The moment you walk out of the arrivals gate and lose the airport Wi-Fi, Japan gets significantly harder to navigate. Google Maps stops working. You cannot translate the signs. You cannot message your company to confirm where you are supposed to go.
If your dispatch company is placing you in a regional city rather than Tokyo, this problem compounds quickly. English-speaking staff at phone shops are rare outside major urban areas. Public Wi-Fi is unreliable. You need a plan sorted before you land, not after.
If your company arranges it, take the Pocket Wi-Fi
Many dispatch companies offer Pocket Wi-Fi rentals — devices from providers like UQ Mobile — for around ¥4,000 per month, sometimes included as part of their onboarding package. If yours does, take it. You can pick it up at the airport or have it waiting at your housing. No bank account, no credit card, no paperwork. You are online before you leave the arrivals hall.
The practical reality of carrying a Pocket Wi-Fi is that it is one more device to charge every night. If you forget it at home on a school day, you have no data. For most teachers it works fine for the first month — it is just not something you want to rely on forever.
If you want connectivity sorted before your flight, get a Mobal eSIM
An eSIM installs directly on your phone — no physical card, no pickup counter, no queue at the airport. If your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM, you can have data ready before you board.
Most eSIM providers give you data only. Mobal is different. They provide a real Japanese phone number — the 070/080/090 format that banks and landlords will ask for — and they approve foreigners with no Japanese address or credit history. For a newly arrived instructor who needs both data and a local number sorted quickly, that combination is hard to beat. You can apply for a Mobal eSIM here and have everything set up before you leave home.
Once you are settled, move to a proper long-term plan
A month-to-month rental or short-term eSIM makes sense for the first few weeks. After that, once you have your residence card and a bank account open, a long-term SIM contract works out significantly cheaper.
Sakura Mobile is the provider most long-term foreign residents in Japan end up with. Full English support, transparent pricing, and plans that cover both SIM-only and Pocket Wi-Fi setups. Check their current plans here.
Stay away from the major carriers for now
Walking into Docomo, Au, or SoftBank in your first week is a reliable way to lose a Saturday. Their standard contracts require a Japanese credit card or bank account — neither of which you have yet. Outside major cities, English-speaking staff are rare. The contracts are long and cancellation fees are real.
There is no reason to go near them until you are fully settled. Mobal and Sakura Mobile cover everything a newly arrived instructor actually needs.
One Practical Backup
If you ever find yourself without data — device forgotten, battery dead, plan not yet active — head to the nearest convenience store or McDonald’s. Both have reliable free Wi-Fi, stay open late, and nobody will rush you out. It is a good place to sit down, get your bearings, and figure out your next move.
Read also: How to save ¥300,000 on your health insurance in Japan
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