Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t affect how I compare anything — here’s how I compare, and my full disclosure.
Note: This comparison is based on each provider’s official information, checked on November 12, 2026. I have not used these plans as a visitor — I live in Japan. This is an official-information comparison, written from Japan.
The short answer
Most visitors to Japan do not need a Japanese phone number. Maps, trains, messaging apps, translation, and most bookings run on data alone.
You need a real number only when something specifically asks for one: a restaurant or hotel that confirms by phone, a Japanese app that sends an SMS code, or a stay long enough that local services expect to be able to call you.
And “a Japanese phone number” on a product page can mean two very different things:
- 070, 080, or 090 — a real mobile number. Calls and SMS work the way locals expect.
- 050 — an internet (IP) phone number that runs through an app. Many SMS verification systems will not send codes to it. If the number doesn’t start with 070, 080, or 090, assume it will fail verification until proven otherwise.
Both providers below issue real mobile numbers — the 070/080/090 kind (Sakura Mobile states these prefixes for its voice plans, and Mobal states them for every plan). Almost every other travel eSIM you have heard of — including both companies’ standard travel plans — is data-only and has no number at all.
What you actually pay
Sakura Mobile — a flat travel product (pay per trip)
| Plan | Price (tax incl.) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Travel eSIM, 3GB/day (docomo) — data only, no number | ¥4,620 / 7 days · ¥9,900 / 30 days | Data only. From ¥1,375 for the shortest plans |
| Travel eSIM, Unlimited (au) — data only, no number | ¥5,775 / 7 days · ¥14,575 / 30 days | Unlimited on-phone data, hotspot capped by trip length |
| Travel Voice + Data eSIM (au, 3GB/day) — with a real number | ¥10,340 / 7 days · ¥14,575 / 14 days · ¥19,855 / 30 days | Japanese number, SMS, and included domestic call time (120 min up to 10 days, 240 min for 11–30 days) |
An honest note on Sakura Mobile’s voice pricing: there is no simple published price list for the Travel Voice + Data eSIM — the price is calculated by your exact trip length in the official configurator. The figures above are what the configurator showed on November 12, 2026; check your own dates before you pay. The catch is not the price, it’s the process: Japanese law requires an in-person ID check, so this plan starts at a Sakura Mobile airport counter (Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Fukuoka) or their Shinjuku office after you land. You cannot finish setting it up from home.
Staying longer? Sakura Mobile’s monthly Voice + Data plans (for residents) start at ¥3,278/month for 5GB on docomo (30GB is ¥4,378/month), with full English support — a different product from the travel version, with a ¥5,500 activation fee and no lock-in contract.
Mobal — a monthly line you can prepare in advance
| Item | Price (tax incl.) |
|---|---|
| Voice+Data eSIM (one-time) | ¥4,950 |
| Voice+Data monthly plan | ¥1,650/month (1GB) · ¥3,190 (5GB) · ¥3,630 (10GB) · ¥4,378 (30GB) |
| Voice-Only eSIM (number + calls/SMS, no data plan) | ¥4,950 one-time + ¥1,430/month |
| Outgoing domestic calls / SMS | ¥44 per minute / ¥33 per message (incoming calls and texts are free) |
Mobal runs on docomo, has no minimum contract, and the first month is pro-rated. The trade-off is the same law, handled differently: because a voice line must be tied to a verified person, the eSIM access code is posted to you (free worldwide shipping) or collected in person with your passport — it is not emailed instantly like a data-only eSIM. Order it before you fly, not from the arrivals hall.
The real difference is the ID check, not the price
Both companies are working around the same rule: in Japan, a voice number must belong to an identified person.
- Sakura Mobile does the check face-to-face, after you arrive. Simple pricing per trip, nothing to cancel — but if your first days in Japan aren’t near one of their counters, the plan can’t start.
- Mobal does the check by post or pickup, before or during your trip. You pay a one-time eSIM fee plus a monthly charge, and you keep the number as long as you keep paying — which is why it suits multi-month stays and repeat trips better than a two-week holiday.
Sensei’s note: Japanese readers will recognise this instantly — it’s the same reason you can’t buy a voice SIM from a vending machine here. Any service promising a real Japanese number with “no ID, instant email delivery” is either not selling a real number, or not following the rule that keeps the number valid.
So, which one should you pick?
- You don’t need a number at all (most trips): a data-only travel eSIM. Sakura Mobile’s 3GB/day plan is ¥4,620 for 7 days; every major provider’s standard plan is data-only too. Spend the difference on something edible.
- Short trip, and a specific booking or service needs a Japanese number: Sakura Mobile Travel Voice + Data — if your arrival airport has their counter.
- Staying a month or more, moving to Japan, or you want the number ready in advance: Mobal Voice+Data. Voice-Only (¥1,430/month) also makes sense as a second line next to a cheap data eSIM.
- Anyone comparing: check the prefix first (070/080/090, not 050), then the ID-check process, then the price — in that order.
How I compare: official information first, real total cost including one-time fees, no fake hands-on claims. Full method: How I Compare. Prices checked November 12, 2026.
コメントを残す