Nomad eSIM in Japan Review (+Speedtests)

The first time I visited Japan was in 2018 when I went together with a friend of mine – Ditmar.

It was a hectic summer, as I also visited China a few weeks before and the Netherlands three times (before, between & after those trips – I was living in Denmark back then).

What surprised me is that the Japanese government banned the sale of voice-enabled SIM cards to travelers in 2006 for some reason.

As a result, only data-only SIM cards are sold to visitors like you and me.

Because VoIP (Voice over IP) apps like WhatsApp were already popular back then, it did not bother us that we could not make phone calls.

Since then, a lot has changed – travel eSIMs exist, and they are incredibly popular.

And I love trying them out to see which performs the best in individual countries like Japan.

So I revisited in 2023 and stayed in the Kansai Region (mostly Osaka) and Tokyo (again).

This resulted in me spending more than 480 USD for my Japan SIM card and travel eSIM review series (50 030 JPY (≈ 360 USD) on Japanese SIM cards and 121.50 USD on travel eSIMs to be used in Japan) – yeah… I went all out for you 😎.

I am excluding the cost of Airalo's Asialink 100 GB eSIM (185 USD) and its Discover Global 20 GB eSIM (89 USD) because I use both in multiple countries, not just Japan.

In many countries, getting a local SIM card will be the most cost-effective way to stay connected.

But that is not the case in Japan – they are criminally expensive.

Worse, almost all the Japanese SIM cards I tested had speed caps of 2 Mbps, 10 Mbps, or “unrestricted” speed for the first few days (often up to three days) before speeds would drop.

And I am talking about SIM cards that supposedly have no Fair Use Policy (FUP), and promise speeds up to 788 Mbps, or whose FUP I had not hit.

As a result, there is only one Japanese SIM card I recommend – but that one is expensive too.

Travel eSIM providers like Nomad are way cheaper than Japanese SIM cards.

Surprisingly, they performed significantly better – even when roaming on the local networks.

This phenomenon is uncommon but happens in countries where mobile operators throttle (prepaid) speeds.

Because the Nomad Japan eSIM is basically cheaper than any Japanese SIM card available while having a significantly better performance than them, I can already recommend it if your phone supports eSIM.

Throughout this review, you will discover why I think this way, so let's start immediately!

Original publication: 27^th of May 2023. Last updated: 15^th of January 2024.

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Table of Contents

Which Phones are Compatible with Nomad eSIMs?

Before discussing the Nomad eSIM to be used in Japan specifically, you must know whether your phone can even support Nomad's eSIMs.

Unlike most travel eSIM providers, Nomad claims that every eSIM-compatible phone can use its eSIMs.

So that makes things easy 😎.

But the image will still give you an overview of the most popular phones that support eSIM.

As of August 2023, the phones shown in the infographic below are compatible with Nomad eSIMs:

>>> Get your Nomad Japan eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.70 EUR/2.40 GBP/4.05 CAD off! <<<

With that out of the way, let's talk more about the Nomad Japan eSIM!

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How Much Does the Nomad Japan eSIM Cost?

You can get the Nomad eSIM to be used in Japan for as little as 5 USD for 1 GB (7 days) and up to 125 USD for 50 GB (30 days). Moreover, “unlimited” data plans for one day (9 USD) to seven days (36 USD) are available as of April 2023.

Wait… unlimited data!?

Yes, in March 2023, Nomad had a soft launch for its first unlimited eSIM for the United Kingdom only.

A month later, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea & Thailand were eligible too.

Anyway, do you get truly unlimited data? No – you do not.

When the unlimited data plans were announced, the Fair Use Policy “FUP” did not state the limit.

Only that the mobile operator could throttle your speed @ 512 Kbps if it believes you have used too much data.

Nowadays, the FUP has been clarified, letting you know that you can use 2 GB/day without being throttled.

Is 2 GB/day genuinely unlimited? No, lol.

And I would rather have Nomad rebrand these plans from unlimited to daily plans or something like that.

At least Nomad was not like Holafly, who initially said truly unlimited data, to “up to 90 GB a month”, to reports saying you get throttled after 1 GB to 3 GB in a day, depending on the day and country 🙄.

Anyway, below is an overview of how much each Nomad Japan eSIM costs:

1. Japan 1 GB eSIM for 7 days (SoftBank and KDDI), costing 5 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Japan 3 GB eSIM for 30 days (SoftBank and KDDI), costing 9 USD
3. Japan 5 GB eSIM for 30 days (SoftBank and KDDI), costing 13 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Japan 10 GB eSIM for 30 days (SoftBank and KDDI), costing 22 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
5. Japan 15 GB eSIM for 30 days (SoftBank and KDDI – new), costing 28 USD
6. Japan 20 GB eSIM for 30 days (SoftBank and KDDI), costing 34 USD
7. Japan 30 GB eSIM for 30 days (SoftBank and KDDI – new), costing 80 USD
8. Japan 40 GB eSIM for 30 days (SoftBank and KDDI – new), costing 110 USD
9. Japan 50 GB eSIM for 30 days (SoftBank and KDDI – new), costing 125 USD
10. Japan 100 GB eSIM for 60 days (SoftBank – new), costing 240 USD

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7^th of September (2023 data only).

>>> Get your Nomad Japan eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.70 EUR/2.40 GBP/4.05 CAD off! <<<

Here are the five “unlimited” Nomad Japan eSIMs:

1. Japan “unlimited” (2 GB) eSIM for 1 day (SoftBank – new), costing 9 USD
2. Japan “unlimited” (2 GB/day – 6 GB) eSIM for 3 days (SoftBank – new), costing 18 USD
3. Japan “unlimited” (2 GB/day – 10 GB) eSIM for 5 days (SoftBank – new), costing 24 USD
4. Japan “unlimited” (2 GB/day – 14 GB) eSIM for 7 days (SoftBank – new), costing 28 USD
5. Japan “unlimited” (2 GB/day – 20 GB) eSIM for 10 days (SoftBank – new), costing 36 USD

Be aware that you cannot use any promo code for any Nomad unlimited eSIM (including ADU123, unfortunately 😔).

If your credit/debit card charges you foreign exchange fees, get yourself a Wise Borderless Account and Debit Card.

Their fees are MUCH lower than banks and credit card companies charge you (and Wise is transparent about their fees, unlike banks).

I have saved literal THOUSANDS of Australian Dollars and Euros, my main currencies, when using Wise abroad when traveling compared to my debit and credit cards.

Open a Wise account for FREE!

Moreover, regardless of which Nomad Japan eSIM you choose (except for the unlimited eSIMs), you can always top it up for the same amount of data and prices as listed above.

Many eSIM providers out there do not allow you to top up or extend the validity of your eSIM, so it is cool that Nomad allows you to do so.

>>> Get your Nomad Japan eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.70 EUR/2.40 GBP/4.05 CAD off! <<<

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My Nomad eSIM in Japan Experience

I used my Nomad Japan eSIM in Hiroshima, the Kansai region (mostly Osaka, but also Kobe, Kyoto & Nara) & Tokyo Metropolis (mostly Chiyoba City, but also Shinjuku City, Taito City & Yokohama City).

Before we continue, I do want to let you know how travel eSIM providers like Nomad work.

It is impossible for Nomad, or any other mobile operator, to operate in every country (and do not trust any company saying otherwise), so they set up roaming agreements.

And do not get worried by the word roaming yet – roaming can be expensive, but roaming with Nomad or many other travel eSIM providers, will not result in a 5000 USD roaming bill.

What Nomad does, and basically all (actual) mobile operators do, is partner up with a local mobile operator so that their customers can still stay connected when abroad.

In the case of Japan, the Nomad eSIM uses the SoftBank network with the help of JoyTelecom (which is a CSL Mobile subsidiary (from Hong Kong)) – so your phone, some apps, or sites you visit may claim you are using a CSL Mobile eSIM instead of a Nomad one – that is correct).

At that time, you could also get eSIMs on the Truphone network, which used the NTT Docomo network.

Because the Speedtest app always wanted to connect to the CSL Mobile server in Hong Kong, I suspect Truphone works with CSL Mobile in some East Asian countries (including South Korea), but I am unsure.

Note: Nomad does not always use multiple networks.

I say could because Nomad removed all its Truphone plans for Japan.

You are not missing out… they were significantly more expensive than the JoyTelecom eSIMs 😡.

For example, a 20 GB Japan eSIM through JoyTelecom costs 34 USD, while it would cost you 69 USD through Truphone. Crazy!

The Japanese mobile operators are not in the prepaid business for whatever reason, so I mostly used Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) using the NTT Docomo network through another MVNO called IIJmio.

All Japanese SIM cards I used using IIJmio were mostly/always throttled @ 2 Mbps, 10 Mbps, or would start off normally for the first (few) day(s) before being slowed as well.

I go more in-depth about that in my individual Japanese SIM card reviews, but all the travel eSIMs I used, including Nomad's Japan eSIM, were not affected by this nonsense… so that was amazing 🤣.

So while I usually compare my eSIM results with the local mobile operator, it is not something I can do in Japan consistently because all the SIM cards I tried were MVNOs 🥲.

But worry not – I will do my best, mostly because I tried nine travel eSIMs using the networks of the Big Three (NTT Docomo, Softbank & AU by KDDI) with varying results.

When looking at 4G/LTE availability in Japan, the three mobile operators cover practically all of the country, with an availability of at least 99.4%.

Rakuten Mobile exists in Japan too, but tourists cannot get its prepaid SIM cards. Moreover, none of the SIM cards or eSIMs I used were using its network, so I will ignore its results in this analysis.

Japan's 4G/LTE reception is so good that you will unlikely be stuck on 3G at any time.

Unless you did not turn off airplane mode while taking off to send a quick message… I know who you are 😏.

In terms of 5G NR, the Nomad eSIM did not support it when I was in Japan, so I will not go over that for now (but I will go back when it does support 5G NR, like the Ubigi eSIM on the NTT Docomo network).

In terms of speed, NTT Docomo has the fastest download speed, with a median download speed of 48.86 Mbps, ahead of SoftBank (44.77 Mbps) and AU by KDDI (41.60 Mbps).

But these results are somewhat similar, so you can say they have roughly the same speed.

The same can be said about upload speeds, where SoftBank is leading the pack (9.24 Mbps), followed by NTT Docomo (6.97 Mbps) and AU by KDDI (6.40 Mbps).

I did speed tests with the Speedtest app in three regions throughout Japan.

For reference, I consider an average download speed of 25 Mbps and an average of 10 Mbps upload speed fast enough.

Preferably, download speeds should be 100 Mbps+ on 4G/LTE… but we are not there yet 🗿.

But why these averages?

A download speed of more than 25 Mbps is enough to video stream content @ 4k resolution.

Social media sites that allow for live streaming, like Facebook Live, recommend an upload speed of at least 10 Mbps.

So, that is why – but that does not mean that a download speed of less than 100 Mbps excited me 😏.

But Australia spoiled… everything slower than 300 Mbps is slow now 🤣.

Anyway, you will also see that some of the results are in two shades of red, green, underlined, or in italics.

Underlined results are on 5G NR, while results in italics are on 3G.

The green shows that the result was the fastest on the network at said location.

For example, the Airalo Moshi Moshi being the fastest travel eSIM on the SoftBank network in a mall.

While red shows that the result was the slowest on the network among its peers at the location.

Okay, that is enough background information – let's compare the Nomad Japan eSIM to other travel eSIMs primairly using the SoftBank network in Hiroshima and the Kansai region.

And on the NTT Docomo network in Tokyo Metropolis.

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Nomad (Truphone) Japan eSIM Speed Test Results in Hiroshima

Hiroshima is mainly known for an incident that happened in 1945.

However, the radiation levels are so low nowadays that they are comparable to other Japanese cities – or most other cites worldwide.

Besides its history, it has much to offer, such as the Hiroshima Castle.

Including this cute variation of the castle.

Hiroshima on its own is worth visiting, although it can be a nice day trip or weekend getaway if you are in the Kansai region (Osaka) already.

While Hiroshima may or may not be among the ten largest cities in Japan (it used to be until the 2010 census – that is when it fell out of it), 5G NR was somehow not available in the city.

COMST Japan, an NTT Docomo Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), and Ubigi Japan, using the NTT Docomo network, both have 5G NR access.

However, that technology was nowhere to be found throughout Hiroshima.

As a result, it was a leveling playing field to compare all the Japanese SIM cards and travel eSIMs I used because they all were on 4G/LTE.

For now, let's see how the Nomad Japan eSIM performed in Hiroshima:

>>> Get your Nomad Japan eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.70 EUR/2.40 GBP/4.05 CAD off! <<<

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Nomad Unlimited (JoyTelecom) Japan eSIM Speed Test Results in the Kansai region (Kobe, Kyoto, Nara & Osaka)

While the term Kansai region may not ring a bell for some readers, it is the second-largest region in Japan (behind the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo Metropolis).

The Kansai region is home to the famous Osaka but also Japan's former capital Kyoto.

And a few others like Kobe (yes – the one from Kobe Beef) and Nara (with the large deer park).

Most tend to stay in Osaka when they are in the Kansai region.

But I would highly recommend visiting one of the cities I mentioned earlier because (1) you are nearby and (2) they are worth the visit!

Osaka and the Kansai region was my first destination during this Japan trip.

Here, I learned that most Japanese SIM cards are slow.

And I could not contribute that to me being in some remote town… because Osaka is Japan's third-largest municipality (behind Tokyo and Yokohama (south of Tokyo)) and it has 5G NR (which I used with COMST Japan and Ubigi Japan).

As the Nomad Japan eSIM is not powered by a Japanese mobile operator, I had a pleasant performance with it in the Kansai region.

In fact, it was the best travel eSIM I used in the region.

So, let's see how the Nomad Japan eSIM performed in the Kansai region:

>>> Get your Nomad Japan eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.70 EUR/2.40 GBP/4.05 CAD off! <<<

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Nomad (Truphone) Japan eSIM Speed Test Results in Tokyo Metropolis (Chiyoba, Shinjuku, Taito & Tokohama)

Tokyo, or the Tokyo Metropolis, probably does not need an introduction.

As you probably already imagining a bustling city with bright lights.

Which… it certainly is!

But do know that Tokyo consists of 26 cities (+a few towns and villages).

In fact, Tokyo Metropolis has 39 municipalities under its name.

This is why the heading for this section had Chiyoba, Shinjuku, Taito & Tokohama in parentheses because those are the cities I visited on this trip.

But wherever you go in Tokyo, you will have guaranteed fun 😄.

Let's see how the Nomad Japan eSIM performed in Tokyo Metropolis:

>>> Get your Nomad Japan eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.70 EUR/2.40 GBP/4.05 CAD off! <<<

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My Overall Experience with the Nomad Japan eSIM – Is It Any Good?

I would recommend the Nomad Japan eSIM, and it would be one of my top recommendations for anyone wanting to buy a Japanese travel eSIM.

Getting the Nomad Japan eSIM, and any other Nomad eSIM for that matter, is easy and straightforward (even though I did not spend any time on how to install Nomad eSIMs – you will manage… promise!).

Nomad's Japan eSIM is also one of the most affordable eSIMs I tested on my trip while having various options (1 GB, 3 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB, 15 GB, 20 GB, 30 GB, 40 GB & 50 GB + “unlimited” data (2 GB/day) for 1, 3, 5, 7 & 10 day(s)).

In Japan, it uses the SoftBank network, which has practically excellent 4G/LTE availability.

Yes, I also used the Truphone-powered eSIM on the NTT Docomo network, but you cannot buy that one anymore 😅 reception between the two was too similar to make any judgment, though.

The Nomad APAC eSIM also uses the SoftBank network.

You will have a fast network experience with the Nomad eSIM.

While it was not the fastest (Airalo's Moshi Moshi eSIM was), the eSIMs on the SoftBank network performed similarly well (in the Kansai region).

I specifically mention the Kansai region because I used the Truphone version in Hiroshima and Tokyo Metropolis, which used the NTT Docomo network (and had different results).

There was only one Japanese SIM card, COMST Japan, faster than any other Japanese SIM card or travel eSIM I tested because it had 5G NR access in the Kansai Region and Tokyo Metropolis.

You cannot always compete with that… unless it is extremely slow 5G NR 😅.

Taking all 91 speed tests into account, I had an average overall download speed of 38.56 Mbps and a median download speed of 33.54 Mbps with the Nomad Japan eSIM.

When looking at upload speeds, I had an average upload speed of 11.65 Mbps and a median upload speed of 10.04 Mbps with the Nomad Japan eSIM.

The upload speeds are not impressive because the Japanese mobile operators already have slow speeds.

So the Nomad Japan eSIM could not do better in that regard.

Normally, I would tell you how much faster or slower the Nomad eSIM would be compared to the network it uses (NTT Docomo and SoftBank, in this case).

But because Japanese mobile operators do not care about travelers who want prepaid SIM cards, I could not get an NTT Docomo or SoftBank SIM card.

Instead, only Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) sell prepaid SIM cards, and they go through another MVNO, which aggressively throttles speeds.

So… no Nomad Japan vs. NTT Docomo/SoftBank comparison 😔.

But as the Nomad eSIM was not throttled as previously when JoyTelecom-powered eSIMs were launched, it did very well among its peers.

The main issue I have with the Nomad Japan eSIMs is that the plans with more data, like the 50 GB one, are only valid for 30 days.

For a while, this plan was valid for 60 days instead.

And as it costs 125 USD… it better was (and still should be, honestly) valid for 60 days.

In comparison, you can get the 50 GB Airalo Asialink eSIM for 100 USD, valid for 90 days.

In June 2023, Nomad extended the validity of its 30 GB APAC and SEA-Oceania eSIMs (the latter cannot be used in Japan) to 60 days, so there is hope Nomad will do it for country-specific eSIMs like Japan as well.

In fact, it is currently cheaper to buy two 20 GB Japan eSIMs (34 USD * 2 = 68 USD) instead of the 40 GB variant outright (110 USD).

And the validity would be 60 days instead of 30 days.

So this is why I got the 20 GB eSIM for this trip and not the 30 GB, 40 GB, or 50 GB ones (but that would have been too much data for a two-week trip – even for me! (unless I have 5G NR access, lmao)).

Because the value for money is not there… yet.

Knowing Nomad, it will rectify it soon… but it depends on JoyTelecom too.

By using a near-perfect 4G/LTE network, offering affordable data plans (cheaper than Japanese SIM cards) & offering fast download speeds, you should have a smooth browsing experience with the Nomad Japan eSIM.

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Other Japanese eSIM Reviews (Airalo, Holafly, Japan Wireless, Nomad, SimCorner & Ubigi)

As mentioned earlier, I also tried out (other) eSIMs from Airalo (Moshi Moshi, Asialink & Discover Global), Holafly, Japan Wireless, Nomad (APAC), SimCorner & Ubigi.

You should read those reviews too.

>>> Airalo Moshi Moshi eSIM in Japan Review | Airalo Asialink eSIM in Japan Review | Airalo Discover Global eSIM in Japan Review | Holafly eSIM in Japan eSIM Review | Japan Wireless eSIM Review | Nomad APAC eSIM in Japan Review | SimCorner Japan eSIM Review | Ubigi eSIM in Japan Review <<<