

All Ringo Light plans for Japan

Want to keep your own number abroad?

The full Ringo service

That is the full Ringo service: one plan that works everywhere, with your own number included.

It is a separate product from Ringo Light and it is still being built, so it is not on sale yet. Join the waitlist to hear when it opens.

What to do in Japan, and what your phone needs for it

Eight places most first trips include, from Tokyo to Hiroshima, with the one thing your data does for you at each. All of them are on the main rail lines and all have good 4G and 5G.

Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo
TokyoShibuya CrossingUp to three thousand people cross at once when the lights change. Watch it from the second floor of the station building, then walk it yourself.✓Tokyo's stations have dozens of exits. Search the exit you need in maps before you surface.
Mount Fuji from Chureito Pagoda, Fujiyoshida
FujiyoshidaMount Fuji from Chureito PagodaFour hundred steps up to the red pagoda for the view on every Japan poster. Clearest early on autumn and winter mornings.✓Check the live Fuji cameras before you ride out: the mountain hides in cloud more days than not.
Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto
KyotoFushimi Inari TaishaThousands of orange torii gates climb the hill behind the shrine. The crowds thin out past the halfway point.✓Open all night and free. Go at dawn and save your battery for the top.
Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, Kyoto
KyotoKinkaku-ji, the Golden PavilionA Zen temple covered in gold leaf, reflected in its pond. One short loop, about forty minutes.✓Kyoto buses fill up. A live transit app tells you which one is coming and how full.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto
KyotoArashiyama Bamboo GroveA walk between bamboo stems taller than houses, on the west edge of the city, next to the monkey park and the river.✓Translation by camera reads the menus in the small places by the station.
Todai-ji and the deer of Nara, Nara
NaraTodai-ji and the deer of NaraThe largest wooden hall in the world holds a giant bronze Buddha, and hundreds of tame deer walk the park around it.✓Nara is 45 minutes from Kyoto or Osaka. A route app picks the fastest train and platform.
Dotonbori, Osaka
OsakaDotonboriNeon over the canal and street food at every door: takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu.✓Many stalls take only cash or IC cards. Top up your Suica or ICOCA in the wallet app.
The floating torii of Itsukushima, Miyajima, near Hiroshima
Miyajima, near HiroshimaThe floating torii of ItsukushimaThe shrine gate stands in the sea at high tide and on the sand at low tide. A short ferry from Hiroshima, covered by the rail pass.✓Look up the tide times: the gate looks its best at high tide.

If you want unlimited for two weeks or a month: Ringo Light

For two weeks or a month of unlimited data in Japan, I would buy Ringo Light. It is the cheapest of the six: $21.99 for 2 weeks and $54.99 for 30 days. Japan is a two-week trip for most people, often on a rail pass. For about two weeks of unlimited, Airalo asks $48, Saily $48.99, Holafly $50.50 and Ubigi $39 for a fixed amount at full speed. For a month, the rivals run $65 to $73.90. Nothing renews on Ringo Light.

I read what unlimited means before I compare prices, and you should too. Airalo gives 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps. Saily gives 5 GB a day, Nomad 2 GB. Ubigi gives 30 GB for 15 days or 60 GB for the month, then 2 Mbps. Holafly states no daily cap for your own phone and limits sharing to 1 GB a day. Ringo Light is unlimited data at full speed for the whole 2 weeks or 30 days.

For a short trip, Ringo Light sells 3 days of unlimited data at $9.99, and no 7-day plan. For a week I would still buy its 2 weeks at $21.99, which costs less than a week at Nomad ($25), Airalo ($26.50), Saily ($26.99) or Holafly ($27.50). If you want to pay for exactly seven days, Nomad at $25 is the cheapest.

Which network works best in Japan

Japan has three big networks: NTT Docomo, KDDI au and SoftBank. All three cover the cities and the Shinkansen lines well. Docomo reaches furthest into the mountains and rural Hokkaido. Most travel eSIMs ride SoftBank or KDDI; Ubigi is the one brand here that names Docomo. For Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, I would not worry about the network, because any of them works.

If you want a data bucket: Nomad or Ubigi

  • Nomad, $16 for 10 GB. The cheapest 10 GB and the cheapest 20 GB at $23, on KDDI au and SoftBank with 5G.
  • Ubigi, $16.50 for 10 GB. On KDDI and Docomo, the widest coverage of the six.
  • Saily, $17.99 for 10 GB. 20 GB at $24.99. Every Saily price here is on saily.com.
  • Airalo, $18 for 10 GB. Its Moshi Moshi plan, 20 GB for $25, buckets from $4 for 1 GB.
  • ✓Ringo Light, no buckets. Ringo Light's 2 weeks is unlimited for $21.99 and its 30 days unlimited for $54.99. For a fixed 10 GB, Nomad, Ubigi, Saily and Airalo are all cheaper in Japan; their 20 GB buckets, $23 to $25 for 30 days, now cost more than Ringo Light's 2 weeks, though they last 30 days. Buy Ringo Light for unlimited, not for a bucket. I would rather you read that here than at checkout.

What Ringo Light is

I write for Ringo, so you should know that Ringo Light is its own data eSIM, sold to fund the full Ringo, one plan that works everywhere with your own number ported onto it. For Japan it sells three trips, all unlimited data at full speed: 3 days at $9.99, 2 weeks at $21.99 and 30 days at $54.99. Nothing renews. The eSIM arrives by email in seconds and installs in one scan, no app.

If you are planning a city stop, I would read the city pages for /blog/best-esim-for-tokyo, /blog/best-esim-for-kyoto and /blog/best-esim-for-osaka, and the regional comparison at /blog/best-esim-for-asia.

I put the card to buy it further up this page, just after the side-by-side table.

Pick by trip

A few days in Tokyo

Ringo Light unlimited, 3 days, $9.99, against $11 at Nomad.

Two weeks on the rail pass

Ringo Light unlimited, 2 weeks, $21.99, less than any rival charges for two weeks. Ubigi 15 days at $39 if you want a fixed 30 GB at full speed.

Two weeks, light use, budget first

Nomad 10 GB for 30 days at $16.

A month, working from cafés

Ringo Light unlimited, 30 days, $54.99. Ubigi at $65 for 60 GB at full speed on Docomo if you leave the cities.

You need your own number to keep ringing

None of these travel plans does that. The full Ringo, which Ringo Light funds, ports the number you have.

Frequently asked questions

Which eSIM is cheapest for Japan?+
For two weeks or a month of unlimited data, Ringo Light: $21.99 for 2 weeks and $54.99 for 30 days on 10 November 2026, against $48 for 15 days and $69 for 30 days at Airalo. For 3 days, Ringo Light unlimited at $9.99, against $11 at Nomad. For a 10 GB bucket, Nomad at $16.
Which Japanese network will my travel eSIM use?+
Airalo rides SoftBank, Holafly, Saily and Nomad KDDI and SoftBank, and Ubigi KDDI and NTT Docomo. All cover the cities and bullet train lines.
Is an unlimited eSIM really unlimited in Japan?+
Every brand has a limit somewhere, and I check where before I recommend one. Airalo slows you after 3 GB a day, Saily after 5 GB, Nomad after 2 GB, Ubigi after its fixed full-speed amount. Holafly states no daily cap for your own phone. Ringo Light is unlimited data at full speed.
Should I rent pocket Wi-Fi in Japan instead?+
Pocket Wi-Fi routers cost about $5 to $10 a day, need picking up and returning, and run on a battery you have to charge. An eSIM costs less for any trip over a few days and lives inside your phone. Pocket Wi-Fi still makes sense for a group sharing one connection.
Which eSIM is cheapest for a week in Japan?+
Ringo Light sells no 7-day plan, but its 2 weeks at $21.99 costs less than a week at Nomad ($25), Airalo ($26.50) or Saily ($26.99), unlimited data at full speed. If you want to pay for exactly seven days, Nomad at $25 is the cheapest.
Can I use my eSIM at Narita or Haneda airport?+
Yes. Install it at home, so the QR code is already scanned, and switch it on when you land in Tokyo.
Does a Japan eSIM work on an iPhone?+
Yes, on an unlocked iPhone that supports eSIM. Ringo Light arrives by email and installs in one scan, no app. Holafly installs from a QR code; Airalo and Saily ask for their app.
Does a Japan eSIM include calls or a Japanese number?+
Not Ringo Light: it is data only, with no local phone number. Calls go over apps that use data, such as WhatsApp or FaceTime. None of these travel plans keeps your own number ringing; the full Ringo, which Ringo Light funds, ports the number you have.

How we compared, and our sources

Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi, Ringo Light

We priced Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi and Ringo Light for Japan on 10 November 2026, all on the same day, in US dollars. Each rival's price comes from its own website where it showed dollars, otherwise from an esimdb.com listing, and every source and its date is listed below. Ringo Light's prices come from the catalogue our checkout charges.

We compare the trips people actually book: a week, two weeks and a month of unlimited data, and a 10 GB bucket. We read each brand's fair use and speed rules and quote them as the brands state them. We did not run speed tests, so this page makes no speed claims for any brand.

Ringo Light is our own product. We put it in the table on the same terms as everyone else, and where a rival is the better buy the page says so.

Left out: Revolut. It sells Japan data plans of 1 GB for 7 days up to 20 GB for 30 days inside its banking app, for Revolut account holders only. Its website shows the plan sizes and a starting price in pounds, but no price per plan in dollars, and no unlimited plan, so it has no bar in the charts. Left out: Maya Mobile. I could not read its own prices for this country on the day, so it stays out rather than being guessed.

Written and priced by the Ringo team. Prices change often; if you spot one that has moved, tell us through the contact page and we will update the table.

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