Easy choice: Japan Airalo eSIM, 30 days / 5GB
Our family of four has used this eSIM on multi-week Japan trips in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026
Our Japan eSIM
Japan Airalo eSIM, 30 days / 5GB
Price at the time of purchase
$11 USD (subject to change)
Also compare
Japan is our family’s favorite country to visit, and we’ve used the same eSIM on multiple trips, including:
- 2023: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto
- 2024: Tokyo, Kumamoto, Oita, Beppu, Fukuoka
- 2025: Osaka and Nara
- 2026: Osaka, Nara, Kyoto
For example, when our family of four visited Japan in spring 2026, we were there for 88 days, mostly in Osaka, but also with side trips to Nara and Kyoto. We relied on our Japan eSIM mainly for Google Maps navigation and web browsing when out and about.
More: Traveling to multiple countries in Asia? Check out the regional eSIM we used in 6 countries over 5 months
Why did we choose this eSIM?
Most of our international travels are 90 day stays in that country, depending on our plans and what the legal options are for a stay. For our eSIM needs, we don’t want to have to constantly change SIMs, or worry about installing new ones. The 30-day, 5 GB eSIM tends to be our workhorse. It’s plenty of time and data for what we need.
Since we were staying longer than 30 days, toward the end of each eSIM’s validity we watched for notifications from Airalo. Then we’d top up or get a new eSIM, so we always had continuous, seamless data. Under Airalo, topping up a current eSIM or getting a new one was quick and easy in the app.
Provider: Throughout destinations in Asia, Europe, and more, we’ve used Airalo eSIMs since 2022. We consider them a no-brainer choice, and at this time haven’t felt much need to cross-shop or comparison shop.
Price: After a discount code, $9.35 per eSIM per device.
Number of devices: 3 (Apple iPhones that support multiple eSIMs.
Our setup: We use Apple iPhones. Jodie and I have a US-based cellular plan for voice and text. We use our travel eSIMs exclusively for data. Our teen doesn’t have a phone plan currently, and just uses a data plan with a travel eSIM.
Essentially, we used 3 eSIMs (one per person) per month for 3 months.
Total cost: $28.05 USD per month, or $84.15 USD for 3 devices for 3 months
Why don’t we shop around for eSIMs more?
You might wonder: Why don’t we shop around for eSIMs more? After all, isn’t such-and-such the currently disruptive darling of the eSIM world?
Yes indeed, there are lots of eSIM options out there. Different price points, different setups, you name it. As bloggers, we sign up to be affiliates for pretty much any program that looks reputable and has a track record for eSIMs. (In fact, we were Airalo customers ages before we joined their affiliate program.)
So far, we don’t shop around because we can’t be bothered.
While there are options, not to mention highly detailed reviews and comparisons, we have too many other things to do. Airalo has been a consistently good option for our family. We don’t see a need to shop around at this point, especially for a purchase that costs less than a meal out.
How to use less phone data when traveling in Japan
While there are unlimited data packages, they can be overpriced overkill for most travelers. We have yet to find an unlimited data package abroad the right fit for our needs. In fact, we’re often surprised at how little data we usually need when traveling.
Here are a few things we do to help us use less data when we’re traveling
Download map for offline use and let data load when out and about.
For mapping and navigation, we use Google Maps for navigation in Japan. On Wi-Fi, prior to arriving in Osaka, we downloaded the Google Maps Osaka area map for offline use. That way, we already have the location info on our phones. Plus, we use less data navigating when we’re out and about. And, should we be offline, we still have access to the map.
Prioritize higher data needs for when we’re on wifi at our accommodation.
Things like social media, streaming videos, or downloading podcasts? We typically don’t do that when we’re out and about. Instead, we leverage the wifi at our accommodation for those more intensive data needs.
What to know from our personal experience
Using multiple eSIMs at the same time impacts battery life.
We haven’t identified much in the way of patterns or consistent factors, though.
In Japan, sometimes just being at home in our condo comes with heavy battery usage. Other days, the drain is way less. Why? No idea. We’re guessing that on some days, our eSIMs just don’t use their IC cards correctly on the train.
We install our eSIMs before we leave home, then activate them as soon as we can after the plane lands.
The clock on the eSIM’s validity doesn’t start until it connects locally. Since our phones support having multiple eSIMs installed and using two at the same time, we usually buy and do the initial installation before we even leave home. Then, when we arrive, we immediately activate the eSIM for that destination.
Jodie and I both activated our Japan eSIMs as soon as our flight’s cabin crew gave permission for phones to wake up from airplane mode. We turned on data roaming for the Japan eSIM, and both of us were online within a few minutes. We always restart our phones too, just for the heck of it.
If you can activate your eSIM on the plane, great.
Otherwise, once you’re in the airport, get on free wifi if you can, and complete activation as you head toward immigration and customs. See if the process completes before you go through immigration. In our experience, as you get deeper into the airport, especially toward the immigration lanes, signal can get pretty bad.
Would we get this Japan eSIM again?
Yes. Our Japan Airalo eSIM connection and speed have been excellent, and we consider the price a good value, especially across three devices. We’ve now used this same 30-day, 5GB Airalo eSIM on multiple visits to Japan, and are happy to do so again in the future.
Our Japan eSIM
Japan Airalo eSIM, 30 days / 5GB
Price at the time of purchase
$11 USD (subject to change)
Also compare
