Off on a university exchange, to a language school or on an internship? The 50 GB/month eSIM subscription at €34.99/month connects you the moment you land, with no Japanese contract to sign. And at the end of your stay you cancel in one click — nothing to close down locally, nothing to hand back.
No commitment ✓ NTT docomo 4G/5GA semester or a year on the ground isn't a holiday: you alternate between Wi-Fi that's available everywhere and needing to be connected the moment you step out. Here's how the two work together.
Good news for your budget: in Japan, your university, your language school and most student accommodation (share house, dorm, host family) already have Wi-Fi. What you're really missing is internet outside: the metro ride, the restaurant you need to find, the class LINE group deciding on an izakaya at the last minute, the weekend in Kyoto.
That's exactly what the eSIM is for: it takes over the moment you leave a Wi-Fi network, on the NTT docomo 4G/5G network, Japan's number one carrier. With this combo, 50 GB a month comfortably covers a student's daily life — and tethering, included with no limit, even rescues your laptop when you're out and about.
Wi-Fi handles online classes, big downloads and long video calls home. In Tokyo as in Osaka or Fukuoka, it's what absorbs the heavy volumes.
The eSIM takes over the moment you go out: Google Maps, LINE, translation, social media, paying for transport — on the NTT docomo network, from the Shinkansen to the backstreets of Kyoto.
Unlike a holiday, you know your return date. So you may as well pay for exactly what you need, no more and no less.
Two options: the 30-day unlimited eSIM so you never have to count, or the 50 GB data eSIM (valid for 30 days) if you're counting on the school's Wi-Fi. Both can be bought up to 180 days before activation — the period only starts in Japan.
Unlimited 30 days: €65.99 · 50 GB data: €34.99See the travel eSIMs →The 50 GB/month subscription: a single QR code, data that comes back every month, a price that doesn't move. At the end of the semester, cancel in one click — no Japanese contract to open or close, nothing to hand back.
Subscription: €34.99/month, no commitmentExplore the subscription →
The same subscription stays with you all year: data resets every month and the eSIM stays valid for as long as the subscription is active. Heading over on a Working Holiday instead? We have a page for that.
Subscription: €34.99/month, cancel any timeSee the Working Holiday Japan page →Data and unlimited eSIMs can be bought up to 180 days before activation — order at your leisure before you leave, the period only starts when you activate in Japan. And if you're unsure about the volume: how much data do you need in Japan? Also check that your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering.
A student plan isn't for watching box sets on 4G — it's for living your Japanese life without stress. In practice, here's what your eSIM will spend its days doing.
In Japan, everything goes through LINE: the class group, nights out, campus small ads. The app works without restriction on the eSIM — and you'll keep using it long after you get home.
Finding the lecture hall, catching the last metro, deciphering an administrative form or a menu: Google Maps and instant translation run all day. That's precisely where Wi-Fi stops being enough.
Your calls go through WhatsApp, iMessage or FaceTime, with your usual number kept alive in dual SIM. Your family notice no difference — calls and messages travel over the internet.
€34.99 a month, full stop. No out-of-plan charges, no nasty surprises, no hidden commitment: a fixed price that's easy to fit into a student budget, and cancellation in one click as soon as you're home.
Better to know exactly what the eSIM does — and what it doesn't — before a long stay.
The PlanJapan eSIM is data only: calls and texts go through WhatsApp, iMessage, FaceTime or LINE — which changes nothing about your daily life. It does not, however, give you a Japanese phone number. And some formalities on the ground, typically opening a Japanese bank account or signing certain contracts, may require one. The eSIM doesn't replace it in those specific cases.
For everything else — LINE, WhatsApp, video calls, social media, Maps, translation — your usual number is enough, kept alive in dual SIM. Calls & texts with a data eSIM →
The two aren't in opposition: the eSIM makes you self-sufficient the moment you land, while a Japanese plan can take over if you settle in for the very long term. Let's compare calmly.
| Feature |  PlanJapan Recommended |
 Local Japanese plan |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Support 7 days a week | Formalities in Japanese, as a rule |
| Requirements | An email address is enough | Residence card and bank account often required |
| Availability | Before you even leave — QR in 2 min | After you arrive, once you've gathered the documents |
| Commitment | No commitment — cancel in one click | Varies by carrier and offer |
| Japanese number | No — data only | Yes, included |
| Ideal for | Arriving connected, staying flexible | Settling in for the very long term |
Our advice for a semester or a year: arrive with PlanJapan, keep the subscription for the whole of your studies, and cancel in one click on the day you fly home. A single eSIM and your home line live side by side in dual SIM on your current phone, from the first day to the last.
Travellers who come back to Japan regularly, and who leave again with PlanJapan — 4.9/5 from 1,500+ verified reviews, collected after a verified purchase.
I go to Japan twice a year and every time I get my eSIM from PlanJapan: the network works from the north to the south of the island, even in out-of-the-way corners. Very good value for the quality.
Second time I've travelled to Japan with PlanJapan and I'm just as happy! The team is quick to answer installation questions and the network works as well in the countryside as in the city. I can only recommend them!
Ballester FrédéricFrance — verified purchase
✓ Verified
The SIM card worked perfectly. It uses the docomo network, one of the best in Japan. I got one for myself and my whole family. Highly recommended.
For a stay of several months, the 50 GB/month subscription at €34.99/month is the simplest option: a single QR code, data reset every month, no commitment. At the end of the semester you cancel in one click — no Japanese contract to open or close. See the subscription →
In most cases, yes: on the ground you have campus and accommodation Wi-Fi, and the eSIM takes over outside — Google Maps, LINE, social media, translation. For a stay of a month or less where you want nothing to think about at all, the 30-day unlimited eSIM is made for exactly that. How much data do you need in Japan? →
No — the PlanJapan eSIM is 100% data, with no Japanese number. Some formalities on the ground (opening a Japanese bank account, certain contracts) may require one: the eSIM doesn't replace it in those specific cases. For LINE, WhatsApp and your video calls, your usual number is enough.
By video or audio through WhatsApp, iMessage or FaceTime: they travel over the internet and work with your usual number, kept alive in dual SIM. Your family notice no difference. All about calls with an eSIM →
Yes: the eSIM sits alongside your current SIM card — that's dual SIM. Your home line stays active to receive texts and bank verification codes, and all the data goes through the eSIM in Japan. The settings to change →
Can't find your answer?Our support team replies within minutes on WhatsApp and by email — 7 days a week, weekends included.
💬 Contact us50 GB/month subscription at €34.99, NTT docomo network, cancel in one click at the end of your stay — plus the Japan guide and the Google Maps map free with your eSIM.
Subscribe — €34.99/month →Satisfied or refunded · Staying a month or less? See the travel eSIMs →