Prepaid SIM card price at Narita airport include Vending machines

Updated : Nov 16, 2023

prepaid sim card vending machine at Narita Airport

Stores at Narita airport offering prepaid SIM cards/pocket WiFi routers are closed early in the morning and late at night.
There are only a few shops offering them outside of the airport. If you have not reserved before coming to Japan, you will not be able to get a prepaid SIM card easily after leaving the airport.
If you arrive at such time, one of your choices would be purchasing a prepaid SIM card through a vending machine.
Recently, prepaid SIM cards can be purchased through several vending machines at Narita airport, which are available for 24 hours a day.

I recommend you to pre-order a pocket WiFi or a data SIM card through online stores before you actually coming to Japan.
Most of rental service providers can send the data SIM card you pre-ordered to Airport and any places in Japan.
Plus, their prices are very reasonable as they can cut operating costs.
Furthermore, several of them can give you a full refund after you found that your phone is not compatible with the SIM card.

Pocket Wi-Fi Providers for Japan Travel
Where to buy SIM card for Japan Travel

Notes on Purchasing A Prepaid SIM Card Through Vending Machines

Prepaid SIM cards might be sold out due to a sudden increase of the demand.
Prices might be a bit expensive (exclusive prices at airports).
They will not issue any refund even after you found that your phone is not compatible with the SIM card.

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.

Narita Airport Prepaid SIM Card Vending machine Information

Locations (MAP)

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.

Band	Frequency
n77/n78	3.7GHz	Sub6
n79	4.5GHz	Sub6
n257	28GHz	mmW

4G (FDD-LTE)

Band	Frequency	Area
Band 1	2100 Mh	Most Area
Band 19	800 Mhz	Rural Areas, Mountains, Lakes
Band 21	1500 Mhz	All Cities (incl. Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya)
Band 3	1700 Mhz	Tokyo, 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.