A family holiday in Japan involves a lot of moving around: trains between cities, big stations, new neighbourhoods every day. It is much easier when everyone has a working phone from the moment you land, for train times, maps, translation and finding each other if you get separated.
The simplest approach is one data eSIM per person, installed at home before you fly. You can see every plan and price on our Japan eSIM page. This guide explains how much data each member of the family is likely to need, what free Wi-Fi is available, what to do about a child's phone and what a family of four actually pays.
Does my UK mobile plan work in Japan?
Check what your own mobile plan includes abroad before you go. The EU's "roam like at home" rules only cover the EU and a few neighbouring countries, they have not applied to the UK since Brexit, and Japan is outside them in any case. Some operators include other destinations in their plans; the details will be in your plan's terms or your operator's app.
If Japan is not included, or the allowance is small, a travel eSIM for each person is the usual alternative. Your UK SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts, charged at your operator's rates, while the eSIM provides the data.
Mobile networks in Japan
According to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan has four mobile network operators: NTT docomo, KDDI (au), SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile, which has offered a full service since April 2020.
We do not publish which local network our eSIMs connect to, and we have not run speed tests on the ground, so we will not make promises about speed. For a family, the questions that matter are whether each person has enough data and whether you can top up quickly if one of you runs out.
Free Wi-Fi in Japan
Free Wi-Fi can help your data go further. JNTO, the national tourism organisation, says the major international airports offer free Wi-Fi in their terminals. It also recommends the official Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect app, which connects you automatically to free Wi-Fi hotspots at airports, stations, convenience stores, shopping centres and cafés, and is available in 16 languages.
Free Wi-Fi is a useful extra but not a substitute for mobile data: it only works where there is a hotspot, so it will not help a child who gets separated from you away from one. Hotel Wi-Fi is handy for heavier tasks; we cannot vouch for its quality, which varies, but it is the natural place to:
- download offline maps and train route information for the next day;
- download films and series for long train rides and the flight home;
- run app updates and back up photos, which can use a lot of mobile data.
How much data does a family need in Japan?
Each person uses data differently. A parent relying on maps and translation uses more than a child who only messages, and a teenager posting videos uses more again. These are the reference figures we use. They are guides, not quotas:
| Usage | Per day | 7 days | 14 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (messages, maps) | 0.3 GB | 2.1 GB | 4.2 GB |
| Everyday (plus social media, photos) | 0.7 GB | 4.9 GB | 9.8 GB |
| Heavy (plus video, video calls) | 1.5 GB | 10.5 GB | 21 GB |
As a rule of thumb, younger children sit in the light column, parents in the everyday column (maps, train times, translation, photos) and teenagers in the heavy column. If you want a precise estimate, our data calculator works it out person by person.
What does an eSIM for a family of four in Japan cost?
These are today's Sirocco prices per traveller, in euros including tax, and they update automatically on this page. Sirocco charges in euros; the site can show an indicative amount in pounds. Plans for Japan start from €2.60.
| Usage | 7 days | 15 days |
|---|---|---|
| Light | 3 GB: €5.80 | 5 GB: €10.80 |
| Everyday | 5 GB: €10.30 | 10 GB: €17.40 |
| Heavy | 10 GB: €16.00 | at least 20 GB: €32.90 |
Each price is for the cheapest plan with at least that much data and at least that many days. If a larger plan, or one with a longer validity, costs less, that is the one shown. An unlimited option also exists for Japan, with fair use of 2 GB a day at full speed, after which speed is reduced.
Example: a family of four for a week. Two parents on everyday use at €10.30 each, a teenager on heavy use at €16.00 and a younger child on light use at €5.80. From three eSIMs in the same order, 10% comes off the total, and the exact amount is shown before you pay. If all four of you take 5 GB for a week, the total is €37.08, discount included.
The same family for 15 days: two parents at €17.40 each, the teenager at €32.90 and the child at €10.80, again with 10% off the total. If all four take 10 GB for 15 days, the total is €62.64.
The group discount applies automatically from three eSIMs in one order, is rounded in your favour and is shown before you pay. It cannot be combined with a promo code, and there is no discount for two travellers.
How a family eSIM works
One adult orders for up to 10 travellers in a single purchase, choosing a plan for each person: a large one for the teenager, a small one for the youngest. There is no shared pot, so one person's data is never used up by someone else. If someone runs out, only their connection stops and nothing extra is charged. The organiser can top up that one eSIM from the trip area, without reinstalling anything and without affecting the others. Top-ups are available when the offer allows. Data you do not use becomes credit for your next trip.
The organiser enters each traveller's mobile number, and each person receives a personal installation link by text (UK numbers included), with a step-by-step guide and a QR code as a backup. The text is only sent when the organiser chooses. A reminder goes out two days before departure if an eSIM has not been installed, and you can switch it off. The organiser sees the status of each eSIM (link sent, opened, installed, connected, data used up) but never another adult's installation codes, contact details or detailed usage. Until it is installed, an eSIM can be reassigned to another traveller; once installed, it cannot be transferred. More on the family eSIM page.
Japan with kids: does my child need a phone?
For a young child who is always with you, probably not. For older children, a phone with its own data is reassuring in big stations and crowds, and lets them message you if you get separated.
If your child is taking a phone:
- Check eSIM support. Dial *#06#. If an EID number appears, the phone accepts eSIMs. We do not check models; you confirm each phone when ordering.
- Check it is unlocked. A phone bought on a contract may be locked to its network, so ask your operator to unlock it before you travel.
- Use a child profile. When ordering, you can mark a traveller as a child. The smallest plan for the destination is suggested by default, at the same price as an adult plan of the same size. In the free Sirocco app, the child sees their remaining data and end date, and can ask for more by choosing an amount, with no price shown. You accept (which tops up their eSIM), offer a different amount or decline. If you do not reply, the request expires after 24 hours and nothing is charged.
This is not parental control: it does not filter or block websites, does not show what your child is viewing and does not locate them. No account is created in the child's name, and only adults can buy. Without the app, the eSIM can be installed from the web guide with an adult's help. Details on the kids eSIM page.
Can we share one connection by hotspot?
It is possible in some cases, but plan carefully:
- Hotspot depends on the offer and the country, and each offer page tells you before you pay. Do not assume it is always available.
- When it is possible, the shared data comes out of the plan of the person sharing.
- It runs down that parent's battery, and the children are only connected when they are near that phone.
It can work for a tablet at the hotel. For anyone who needs to be reachable on their own, a separate eSIM is simpler. See our group data help page.
Best time for a family holiday in Japan
JNTO's seasonal guidance is worth reading before you book:
- Cherry blossom runs from March to May, depending on the region.
- The rainy season starts in May or June: May in Okinawa, mid-June in Tohoku, while Hokkaido is little affected.
- Typhoons are possible in August and September.
- Autumn leaves run from late September to early December.
If one of you runs out during the trip, a top-up only affects that person's eSIM.
Emergency numbers in Japan
- Police: 110
- Ambulance and fire: 119
- JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline: 050-3816-2787, 24 hours a day
The eSIM is data only: no local number, no regular calls or texts. Call from your usual line in an emergency. Internet calling and messaging apps work over the eSIM's data.
Before you leave: checklist
- Check every phone: *#06# for the EID, and unlocked. Our compatibility page explains more.
- Order one eSIM per person and pick each plan.
- Install every eSIM at home on Wi-Fi a few days before departure (installation help), then leave the eSIM line switched off.
- Do not delete an installed eSIM: it cannot always be reinstalled.
- When you land, switch on the eSIM line, choose it for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line only (how to). The plan starts at this first connection in Japan (when does my plan start).
Help if you need it
A real person answers, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Paris time, usually within two working hours, in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese, by form and email. Bear in mind the time difference with Japan and that there is no 24/7 support or live chat, so it is best to install and check everything before you leave. Payment is by Apple Pay, Google Pay or card, and no mobile number is needed to buy.