Japan Mobile Plan Comparison
Major Carriers for Foreigners — May 2026
Comparing Rakuten Mobile, docomo, SoftBank, au, Y!mobile, ahamo & Sakura Mobile
Major Mobile Carrier / Plan Comparison
A summary of major SIM plans available to foreign nationals in Japan.
Major carriers (MNOs) are listed for unlimited plans only. Sub-brands and budget plans show each carrier's representative plan. Lower-data, lower-cost options are also available. Please check each carrier's official site for details.
💡 Check Your Monthly Data Usage First
The cheapest plan varies greatly by monthly data usage. Move the slider below to see each carrier's price update in real time. Check your usage first, then review the comparison table for details.
Monthly Fee Simulator
Move the slider to compare plans by data usage
※1 Via Rakuten Link app. ¥22/30 sec without app. Some numbers excluded.
※2 Additional charges apply for excess minutes.
※3 Speed may be restricted due to fair service provision or environmental conditions.
※ Pre-discount prices (tax incl.). Information as of May 2026. Please check each carrier's official site for the latest.
※ All prices include tax. Sources:
Rakuten Mobile ·
docomo ·
ahamo (30GB) · ahamo Large (110GB) ·
SoftBank ·
Y!mobile ·
au ·
UQ mobile ·
LINEMO ·
Sakura Mobile
| Carrier / Plan | Monthly Fee (tax incl.) | Calls (domestic) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rakuten MobileRakuten SAIKYO Plan | ¥1,078 (~3GB) ¥2,178 (3~20GB) ¥3,278 (20GB~Unlimited)※1 | Paid (Free via app※2) |
Students, workers & long-term residents Auto-adjusting price※3 |
| docomodocomo MAX | ¥5,698 (~1GB) ¥6,798 (1~3GB) ¥8,448 (3GB~Unlimited) | Paid (separate) |
Those using docomo services Auto-adjusting price※3 |
| SoftBankMerihari Unlimited Plus | ¥5,775 (~2GB) ¥7,425 (2GB~Unlimited) | Paid (separate) |
Those using SoftBank services Auto-adjusting price※3 |
| au (KDDI)Unlimited Data MAX+ 5G/4G | ¥6,138 (~1GB) ¥7,788 (1GB~Unlimited) | Paid (separate) |
Those using au services Auto-adjusting price※3 |
| Y!mobileSimple3 S/M/L | Simple3 S ¥3,058 (5GB) |
Paid (separate) |
Cost-conscious, SoftBank network※4 |
| Simple3 M ¥4,158 (30GB) |
Paid (separate) |
||
| Simple3 L ¥5,258 (35GB) |
Free 10 min/call (extra charges apply) |
||
| ahamoahamo | ¥2,970 (30GB) | Free 5 min/call (extra charges apply) |
Cost-conscious, wants docomo network Data add-on: 1GB/¥550 |
| ahamoahamo Large(optional add-on) | ¥4,950 (110GB) | ||
| UQ mobileKomikomi Plan Value | ¥3,828 (35GB) | Free 10 min/call (extra charges apply) |
Cost-conscious, wants au network |
| LINEMOBest Plan | ¥990 (~3GB) ¥2,090 (~10GB) | Paid (separate) |
Cost-conscious, SoftBank network Auto-adjusting price※3 |
| LINEMOBest Plan V | ¥2,970 (30GB) | Free 5 min/call (extra charges apply) |
Cost-conscious, SoftBank network |
| Sakura MobileVoice + Data SIM/eSIM | ¥3,278 (5GB) | Paid (separate) |
Short-term stays, English support prioritized |
| ¥3,828 (15GB) | |||
| ¥4,378 (30GB+) | |||
| ※ Plans of 40GB, 60GB, 80GB, and 100GB also available. See the official site for details. | |||
| Tourist SIM—(Prepaid) | ¥1,500–5,000 (one-time) |
None | Short-term stays (days to weeks) |
※1 Regarding unlimited data on Rakuten SAIKYO Plan: Speed may be restricted due to fair service provision during peak times and other conditions.
※2 Under Rakuten Link. ¥22/30s without Rakuten Link app. Some numbers excluded.
※3 Monthly fee auto-adjusts based on data usage.
※4 Y!mobile revised prices on June 2, 2025. Prices shown are pre-revision. See Y!mobile official site for the latest.
※ Discounts may apply through various campaigns.
※ Information as of May 2026. Subject to change without notice. Please check each carrier's official site for the latest.
※ All prices include tax. Sources: Rakuten Mobile · docomo · ahamo (30GB) · ahamo Large (110GB) · SoftBank · Y!mobile · au · UQ mobile · LINEMO · Sakura Mobile
Data Usage Comparison by GB (Rakuten Mobile & Budget SIMs)
Find the GB range that matches your monthly usage on the horizontal axis to instantly see the cheapest plan. Cells of the same color represent one plan. Where the color changes is where plans switch.
| Carrier | 3GB | 5GB | 10GB | 15GB | 20GB | 30GB | 35GB | 100GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rakuten Mobile |
¥1,078 | ¥2,178 | ¥3,278Unlimited※1 | |||||
| Rakuten SAIKYO Plan Calls: Free via app※2 | ||||||||
| LINEMO | ¥990 | ¥2,090 | ¥2,970 | — | ||||
| Best PlanCalls: Paid | Best Plan VCalls: Free 5 min/call※3 | |||||||
| Y!mobile | ¥3,058 | ¥4,158 | ¥5,258 | — | ||||
| Simple3 S※4Calls: Paid | Simple3 M※4Calls: Paid | Simple3 L※4Calls: Free 10 min/call※3 | ||||||
| ahamo | ¥2,970 | ¥4,950 (〜110GB) | ||||||
| ahamoCalls: Free 5 min/call※3 | ahamo + Large Add-onCalls: Free 5 min/call※3 | |||||||
| UQ mobile | ¥3,828 (〜35GB) | — | ||||||
| Komikomi Plan ValueCalls: Free 10 min/call※3 | ||||||||
| Sakura Mobile |
¥3,278 | ¥3,828 | ¥4,378 | ¥5,478 (40GB) | ¥12,078 | |||
|
Voice + Data SIM/eSIM 5GBCalls: Paid |
Voice + Data SIM/eSIM 15GBCalls: Paid |
Voice + Data SIM/eSIM 30GBCalls: Paid |
Voice + Data SIM/eSIM 40GBCalls: Paid |
Voice + Data SIM/eSIM 100GBCalls: Paid |
||||
※2 Under Rakuten Link. ¥22/30s without Rakuten Link app. Some numbers excluded.
※3 Additional charges apply for excess minutes.
※4 Y!mobile revised prices on June 2, 2025. Prices shown are pre-revision.
※ Pre-discount prices. Various campaigns may offer additional discounts.
※ All prices include tax. Information as of May 2026.
Sources: Rakuten Mobile · LINEMO · Y!mobile · ahamo · UQ mobile · Sakura Mobile
What This Table Shows
Rakuten Mobile (Rakuten SAIKYO Plan) holds its own against budget SIMs on price. Looking at data usage by tier: up to 10GB, LINEMO (Best Plan) is the cheapest (¥990–¥2,090). Over 10GB and up to 20GB, Rakuten Mobile is cheapest (¥2,178). Between 20GB and 30GB, ahamo or LINEMO (Best Plan V) at ¥2,970 is slightly cheaper than Rakuten Mobile's ¥3,278. And beyond 30GB, Rakuten Mobile (Rakuten SAIKYO Plan) is the cheapest — at ¥3,278 with truly unlimited data, no extra charges or plan upgrades needed no matter how much you use.
Most other carriers charge extra for unlimited call add-ons (hundreds to over ¥1,000/month extra). With Rakuten Mobile, domestic calls via Rakuten Link are free (some numbers excluded) — so the more you call, the greater your real savings.
Even when your data usage varies month to month, you never need to think about your plan. Rakuten Mobile automatically adjusts your monthly bill based on how much data you actually use. Whether you use a little one month or a lot the next, you always pay the right amount automatically — no forgetting to switch plans, no adding options. A real peace of mind, especially if Japanese isn't your first language.
Note that all prices above are before any discounts. Rakuten Mobile also offers family discounts and Rakuten service bonuses, so actual savings may be even greater. The best plan depends on the services you use and how much you call, so please also check each carrier's official site.
Why Rakuten Mobile is Recommended
✨ Chosen by Foreign Residents in Japan ✨※1
No need to choose a plan
Over 1 year use: cancellation fee free※4
🎁 Earn up to 14,000 points by applying via referral link※8
Points can be used for mobile payments and shopping on Rakuten Pay.
See the campaign page for full details
Apply for Rakuten Mobile (with referral campaign) →※1 MMD Research Institute survey "Communication Services for Foreign Residents / April 2025" ↗ Rakuten Mobile Tops MMD Labo Survey as Most Used Mobile Service Among Foreign Residents
※2 Speed may be restricted due to fair service provision during peak times and other conditions. Excludes call charges, etc.
※3 Cumulative activation fee free for up to 4 lines. Fee applies from the 5th line onwards.
※4 No cancellation fee for lines used over 1 year. For Rakuten SAIKYO Plan, ¥1,078 applies within 1 year.
※5 As of June 2023. Population coverage rate is calculated based on areas where communication is possible in more than 50% of approximately 500m grid segments used in the national census.
※6 Connection may be difficult inside buildings and in some areas.
※7 Counted as plan data usage.
※8 Conditions apply, such as logging in via the referral campaign URL or starting service use before applying. Points will be awarded in installments starting 4 months after the referral login month.
