Do you need a simcard in Japan?
Simple answer? No. If you want more info on why, continue reading.
Today I’d like to answer the question “Do I need to buy a data sim card when traveling in japan?” as it is one which not many people ask themselves. Most people just buy a data sim card without thinking about the other FREE possibilities. Nowadays a lot of people like to stay connected with the internet for social media or other things. However, whilst traveling … do you really need to stay connected all the time? Maybe it will be nice to be disconnected whilst you’re traveling, but a lot of people like to state otherwise.
Free wifi
Nowadays there is free wifi almost anywhere in Japan. You don’t really need to look that far to find a wifi spot. All major airports have free wifi, even on the trains (JR) you’ll have free wifi and in other stations you have wifi in the stations themselves. Convenience stores also have wifi available, and most malls do as well. There is really an abundance of free wifi in this country. Especially as a foreigner visiting Japan you are in luck as there are a lot of wifi spots at the most touristic places.
Most of these wifi spots don’t have amazing speeds, but they are fast enough to send messages or check your hotel bookings and such. But like any public wifi in any country, be careful with banking stuff on those public wifi’s. It is very easy to get access to your data when using those wifi spots. Overall you will be fine and will have nothing to worry about when using those wifi spots, however if you are really serious about good protection and security, then only use your hotel provided wifi (The security and protection really depends on if this wifi spot is specific to your room only).
Do I need to stay connected?
Ask yourself, for what things do you want to use the internet which would require you to stay connected when traveling through Japan? Emergency numbers work just fine without a data sim. You can do your bookings in your hotel itself. Staying connected with family? Think about the time difference, you probably will only be able to talk with them in the morning or evening, at those times you are at your hotel. Want to look things up on google maps? Find a station or convenience store to use that wifi.
Save money
In the end, the decision is up to you. I made the mistake of buying a data sim card and yes, it saved me a bit of time whenever I needed to be connected, but generally, it was not worth the money I spend for it. I could have bought a couple more delicious dishes in Osaka for that money as it really isn’t cheap to get a data sim card and they all have their downsides and positives which will probably not be that clear at the time of buying them. These data sim cards are very confusing most of the time.
Pocket wifi
When traveling in a group (family or friends), then buying a pocket wifi may seem more interesting. You can divide the price amongst friends and as a family you can save yourself from complaints of your family that the wifi isn’t working properly. Because you can use these things with so many people at the same time, their value is a lot higher and they are a lot more useful. Still strongly consider if it is worth the price as these are more expensive then data sim cards, but they also offer unlimited internet most of the time.
Up to you
I have always been very focused on staying on a specific budget whilst traveling so I will always be careful about my spending’s. But everybody is different, this is just my opinion and my advice, feel free to take this advice in any way that you want. If you go for a data sim card, just be certain to do enough research as some of them have some nasty small letter stuff.
Have fun on your trips through Japan! 😉