Smart Phone Data SIM Rental Plans For Study Abroad in Japan

Coming to Japan as an international student means starting from scratch. From hunting for an apartment, creating a bank account, and getting cell service, attaining the basic necessities can be huge challenge in the first few weeks of study abroad.

One of the greatest challenges international students face is getting cell phone service. And without Internet access on the go, this can be a real challenge as you settle into your class schedule and jump into your new social life. The procedure for being eligible for a cell phone contract usually goes as follows:

Getting Cell Service
• Obtain a residence card with a current valid address.
• Create a bank account (residence card will be necessary for this)
• Find a service provider that provides in-store language support for those who don't speak Japanese
• Sign contract (contracts run for 2 years, takes 1 hr+ in-store to complete)
  *As a catch, sometimes it is necessary to provide a phone number in order to create a cell phone contract. In this case, get the permission of a friend with a cell phone, the international office of your school, or a host family member, etc.

If you manage to get past all this, you now have service, which is great! However, you will be locked into the contract for an average of 2 years...Yes, already, things longer sound so sweet. In addition, there is a chance you will be paying a pretty penny every month, ranging from 7,000-9,000JPY.
For those who want to avoid getting caught in this expensive cycle, renting a SIM Card is one of the easiest ways to guarantee you have data at your fingertips from the moment you step off the plane.

Even if you eventually plan to get anchored into a contract, (which is required for many people when work or school requires an official phone number) a Data SIM Rental is convenient and takes a lot of the pressure off of the first few weeks of living in Japan. Due to Strict Japanese laws regarding the distribution of phone numbers, it falls into heavy gray area when it comes to having a prepaid SIM Card that includes a phone number. In order to learn more, check out our article, Why Is It So Hard to Get a Japanese Phone Number?

If you order from a site that promises a phone number without verifying your address and residence status, be wary as this is not technically legal. In addition to the caveat regarding phone numbers, prepaid SIM cards are also limited to a max of 30 days. What does this mean? You will end up need to purchase new SIM cards monthly. Not only is this expensive, but there is the hassle of setup in addition to the plastic waste of changing your SIM every month. Renting a Data SIM eliminates all of those problems. With flexible plans that allow you to extend as you go, make your initial rental for the first few weeks you are in Japan, and worry about the rest after you've settled.