Enter your days in Japan and the hours you spend on maps, social media and video. The calculator adds 20% to spare and picks the cheapest Airalo, Saily and Yesim plan that is big enough and lasts the whole trip. For maps and messaging only, a 3–5GB plan covers a week.
By Mikako Yoshida ·Published 29 October 2026 · Updated 30 October 2026
Estimate your data
Hours a day on…
Cheapest plan that is big enough and lasts long enough (checked 30 October 2026):
For trips over 30 days, Klook and KKday sell unlimited plans by the day.
Rough use per hour: maps 30 MB, web and messaging 100 MB, social media and standard-quality video 700 MB, video calls 540 MB.
Data per hour used in the calculator
| Activity | Per hour | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Maps and transit apps | about 30 MB | Our estimate |
| Web, messaging and translation | about 100 MB | Our estimate |
| Social media (Instagram, TikTok) | about 700 MB | Counted like standard-quality video |
| Video at standard quality | up to 700 MB | Netflix, Medium setting |
| Video calls | about 540 MB | Zoom, high-quality one-to-one video at 600 kbps each way |
Plans it chooses from (checked 30 October 2026)
| Data | Airalo | Saily | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB | US$4.00 (3 days) | US$3.99 (7 days) | US$4.44 (30 days) |
| 3GB | US$7.50 (3 days), US$8.00 (7 days) | US$7.99 (30 days) | – |
| 5GB | US$10.00 (7 days) | US$10.99 (30 days) | US$10.56 (30 days) |
| 10GB | US$17.00 (7 days) | US$17.99 (30 days) | US$19.20 (30 days) |
| 20GB | US$24.00 (15 days) | US$24.99 (30 days) | US$29.76 (30 days) |
| Unlimited, 7 days | US$26.50 | US$26.99 | US$29.40 |
| Unlimited, 30 days | US$69.00 | US$71.99 | US$66.00 |
Useful before you fly
Airport transfer when you have a lot of shopping bags
Luggage storage in Tokyo for the hours before an evening flight
Before you buy
Install the eSIM at home and switch to it when you land. Travel eSIMs are data only, with no Japanese phone number, and your phone must be unlocked and support eSIM.
“Unlimited” plans slow down after a daily amount: Airalo to 1Mbps after 3GB a day, Saily after 5GB a day. A laptop or another phone on your hotspot uses data too, so count it in the calculator.
Questions
Is 1GB a day enough in Japan?
Should I get an unlimited plan?
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