Setting up a Japanese phone plan for a 60-90 day Tokyo stay

You can get a working Japanese phone number on day one without a juminhyo (住民票 — jūminhyō, the resident registry record), without a 24-month contract, and without a Japanese credit card. The foreigner-friendly monthly SIM segment runs ¥3,500 to ¥7,500 per month for voice and data. Most providers ship the SIM to your hotel or to an airport pickup desk.

The big three carriers (Docomo, au by KDDI, and Softbank) are the wrong product for a 60-to-90-day stay. They expect a juminhyo, a residence card valid for the full plan length, and a Japanese bank account for direct debit. They pro-rate termination but the activation fee and device-subsidy clawback erase the savings. Skip them.

This guide walks through what actually works for a midterm guest, what each option costs, and which one to pick by use case.

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The four product categories

There are four real options for a 60-to-90-day Tokyo stay. Each has a different shape.

The first two are designed for the segment you're in. The third is convenient if you do not need a Japanese number. The fourth is a trap for stays under a year.

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What "you need a Japanese number" actually means

Before you pick, decide whether you need a Japanese number at all. The answer is usually yes, but not always.

You need a Japanese number for these:

• SMS-based 2FA on Japanese services (banks, food delivery apps like Uber Eats Japan and Demae-can, restaurant booking platforms like TableCheck and Tabelog, government portals if you register).
• Delivery confirmation calls from takkyubin (宅急便 — takkyūbin, the door-to-door package service) drivers.
• Hospital and clinic appointments.
• Apartment-operator emergency contact.

You do not need a Japanese number for these:

• WhatsApp, LINE, iMessage from your foreign number.
• Google Maps and transit apps.
• Taxi apps that take foreign cards (Uber, GO, DiDi).
• Card payments at retailers.
• Tourist activities (museums, walk-in restaurants).

If your stay is mostly remote work + tourism with no Japanese services, eSIM data-only is enough. If you'll be receiving packages, booking restaurants, ordering food delivery, or seeing a doctor, you need voice + SMS on a Japanese number.

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Sakura Mobile and Mobal: the monthly voice options

Both providers solve the same problem in similar ways. Voice plus data, monthly billing, no minimum term, foreign credit card accepted, no juminhyo required.

Sakura Mobile. Voice + data plans start at roughly ¥3,960/month for 3GB and run to ¥7,500/month for 30GB. Foreign credit cards accepted (Visa, Mastercard, Amex). SIM ships to a hotel address, an apartment address, or you pick up at a Narita or Haneda counter. Activation is online, takes 15-20 minutes, no Japanese phone call required. Monthly billing. Cancel any time after month one. The English support line is real and responsive.

Mobal. Voice + data plans start at roughly ¥3,690/month for 3GB and run to ¥7,000/month for 30GB. Foreign cards accepted. Mobal offers a "no contract" monthly plan and a 12-month discount plan. Pick the monthly plan for 60-90 days. The discount plan only makes sense at 12+ months. SIM ships to your address or to an airport counter. Activation is online. The Japanese number prints on the welcome card and is live on day one.

The two providers are roughly interchangeable for a midterm guest. Mobal is usually ¥200-500/month cheaper at the same data tier. Sakura Mobile has slightly faster customer support reply times in our experience. Both run on Docomo's network and get full 4G/5G coverage in Tokyo and most of greater Tokyo.

What both don't do well: unlimited tethering, eSIM (Sakura Mobile added eSIM in 2024 but the default is still a physical nano-SIM), porting your existing number in. If you need any of those, the segment doesn't fit. Reconsider whether 60-90 days wants a different product class.

Inbound data-only SIMs

If you don't need a Japanese number but want a physical SIM rather than eSIM (older phones, dual-SIM logistics, hotspot use), Japan Wireless and Mobal both sell prepaid data-only SIMs. Pricing runs ¥3,000-5,500 for 30 days at 5-30GB. No voice, no SMS. SIM ships to your hotel or airport.

This category is cheaper than the voice-plus-data tier and useful if your phone supports a second physical SIM slot. Mostly the eSIM option below replaces it for new phones.

eSIM: instant data, no Japanese number

For data-only on an eSIM-capable phone (iPhone XS+, Pixel 3+, recent Samsung Galaxy), the relevant providers are Airalo, Holafly, and Ubigi.

Airalo. Pay-as-you-go data packages, ¥1,800-2,800 ($12-19) for 5-10GB over 30 days. Activation by QR code, takes 5 minutes. No voice, no SMS, no Japanese number. You can stack multiple packages if you run out. Network is Docomo via roaming partner.

Holafly. Unlimited data, $60-90 for 30 days. Activation by QR code. Higher price for unlimited; useful if you stream or hotspot heavily.

Ubigi. Pay-as-you-go data, similar pricing to Airalo. Slightly better Asia-Pacific roaming if your stay extends to other countries.

eSIM is the right answer when you only need data for maps, messaging, and remote work. Or when your stay is ≤30 days and you don't want to think about it. Or when you arrive late at night and the SIM counters are closed. eSIM is the wrong answer when you need a Japanese number for 2FA or service registration. The common mistake is buying an Airalo for a 90-day stay, then on day three discovering that food delivery and takkyubin redelivery want a local number.

The airport pickup desk: when it makes sense

Both Sakura Mobile and Mobal operate counters at Narita Terminal 1, Narita Terminal 2, and Haneda Terminal 3. The pickup is convenient and the pricing is the same as ship-to-hotel. You're not paying extra for the counter; you're paying the standard plan price. The trade is that you skip waiting for SIM delivery and skip being without a number on day one.

The trade: you queue 5-15 minutes at the counter at peak times. Pre-order online so they have your SIM activated when you arrive. If you skip pre-order, the counter agent will set you up but it takes 30-45 minutes during a busy arrival window.

If your flight lands at 10pm or later, the Narita counters close. Haneda Terminal 3 is open 24 hours but only Mobal staffs it overnight; Sakura Mobile closes at 22:00. Verify the counter hours against your arrival time before you assume pickup is the path.

What the big three actually offer (and why it's wrong for 60-90 days)

For completeness, here's what Docomo, au, and Softbank actually require, and why none of it works for a 60-90-day stay.

Documents required: Residence card with at least the contract length remaining, typically 24 months. Japanese bank account or credit card for direct debit. Foreign cards rarely accepted for the main plan; some sub-brands accept them. Proof of address: residence card back side, utility bill, or juminhyo extract.

Plan structure: The flagship plans are 24-36 months with phone subsidy clawback if you cancel early. Even SIM-only plans have a 12-month minimum on the cheapest rates. The big three's sub-brands (ahamo from Docomo, povo from au, LINEMO from Softbank) sometimes accept shorter terms. They still require a residence card with months remaining.

Why it's wrong for you: If your stay is 60-90 days and your residence card matches your visa duration, you may not have 12+ months on the card. Even if you do, contract setup takes 1-3 store visits and Japanese-language onboarding. Some stores have foreigner-staff windows; the wait runs 1-2 weeks at busy stores (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro). Early-termination math erases the saving. The big three are right for stays of 12+ months. They are wrong for 90 days.

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Comparison: cost over 90 days

For a typical use case (need Japanese number, 5-10GB/month data, occasional tethering), here's the math over a 90-day stay.

Mobal is the cheapest path with a Japanese number. Sakura Mobile is comparable. Airalo wins on cost if you do not need a Japanese number. Holafly only makes sense for heavy streamers who hotspot a laptop most of the day.

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Today's setup

Run this in order, ideally 1-2 weeks before your flight.

1. Decide whether you need a Japanese number. If you'll order food delivery, book restaurants, receive packages, or see a doctor, you do.
2. If yes, pick Sakura Mobile or Mobal. Mobal is usually ¥200-500/month cheaper. Sakura Mobile has slightly faster English support. Either works.
3. If no, pick Airalo for ≤30-day stays or pay-as-you-go. Pick Holafly for unlimited data over 30 days. eSIM-capable phone required.
4. Order the SIM 5-10 days before your flight. Choose airport pickup if you land during counter hours, or ship-to-hotel if you land late or fly into a smaller airport.
5. Pre-activate the account online when the welcome email arrives. Have passport and visa ready; activation takes 15-20 minutes.
6. On arrival, insert the SIM (or scan the eSIM QR code) and confirm signal. If you need 2FA on Japanese services, register the apps before you check into the apartment.
7. At the end of the stay, cancel via the provider's web portal. Both providers confirm cancellation by email. No MNP-out fee on monthly plans; you're not porting the number anywhere.
8. If you'd like halfkey to recommend a phone-plan setup matched to your apartment dates and arrival airport, reply to this article's contact form.

The whole setup is 30-45 minutes of work spread across pre-flight and day one. The mistake to avoid: waiting until day three and walking into a Docomo store. That path doesn't end in a working phone for 60-90 days.

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— halfkey runs furnished Tokyo apartments for stays of 30 days to 12 months. Browse listings for your dates.