Updated :2023/11/16
Stores at Kansai 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 arrive at such time, one of your choices would be purchasing a prepaid SIM card through vending machines, which are available for 24 hours a day.
Kansai Airport has two international terminals.
You can find such vending machines easily at the terminal 1 while you might not be able to find vending machines at the terminal 2.
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.
Terminal 1 International Arrivals Gate 1F Internet & Telephone
Data Capacity | Usage days | Price |
UNLIMITED | 7 | ¥4,500 |
UNLIMITED | 15 | ¥6,000 |
UNLIMITED | 30 | ¥7,000 |
3GB | 30 | ¥3,000 |
7GB | 30 | ¥4800 |
These prices were given to us by a visitor to Kansai airport.
Please be aware that this is not official data, so please just be aware that the prices are in this price range.
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.
To be connected with the internet in Japan, 4G or 5G enabled devices are required.
5GBand | Frequency | |
n77/n78 | 3.7GHz | Sub6 |
n79 | 4.5GHz | Sub6 |
n257 | 28GHz | mmW |
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