Japan rewards travellers who arrive prepared. Train connections are timed to the minute, restaurants take bookings online, and signs outside the big cities are often only in Japanese, so a translation app becomes part of the trip. Japan is not part of the EU's Roam Like at Home area, and roaming on a European plan is usually charged by the day.
Visitors also face a choice that is more common in Japan than anywhere else: an eSIM, a rented pocket Wi-Fi router or a local SIM card. This guide compares them, and covers something every visitor should set up before arriving: earthquake and tsunami alerts.
Key facts for Japan
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: NTT Docomo, au (KDDI), SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: police 110, ambulance and fire 119, coast guard 118
- Embassies: in Tokyo, with consulates in Osaka and other cities
eSIM, pocket Wi-Fi or SIM card
A travel eSIM lives inside your phone: nothing to collect at the airport, nothing to return, and it works the moment you land. It installs at home with a QR code, and its validity starts with the first connection in Japan.
Pocket Wi-Fi routers are rented at airports or delivered to hotels. One router can serve several people, but it is another device to carry, charge and return, and if your group splits up, only one person keeps the connection.
Data SIM cards for visitors are sold at airports and in electronics stores. You remove your own SIM while you use them, so texts and bank codes to your usual number stop arriving.
Trains, IC cards and maps
On an iPhone you can add a Suica or PASMO card to Apple Wallet and tap through the ticket gates, top up included; many Android phones sold outside Japan do not support these cards. Train apps and maps show the exact platform and car for each connection. Coverage is strong in cities and stations, and on the Shinkansen the signal holds along most of the route.
Earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons
Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world. Japanese networks broadcast emergency alerts to phones in the affected area, and the Safety Tips app from the Japan Tourism Agency sends earthquake, tsunami and weather alerts in English and other languages. Install it before you arrive, keep emergency alerts switched on in your phone's settings, and follow official evacuation signs if an alert sounds.
Countryside and mountains
Rural Japan is well covered on the whole, but signal fades on some mountain trails, such as parts of the Kumano Kodo or the Japan Alps, and in deep valleys. Download offline maps and tell your accommodation which route you are taking.
Consular protection: who to call in Japan
- 110 reaches the police; 119 sends an ambulance or the fire service; 118 is the coast guard.
- The Japan Visitor Hotline of the Japan National Tourism Organization answers at 050-3816-2787, around the clock, in English, Chinese and Korean.
- Embassies are in Tokyo, and many countries have consulates in Osaka and other large cities. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- If you are an EU citizen and your country has no embassy or consulate in Japan, the embassy of any other EU country must help you on the same terms as its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- Emergency phrases in Japanese are ready to show on screen in the app.
Questions travellers ask about Japan
Is an eSIM or a pocket Wi-Fi better in Japan?
For one person, an eSIM avoids collecting and returning a device. For a group that always travels together, a router can be shared.
How do I get earthquake alerts in English?
Install the Safety Tips app from the Japan Tourism Agency and keep emergency alerts switched on in your phone's settings.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Japan?
NTT Docomo, au (KDDI), SoftBank or Rakuten Mobile, depending on the plan, with 4G and 5G where available.
Can I pay for trains with my phone?
On an iPhone, yes: add Suica or PASMO to Apple Wallet. Many foreign Android phones cannot use these cards.
The short version
Install the eSIM and the Safety Tips app before you fly, add Suica or PASMO to your iPhone, and save 110, 119 and the Japan Visitor Hotline.
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