Anyone have any recommendations on which travel SIM (data only) is better/easy to use in the Kyoto/Osaka/Hiroshima area in Japan? I'll be there for 8 days. There are so many websites about them and it seems like so many of them you need to do so many extra things just to activate them. Thanks!

We actually rented a pocket WiFi instead. Both our cell phones could access the internet and we used Skype if we needed to call. We ordered online and it was delivered to our first hotel. At the end of our time, we used the pre-paid envelope and dropped it in the mailbox at Haneda to return it.

Get a Pocket wifi, we used this company and it worked really well. https://www.japan-experience.com/rent-pocket-wifi-japan

It’s actually more economical to buy one outright from Telus or Bell. Only $200 or $100 over two years.

It’s only $6-7 a day.

Tyler But...if going to use it during other travels or in my case, I use in town every now and then (we have dead spots in town and in some areas of the mall), then the $200 is justified.
I bring my MiFi whenever we cross the border and trips to Southern California (places like Universal Studios and Disneyland have spotty WiFi at best so I would rather use my own) and I would rather use my own MiFi - several layers of encryption and protection than to use free WiFi.
WiFi in hotels are painfully slow, too, most times than not.

Mary Yee pocket wifi are encrypted and protected. This person is asking for something that will get them by 8 days in japan. My solution allows them to do this by renting for $56. Yours involves a $200 investment and a monthly contract that may not even work in japan without additional fees.

Tyler I hear ya.
The MiFi from Telus and Bell are world ready and works in over 200 countries. No monthly contract if buying outright and comes unlocked. Whenever I travel, I just put in a roam mobility SIM.
Anyhow, I would recommend getting a roam mobility SIM. They now have SIM for overseas, surprisingly.

https://www.telus.com/.../mobi.../novatel-wireless-mifi-7000
We didn’t buy a monthly plan with this and it shares data with our phone plan. Can’t afford to buy data just for a MiFi on top of our phone plan.

Mary Yee ah ok. So in order to use it in japan you would need a new Japanese SIM card, gotcha

Tyler Yes!

I used the Iljmio travel sim, got it from Bic camera. It was easy to activate. Just enter the card info online and it's ready to use. If I travelled with others I would get a pocket wifi

I personally like to get it at the airport (so I can start using right away rather than waiting until I get to a city. I'd say if you are familiar with Japan, you can wait until Big Camera, but if this is your first time, I recommend you to get it at the airport), and since I have an unlocked phone, I usually get a SIM card. I have got a prepaid one from a vending machine and Docomo one from the counter before, and both worked great. It takes a little bit to set it up, but it wasn't too bad. I pretty much chose the vending machine or counter I saw first after arrival as after a long travel, I just wanted to get it fast and get it going. One of my friends has tried the Pocket wifi, and he liked it.

Thanks for the input everyone. Since Im going to be the only one using it, I dont think the pocket wifi isnt the most economical choice. Im not going until the fall so I have plenty of time still. Just trying to research so that Im ready when I get there and not wasting time at the airport. I get in late into Kansai and have to get to Kyoto that same night before my hotel's lobby closes so I may not have the option to pick it up at the airport if my flight is delayed at all. For those that bought the sim at BIC or equivalent, is there a particular company that you recommend?

IIJ (https://t.iijmio.jp/en/), So-Net (http://www.so-net.ne.jp/prepaid/en/), and B-Mobile Visitor (http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/) are your three best options.

I rented a pocket wifi a few times from http://globaladvancedcomm.com and know they rent SIM cards and even phones as well. Haven't had any issues with them. Just pop by the post office at Narita when I land to pick it up and then they have a prepaid envelope for you to drop it off at the same post office when you fly out. So another company that you can look into that hasn't done me wrong as of yet.

I bought a b-mobile visitor for 14 days and it was perfect. BIC Camera like others have mentioned.

This was somewhere around $25, I believe. Not per day, but for the entire 14 days.

I used the b-Mobile one as well. They're an MVNO for docomo. I got the 5GB/21 days for just over 3200 yen at the BIC camera at the airport. Make sure you activate it in the airport before you leave because the initial setup requires Internet access. (they ask for your name, passport info, etc - instructions in English are included in the package)

Don't know where you're staying but we stayed at airbnb and they all provided pocket wifi...otherwise check the airport when you land.

Is there something like this for France, England and Greece?

Take an unlocked phone and buy a local 'pay-as-you-go' SIM. easy and cheap. Europe is covered by most UK phone companies now at no extra cost.

Yes

japan wireless. At the time it was $10 a day unlimited data. We got the portable pocket wifi which allowed multiple phone devices to connect and the battery lasted the whole day out.

I got one at 7/11 at airport. Worked great and it was cheaper than the other booths.

I usually used a wifi egg from softphones. Like many of the other people here. It was much easier getting around

I just asked my provider to add roaming, it was $10 day and I just used my phone like home.

We used this, Verizon has a max cap of $100 total so you get crazy bills

I paid like $40 for the week... Verizon is American no?

Doug yes, but Canada is considered as part of their plan. North America

With my plan it would be $10/day for roam like home, so $80 for my time there. But the SIM cards look to be in the neighbourhood of $30-$40 for the same timeframe.

Either way, works. My daughter switched SIM cards in Ireland but found adding the roaming daily was more convenient
.

I bought a SIM card online before I left and picked it up at Narita Airport. It was from Klook. They have different plans. I chose 8 days (I think 4 GB) and it cost around $40.

I was in Tokyo and Kyoto and it worked good in both places

Make an effort to get it at the airport. They speak English and will know what's best for your phone, and probably a pretty good deal. Otherwise you have to make another trip to someplace in town, and it will be more confusing. Unless there's a major promotion on, it's all about the same price anyway.

I can't remember the name but I got one in a vending machine at the airport. More data and more economical than pocket wifi. I had great reception in those cities and the country side. It does not include minutes though

Yeah I just got the iijmio from the airport. I had to restart my phone to log in the first time, but it's worked well for me since.

Eric Hsiao

$10 a day, activates on your phone, deactivates automatic when you’re home. Every time you enter a new country, it changes

Just buy at biccamera or yodobashi there’s a wall of data sims

roam mobility and don’t forget to pick up a MiFi (aka portable hotspot).

Get the b-mobile sim card.