Connected the moment you land, with no Japanese contract and no paperwork. The PlanJapan approach for a year on the ground: an unlimited eSIM to absorb your arrival, then the 50 GB/month subscription on the NTT docomo network — cancellable in one click the day you take out a local plan or head home.
No commitment ✓ Connected the moment you landOn a Working Holiday you're going for 6 months to a year. A local Japanese plan often ends up in the equation — but rarely in the first week. Three reasons why.
Signing up is generally done in Japanese, in store or online. Comparing offers, understanding the terms and spotting the fees when you've just landed with your suitcases is far from straightforward.
Japanese carriers often ask for a residence card, and sometimes a Japanese bank account — documents you generally only get after several days, or even several weeks on the ground.
The start of a Working Holiday is precisely when you need internet most: finding somewhere to live, getting your bearings on Google Maps, starting your paperwork, reassuring family. Waiting for a local plan means arriving disconnected.
The result: plenty of working-holidaymakers spend their first weeks chasing konbini and café Wi-Fi. It doesn't have to be that way — that's exactly the problem the eSIM solves, since it requires no residence card, no bank account and no Japanese contract: an email address is enough, before you've even left home.
A long-stay plan for Japan with no Japanese contract: you arrive connected, you stay flexible, and you stop when you no longer need it. Here's the plan.
You can buy up to 180 days before activation: the QR code arrives by email in 2 minutes, you install it at your leisure before leaving, and the eSIM activates automatically in Japan. One less item on the departure checklist — the period only starts on activation.
When should you order your eSIM? →The first weeks of a Working Holiday are the hungriest for data: Google Maps constantly, LINE, house hunting, paperwork, job applications… With the 30-day unlimited eSIM, there's no counter to watch — and tethering is included with no limit for your laptop.
€65.99 — 30 days (≈ €2.20/day)See the unlimited eSIM →Once you're settled, switch to the Japan eSIM subscription: 50 GB reset every month, a single QR code, billed at €34.99/month with no commitment. The day you sign a Japanese plan — or head home — you cancel in one click. Nothing to hand back, nothing to justify.
€34.99 / monthExplore the subscription →
Each phase stands on its own: if your Working Holiday lasts 6 months instead of a year, if you find a local plan earlier than expected, or if you extend, you adjust with no penalty. Just check that your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering, then follow our step-by-step installation guide — the whole thing takes 2 minutes.
On a Working Holiday, your phone is your GPS, your job-hunting office and your link home all at once. Here's what PlanJapan data covers, in practice.
In Japan, everything goes through LINE: contacts, small ads, landlords, employers, friends. The app runs entirely on data — create your account with your home number kept alive in dual SIM, then chat without a second thought.
Job boards, emails, forms, video interviews: job hunting happens online. With tethering included with no limit, your laptop is covered too, wherever you are.
Calls go through WhatsApp, iMessage or FaceTime, on your usual number kept alive in dual SIM. A year away from home is a lot easier with video calls that don't drop.
TikTok, Instagram and banking apps reachable with no VPN — nothing blocked. Your online bank at home keeps working normally for the whole of your stay.
PlanJapan is data only: no Japanese phone number. And some formalities on the ground — typically opening a Japanese bank account or signing certain contracts — require a local number. The eSIM covers everything else: internet, apps, GPS, messaging, video calls, hotspot.
For calls, nothing changes: they go through WhatsApp, iMessage or FaceTime on your usual number, kept alive in dual SIM. Calls & texts with a data eSIM → · Keeping your home number →
A Working Holiday isn't prepared like a two-week trip. These guarantees matter all the more when you're going for a long time.
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 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 long term, once you're set up |
Our advice: arrive with PlanJapan, take your time comparing local offers once you're settled — and the day you sign, cancel the subscription in one click. You keep any remaining data until the end of the current month. On the phone side, the same eSIM and your same home line live side by side in dual SIM on your current device, 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.
Your 50 GB allowance resets every month, automatically, billed at €34.99 a month. The QR code is sent only once: nothing to buy again or reinstall, and the eSIM stays valid for as long as your subscription is active. Everything about the subscription →
In one click, from your subscription management email — no commitment, no paperwork. You keep any remaining data until the end of the current month. That's the scenario we designed for: PlanJapan for your arrival, cancellation the day you no longer need it.
Yes: tethering is included with no limit on all our plans. Handy for connecting your laptop while you apply for jobs or handle paperwork online. Turn on tethering →
No: an eSIM installs on a single device, and the QR code is only sent once. To equip a second phone, take a second eSIM (−5% from 2 eSIMs, applied automatically at checkout) or use tethering. eSIM and multiple devices →
Yes. Your PlanJapan eSIM only handles data: your home line stays in place in dual SIM, and your number, your contacts and your WhatsApp conversations are kept automatically. Calls go through WhatsApp, iMessage or FaceTime, on your usual number. Keeping your home number →
Can't find your answer?Our support team replies within minutes on WhatsApp and by email — 7 days a week, weekends included.
💬 Contact us30-day unlimited for your arrival, then 50 GB reset every month with no commitment — NTT docomo network, support 7 days a week, cancel in one click.
Subscribe — €34.99/month →Satisfied or refunded · Shorter trip? See the prepaid eSIMs →