Prepaid SIM card price at Narita airport include Vending machines

Updated : 2024-03-08

prepaid sim card vending machine at Narita Airport

Many people are thinking of buying a prepaid SIM card at Narita Airport. Stores selling SIM cards and Pocket WiFi routers at Narita Airport are closed early in the morning and late at night, and once you leave the airport, you cannot easily buy a SIM card or rent a Pocket Wi-Fi. However, there are SIM card vending machines at Narita Airport. Buying a prepaid SIM card from a vending machine may also be a good idea. However, there are only a few types of SIM cards available.
The best way is to reserve a SIM card or Pocket Wi-Fi before coming to Japan and pick it up at the post office at Narita Airport. It does not take much time since you only have to pick them up, and online stores have many varieties at lower prices than those sold at the airport. In particular, we recommend that you reserve pocket WiFi before coming to Japan. Rental rates are very inexpensive.

Where to buy SIM card for Japan Travel
Notes on Purchasing A Prepaid SIM Card Through Vending Machines

Prices sold at vending machines are lower than that of shops at the airport.
However, if you want more chaper one, you are better off to go to electronics retail stores such as Yodobashi Camera or Bic Camera outside of the airport.
They sell data only prepaid SIM cards offered by various vendors.
Also, you can buy from Amazonco.jp. They are available for international delivery,so you can receive it before they arrive in Japan.
Recommend Prepaid SIM cards on Amazon.co.jp

Narita Airport Vending machine prepaid SIM card pricing

Bland Capacity Usage days Price
GLOBAL WORLD 6GB 15 ¥6,000
GLOBAL ASIA 6GB 8 ¥3,500
JOURNEY 50GB 90 ¥10,000
FAST SPEED Unlimited 31 ¥6,000
JOURNEY 10GB 20 ¥4,500
JAPAN Unlimited 16 ¥5,500
JOURNEY Unlimited 8 ¥4,500
JOURNEY 3GB 8 ¥3,000
JOURNEY 1GB 6 ¥2,000
JOURNEY Unlimited 5 ¥4,000

SIM cards sold in vending machines at airports are data-only. Phone calls and SMS are not available.
Data Communication quality tends to be better for plans with clearly stated data capacities, such as 3GB.10GB and 50 GB.

If you want to purchase a large amount of data at a low price, please see this page.
Prices of prepaid SIM cards for travllers to Japan available on Amazon.



Will Your Mobile Phone Properly Work in Japan?

Prepaid SIM cards sold through vending machines at airports are very useful for international travellers, it's crucial to ensure that your smartphone is compatible. You only need to check two things to see if it can be used in Japan without problems.

If you find that your's is not compatible with the bands or if you have a slightest concern on it, you are better off renting a pocket WiFi router.

While most smartphones released after 2020 are designed to be compatible with various global frequencies, some may still have limitations.

1. SIM Lock

Ensure your smartphone is not SIM-locked. If your smartphone is SIM-locked, it will only work with the SIM from your contracted carrier.
For iPhones with iOS 14 or later:
Check from the home screen under "Settings."

For Android:
The process varies by device. If your device allows checking through the settings, follow these steps:
Open "Device Information / Terminal Information" in the settings.
Open "SIM Status."
Confirm "SIM Lock Status."
If you're unsure whether your device is SIM-locked, contact your carrier for clarification.

2. Compatibility with Japan's Frequencies

To be connected with the internet in Japan, 4G or 5G enabled devices are required.

5G
BandFrequency
n77/n783.7GHzSub6
n794.5GHzSub6
n25728GHzmmW
4G (FDD-LTE)
BandFrequency Area
Band 1 2100 MhMost Area
Band 19800 MhzRural Areas, Mountains, Lakes
Band 211500 MhzAll Cities (incl. Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya)
Band 31700 MhzTokyo, Osaka, Nagoya

Check if your smartphone supports the frequencies used in Japan, especially the 4G Band 1 (2100MHz).

You can easily verify this using services like willmyphonework.net


Voice Call Prepaid SIM

Japanese laws are very strict on SIM cards with voice call and basically require residency status.
Setting up a SIM card (eSIM) can be a bit cumbersome.
If your smartphone doesn't support all the frequencies in Japan, there might be places where you can't get connected.
For those who dislike the hassle of setting up or require stable communication with good speed, renting a Pocket Wi-Fi is a recommended option.

Prepaid SIM Card Vending Machines

About me

I am Momo. I'm Japanese and I work in the telecom industry, so I'm familiar with the telecom situation, services and products in Japan, such as SIM cards and Pocket WiFi, and I'm running this website in the hope that my knowledge will be useful to visitors to Japan.

I translate from Japanese to English using ChatGpt and DeepL because I am not so good at English. so my expressions may be rude or hard to read. if you find any inappropriate expressions, please let me know the correct English expression.