URL: https://esimgo.ae/sim-card/japan/
Buy: https://esimgo.ae/esim-japan/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.ae)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.ae/author/
Updated: 17 Oct 2026

# Japan SIM card from the UAE: SoftBank travel SIM, roaming or eSIM

A Japan SIM card from SoftBank, the Prepaid SIM for Travel, is data-only, needs your original passport and is set up in Japan; SoftBank leaves the price to the retailer (16 Oct 2026). On your UAE line, packs start at AED 35.00 a day, and Virgin Mobile UAE's One Country list skips Japan. A data eSIM on SoftBank and KDDI 5G installs at home: 1GB for 7 days is AED 10.99. We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here, and eSIM Go is not affiliated with e&, du, Virgin Mobile UAE or SoftBank.

## Data in Japan from the UAE: the options side by side

A Japan SIM card is one of three ways to get data in Japan, next to a roaming pack on your e&, du or Virgin Mobile UAE line and a data eSIM. The SoftBank travel SIM and our eSIM are both data-only: they differ in where you set them up and in the passport check. Only the pack keeps your UAE number for calls.

In Japan, local prepaid SIMs for visitors are mostly data-only (SoftBank, 16 Oct 2026); we found no current visitor-SIM page from docomo or au. SoftBank's network carries both its travel SIM and our eSIM, which also uses KDDI.

| Option | Where you set it up | Passport check | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoftBank Prepaid SIM for Travel | In Japan: shop, electronics store or airport counter | Original passport photographed and uploaded, 18+ | None: "voice calling is not available" |
| e&, du or Virgin Mobile UAE pack | On your UAE line, before or during the trip | Not applicable | Your UAE number, charged per minute |
| Data eSIM | At home before you fly; connects when you land | No ID check | None (data-only) |

A pocket Wi-Fi router is a separate rental we do not price; [pocket Wi-Fi or eSIM](/sim-card/) sets the two side by side.

## SoftBank's Prepaid SIM for Travel: data only, original passport

SoftBank calls its visitor product "a prepaid data-only SIM service for foreign visitors in Japan"; "voice calling is not available", and you must be at least 18 (SoftBank, 16 Oct 2026). It is sold in SoftBank shops, consumer electronics stores and at the SoftBank rental counter at the airport.

Three checks before you count on it. Your phone must be "a SIM-lock-free terminal with a camera". Your passport must be the original, because "documents other than your original passport cannot be accepted", so a photocopy will not do. You photograph the passport and upload it, and "once your application is processed, you will be able to use this service within 30 minutes."

The price is "Set by the retailer", so we quote none. You set the SIM up in Japan, so it cannot get you online before you reach a counter. SoftBank also sells a prepaid voice line (Simple Style); its pages do not say which documents a short-term visitor needs.

## e&, du and Virgin Mobile in Japan: no One Country

For a Japan SIM card on your own number, Japan is in the main roaming zone of e&, du and Virgin Mobile UAE, and the packs below cost AED 35.00 to 200.00 (15 Oct 2026). Virgin Mobile UAE's One Country page lists 34 countries, and Japan is not one of them (15 Oct 2026).

| Pack | Line | Data · days | AED | about AED per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| e& Roaming Daily Data | prepaid + postpaid | 500MB · 1 day | AED 35.00 | 35.0 |
| e& Weekly Data | prepaid | 4GB until 10 Jan 2027 · 7 days | AED 100.00 | 14.3 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | 5GB · 7 days | AED 70.00 | 10.0 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | 10GB · 7 days | AED 100.00 | 14.3 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | unlimited · 7 days | AED 200.00 | 28.6 |
| Virgin Mobile UAE pack | prepaid + postpaid | 2GB · 7 days | AED 100.00 | 14.3 |
| Virgin Mobile UAE pack | prepaid + postpaid | 10GB · 7 days | AED 200.00 | 28.6 |

Source: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026), du.ae (15 Oct 2026), [virginmobile.ae](https://www.virginmobile.ae/roaming/) (15 Oct 2026); the per-day column is our arithmetic. The same du 10GB bundle costs AED 200.00 on a prepaid line. Pack rules: [e& Weekly Data pack](/roaming/etisalat/) and [du postpaid 10GB weekly](/roaming/du/).

On a 5-day Tokyo trip on e& prepaid, five daily packs cost AED 175.00 for 2.5GB, with speed cut to 64 kbps after 500MB a day. The weekly pack is AED 100.00 for 4GB, but its 7 days run on from first use whether you stay or fly home.

e&'s weekly pack is "Charged upon purchase but validity starts upon first eligible usage." du's own pages disagree on when its postpaid data bundles start, so buy shortly before you fly and check the activation note in the du app. du also sells its own travel eSIM, priced in US dollars: for Japan, 10GB for 30 days is US$15, about AED 55.09 ([du.ae/travelesim](https://www.du.ae/travelesim), 15 Oct 2026).

Your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line won't use mobile data abroad unless you add a roaming pack (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS). Keep your UAE SIM switched on for SMS; e& and Virgin Mobile don't charge for SMS you receive abroad; calls you receive are charged per minute, AED 4.25 on e& outside the GCC (15 Oct 2026). du doesn't publish a price for SMS you receive abroad — check with du. Setup: [keep your UAE number](/help/keep-your-uae-number/).

## Unlimited in Japan: 3GB a day at full speed

Our Japan plans include unlimited data for 3 to 30 days on SoftBank and KDDI 5G: full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps. The 7-day unlimited plan is AED 88.99, about AED 12.71 a day (our arithmetic). Seven days at 3GB a day is up to 21GB at full speed; the du unlimited bundle in the table shows no fair-use figure in the listing we checked.

For lighter use, 1GB for 7 days is AED 10.99 and 10GB for 30 days is AED 45.99; every size is on [Japan eSIM plans](/esim-japan/). Charged in AED by JET SHARING (USA). Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee; see [how to pay](/how-to-pay/).

Our eSIMs for Japan are data-only — keep your UAE number on your main SIM for calls and SMS. Install before you fly; it connects when you land in Japan, and the days count from that first connection. iPhone sets the APN automatically; on Android the Japan plan needs it set by hand, see [APN settings](/help/apn-settings/). Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE; they do not provide service in the UAE. If the eSIM has not connected to any network, you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase. Flying on to Seoul? See the [South Korea SIM card guide](/sim-card/south-korea/).

## FAQ

### Can I buy a SIM card at a Japanese airport?

Yes. SoftBank sells its Prepaid SIM for Travel at its rental counter at the airport, as well as in SoftBank shops and consumer electronics stores. It is data-only, needs your original passport and a SIM-lock-free phone with a camera, and you must be 18 or over. The retailer sets the price (SoftBank, 16 Oct 2026).

### Do Japanese tourist SIMs include calls?

SoftBank's Prepaid SIM for Travel does not: "voice calling is not available" (SoftBank, 16 Oct 2026). In Japan, local prepaid SIMs for visitors are mostly data-only. SoftBank also sells a prepaid voice line, but its pages do not say which documents a short-term visitor needs. Our Japan eSIMs are data-only too, so calls stay on your UAE number.

### Is Japan in Virgin One Country?

No. Virgin Mobile UAE's One Country page lists 34 countries, and Japan is not one of them (15 Oct 2026). For Japan you need a paid Virgin Mobile UAE pack: AED 100.00 for 2GB or AED 200.00 for 10GB, both for 7 days.

### Which eSIM offers unlimited data in Japan?

Our Japan plans include unlimited data for 3 to 30 days on SoftBank and KDDI 5G, at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps. The 7-day plan is AED 88.99. Among UAE operators, du lists an unlimited 7-day roaming bundle at AED 200.00 on postpaid, and its listing shows no fair-use figure (15 Oct 2026).

### Does my UAE SIM use data in Japan without a pack?

No. Your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line won't use mobile data abroad unless you add a roaming pack (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS). Japan is in the main roaming zone of all three, with packs from AED 35.00 for one day (15 Oct 2026).

## Sources

- SoftBank, Prepaid SIM for Travel and prepaid plans: softbank.jp (16 Oct 2026)
- e&, roaming packs and rates: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- du, roaming bundles and FAQ: du.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- du, travel eSIM prices: du.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- Virgin Mobile UAE, roaming packs and One Country: virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026)