Whether we like it or not, our travels are inexplicably tied to the internet. Unless you’re looking to channel your inner Marco Polo and go “old school” with paper maps, you’re gonna need some kind of way to stay connected. Here are a few different ways to get Wi-Fi in Japan, and my personal favourite (and most reliable) at the end.
Travelling without internet in Japan
Can it be done? Absolutely. Should it be done? Ideally, no.
When I travelled to Japan for the first time, I relied on nothing but my trusty Garmin watch, pre-downloaded GPX maps with directions, and a whole lot of trial and error. I would plan out my day the night before, screenshot a bunch of Google map directions, and use my Garmin to direct me to and from each of the places and train stations. As a somewhat thrown together DIY solution, it worked well, but damn was it a lot of work. This was also the same time that I was still buying individual tickets to get around, which made things even more confusing–thank god for Suica cards.
You definitely can travel without wifi in Japan, but you’ll spend most of your time trying to find a connection rather than actually enjoying your time here. Need to quickly change a booking? Yeah, that’s going to be an issue…
Using public Wi-Fi in Japan
For the most part, there’s a good amount of Wi-Fi hotspots in Japan and if this is all you’re able to use, you could be in a worse position. Practically all fast food chains and cafes have free Wi-Fi, and if you know anything about Japan, you’ll know these are plentiful.
I love writing, and most of that happens on my computer. Usually, I’ll have a number of tabs open at the same time in another window, furiously researching and fact-checking to make sure I’m telling you all the correct information. While over 90% of cafes and food chains offer Wi-Fi, the reliability and speed are sometimes less than ideal.
Because I’m a bit of a huge nerd, I’ve spent a few too many hours testing the Wi-Fi speeds of chain cafes in Japan. We’ll save the full rundown for another article, but top of that list is Tully’s with an average download speed of well over 100 Mbps a second. The issue is reliability and safety, and those are big ones.
With Tully’s and other free Wi-Fi, you’ll often need to re-confirm a couple of details every hour or so to get that Wi-Fi signal back. Not ideal if you’re doing something when the signal suddenly cuts and your progress is lost. Save your stuff more often, I suppose?
The bigger issue with reliability is that sometimes it just flat out won’t load pages. While the speed still shows over 100mb, my pages won’t load for no apparent reason. I’m not entirely sure why or what that means, but it turns what should have been a productive cafe trip into one where I’ll just read my book for hours instead – I love doing that, but not when I need to get things done. So what’s the alternative?
Staying connected with an eSIM in Japan
If skipping from free and potentially insecure hotspots doesn’t sound like fun to you, and you’d prefer to just spend that time planning and enjoying your trip, then the best way to stay connected and get Wi-Fi in Japan is by eSIM. My top recommendation for this is without a doubt, Japan Wireless.
I’ve used these guys for what must be a combined total of close to 1.5 years at this point, and they’ve never steered me wrong. Most of that time was with their pocket Wi-Fi, but recently I’ve been experimenting with their eSIM, and I’m convinced it’s the better option of the two
eSIM vs pocket wifi in Japan
If you’d have asked me this question a couple of months ago, I’d have a very different opinion, but now I’m fully convinced that an eSIM is the way to go.
One of the biggest issues (and the most compelling reasons to use an eSIM over pocket Wi-Fi) is the simplicity. Carrying a pocket Wi-Fi in Japan not only means you have to physically carry and take care of something during your trip, but you’ll also have to keep it charged for the whole period you want to use it. Of course, you’ll also need to keep your phones and any other tech charged too – annoyingly, it means just another thing to plug in overnight, not ideal when plugs are limited.
In contrast, the eSIM from Japan Wireless probably requires less than 10 touches of your phone screen before you’re completely set up and ready to go. If you’ve never used one before (like I hadn’t before this trip), the process is genuinely seamless. You only have to keep your phone charged, don’t have to pick anything up from the airport, and don’t have to arrange it weeks or months in advance to ensure there’s a unit available. If you’re a light packer like I am, you’ll also be super thankful for the extra weight saving as well.
Japan Wireless
Quite honestly, I have no reason to search for another provider because each and every time I either come back to or live in Japan, the Japan Wireless products just work.
It’s worth noting that their cover has been nothing short of exceptional as well. We’ve somehow managed to get signal on top of Mount Takao, in the middle of the backcountry while waist deep in a disgusting amount of Japanese Powder somewhere in Hokkaido, in the rarely trodden hills of Okutama, and on the almost country-long route taken by the Izumo Express. We have much more planned, and I’m determined to find somewhere that doesn’t have signal, so watch this space!
I’m told that this is because their sims have local connectivity rather than roaming – it gives me a great connection when I need it, and that’s all I care about. We chose their unlimited plans, and unlike a lot of providers, these plans actually are unlimited. I never find myself using that much each month, and neither will you if you only use maps, but I’d prefer to have the peace of mind rather than run out of data at the worst possible moment.
Click here to check out the eSIM tariffs that Japan Wireless offers.
If you’re looking for the best signal, a product that works straight out of the box, and 24/7 support, Japan Wireless gets my vote of approval, and I’m very happy to recommend them to anyone looking to get Wi-Fi in Japan. If you’ve decided to go the DIY analogue maps and GPS route like I did during my first trip, send me an email about what you’ve got up to, because you’ve definitely chosen the harder path!