{"id":4517,"date":"2021-03-24T12:31:45","date_gmt":"2021-03-24T03:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/getting-a-mobile-phone-plan-in-japan-spring-2021-update\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:34:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:34:07","slug":"getting-a-mobile-phone-plan-in-japan-spring-2021-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/getting-a-mobile-phone-plan-in-japan-spring-2021-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting a mobile phone plan in Japan (Spring 2021 update)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The mobile phone landscape has gone through an almost complete shake-up in the last two years. There are myriad choices available for those that are not only just getting started to live in the country, but also for those of us more \u201cseasoned\u201d expats that may have been just sticking with our current plans because of the \u201cit took this long to get right, and if it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it\u201d line of thinking. But as I\u2019ll unfold over the next few paragraphs, it\u2019s worth your attention to check out the new options because the bottom line is, you\u2019ll be saving money in either case if you\u2019re still on an old cellphone plan from even the last 18 months!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a whole new world for wireless plans in Japan<\/h2>\n

It all started back in 2016 when the national government and various consumer groups started planning ways to make it cheaper and easier for citizens to get a mobile phone, getting rid of plans with outlandish costs and fees, eliminating barriers to switching providers, and adding new competitions to the marketplace to help upend the traditional carrier\u2019s cooperative dominance and price-setting. New technology like 5G<\/a> and softphone apps<\/a> are helping to reshape the speed of the networks (which are already some of the fastest in the world) as well as finally addressing the fact that our phones are basically \u201cinternet terminals\u201d and most of us are using LINE, WhatsApp, FB Messenger, iMessage and more to do the actual \u201ctalking on the phone\u201d rather than dial 11 digit numbers.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m new here, what should I do?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re a Japan newbie (or back for the nth time), then the choices and methods are a little clearer for you since you\u2019re getting started from scratch: If you already have a cellphone compatible with Japan\u2019s wireless networks (most major branded phones from Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, etc. made in the last few years should be compatible but do check first<\/a>), then you may need a SIM card. Please read our guide to getting a SIM-only plan in Japan<\/a> for details. If you need to get a new phone, then continue past the next part\u2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been here for a while, but I want to save some \u00a5!<\/h2>\n

If you already have cell service in Japan, then you\u2019ll need to make sure you\u2019re not in a period where you\u2019ll have to pay an end-termination fee. Depending on where you are in your contract, these fees can add up significantly and cancel out whatever deals you may get for moving over to a new provider in the short term. However, many other carriers pay \u201cswitchover cash incentives\u201d a month or two after you sign up to lessen or even cancel the termination fees out. If you don\u2019t mind fronting the cash up front, this may still be a good option. In any case, please read our introduction to mobile phone service in Japan<\/a> for that information.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get a new phone!<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These are my three recommended ways to get a new phone and new plan in Japan, and none of them actually involve going into a physical store unless you want to check out the phones themselves in person. On the surface, it seems easier to go into the local denki-ya san<\/i> or cellphone shop and deal with getting service in person; you\u2019ll likely be spending around 2 hours there as you queue up, documents are checked, options are explained in great detail (in Japanese of course) and on and on. Save yourself the hassle and do it all over the internet. In many cases, even if you go to the shops, the representative helping you will be doing it all over a version of the same website and\/or via telephone to a central support office anyway. True, there will probably be a language barrier on the internet as not all mobile carriers have very detailed English pages (if even at all), but there\u2019s a good way around that<\/a>, I hear\u2026<\/p>\n

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