Top 5 Pocket Wi-Fi Services With Narita and Haneda Airport Pickup 2024

Rent Pocket Wi-Fi for Your Trip to Tokyo

In Japan, pocket Wi-Fi or a SIM card is indispensable when traveling. There are many places where you won’t have access to free Wi-Fi, so you won’t be able to use Google Maps and may end up getting lost if you don’t have either one of the two services.

In this article, we introduce 5 recommended pocket Wi-Fi router rental services for international visitors traveling in Tokyo.

At the end of the article, we compare the differences between a SIM card and Wi-Fi. We also go over the current accessibility of free Wi-Fi in Tokyo.

Top 5 Wi-Fi Rental Services in Tokyo

1. NINJA WiFi: Inexpensive and Easy Pickup in Tokyo!
2. Sakura Mobile: Excellent English Services!
3. Japan Wireless: Don't Worry About Data Limits!
4. Japan Wi-Fi Rental: Great for Two Weeks or More!
5. Pupul: Useful Plans in Major Cities
What Pocket Wi-Fi is Available the Same Day?
What SIM Cards Are Available in Tokyo?
Best Pocket Wi-Fis for Long-Term Stays in Tokyo

The Best Wi-Fi Routers for Use in Tokyo

There are many pocket Wi-Fi rental services available to international visitors in Japan. Out of those many options, we introduce what services are especially convenient for use in Tokyo.

1. NINJA WiFi: Inexpensive and Easy Pickup in Tokyo

Picture courtesy of NINJA WiFi

NINJA Wi-Fi is the best choice for a one-to-two-week trip. This service is provided by Vision Inc., an established internet provider known for their Global WiFi brand.

NINJA Wi-Fi’s basic plan is 3GB and 770 yen per day. Furthermore, you can get a 20% discount when you reserve through MATCHA and pay 616 yen per day! Based on MATCHA’s research, this is the cheapest plan in Japan for a one-to-two week trip.

Softbank 4G LTE is the network used and allows you to enjoy watching videos stress-free.

Narita Airport Terminal 2 Pickup Counter

A great feature of NINJA Wi-Fi is how easy it is to pick up in Tokyo.

Service counters are located in Terminals 1, 2, and 3 at Narita Airport and Terminals 2 and 3 at Haneda Airport. You can reserve a router until 15:00 (JST) the day before if you choose to pick it up at a Narita or Haneda Airport service counter.

You can reserve a Wi-Fi router and pick it up on the same day at the Shinjuku Counter. Please read the section What Pocket Wi-Fi is Available the Same Day? below for more details. You can also opt to have the router mailed to your desired address (mailing fees for receipt and return are 550 yen each).

NINJA Wi-Fi also offers options such as a compensation plan that provides dual insurance on medical services in Japan and covers Wi-Fi router damage. You can also rent a phone for domestic calls in Japan or a translation device.

2. Sakura Mobile: Excellent English Services

Photo by Sakura Mobile

Sakura Mobile is a company that provides rentals for inexpensive SIM cards and pocket Wi-Fi routers to international visitors. There are two pocket Wi-Fi plans available: short-term use and a monthly plan for long-term use.

Short-term pocket Wi-Fi routers must be reserved at least three days before the start of your rental period. Pickup can be done at various counters in Narita Airport and Haneda Airport.

Fees will fluctuate depending on the rental period and season for short-term plans. Fees at the time of MATCHA’s research in January 2024 were 10,580 yen for one week (battery and insurance included).

This is an unlimited data plan. However, connection speeds may be slowed when used in a way that infringes the FUP (fair usage policy).

Sakura Mobile is a little on the expensive side. However, they have a great reputation for responding to inquiries and troubleshooting in English with some reviews stating, “they kindly told me what my best option was based on network access at my travel destination when I was on the fence between a SIM card or pocket Wi-Fi router.” It will be a reliable ally when you start to feel uneasy on your first trip to Japan.

3. Japan Wireless: Don't Worry About Data Limits!

Photo courtesy of Japan Wireless Wi-Fi

Japan Wireless is an especially popular service among pocket Wi-Fi services available to international visitors. You can make a reservation until 48 hours before the rental period and the router can be picked up in Tokyo at various counters within Narita Airport and Haneda Airport.

Japan Wireless offers unique plans that have unlimited data usage (no speed limits) with maximum bandwidth limits based on the plan.

There are two plans. One plan provides unlimited data at 120 Mbps (6,800 yen for one week), while the other provides unlimited data at 187 Mbps (7,800 yen for one week). Although slightly expensive, it’s a service that can be recommended to those that think, “it doesn’t matter if it’s a bit expensive, I want to be able to use data without worrying about data limits.”

*Since March 2024, MATCHA started offering a 20% discount on Japan Wireless pocket Wi-Fi.

4. Japan Wi-Fi Rental: Great for Two Weeks or More!

Photo by Japan Wifi Rental

“I just want to rent an inexpensive pocket Wi-Fi router.” “I want to rent the router for more than two weeks.” If that’s you, then we recommend Japan Wi-Fi Rental.

Their only plan is 430 yen per day at 612Mbps (50GB per month, Softbank network). It is expensive compared to NINJA Wi-Fi when the rental period is under two weeks after factoring in the charger (550 yen) and postage fees (1,100 yen) for receipt and return as separate charges. However, it’s a better value when rented for more than two weeks.

Rent for one month and you can use as much as 1.6GB per day due to a 50GB per month data capacity. However, 1GB per day is more than enough depending on how you use your data. If you’re someone that doesn’t need to use a lot of data, then choose this plan.

Japan Wi-Fi Rental can be picked up at post offices in Narita Airport and Haneda Airport. You can also have it delivered to hotels, ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), or a friend’s home.

Returns are done through the mail. If you lose the router, you will be invoiced 16,500 yen for the router and 19,800 yen for the contract cancellation fee.

5. Pupul: Useful Plans in Major Cities

Photo by Pupul

Pupul has so far rented devices to more than 100,000 people. They are known for two plans: Hi-Speed and Broad-Coverage. The Hi-Speed plan provides faster connection speeds in metropolitan areas like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. The Broad-Coverage plan can be used anywhere in Japan.

Both plans are 900 yen per day for unlimited data. However, keep in mind that postage fees will be 1,800 yen.

One disadvantage is that the device can only be mailed to your hotel or wherever you are staying. It cannot be picked up at the airport. Another disadvantage is that reservations must be made at least 5 - 7 business days before the start of the rental period.

Pupul is able to answer questions on their official website through AI chat. Be sure to check out the website for details if you’re interested.

What Pocket Wi-Fi is Available the Same Day?

Photo by Pixta

A majority of pocket Wi-Fi services must be reserved at least between two days to a week before your rental period. But sometimes you might accidentally forget to make the reservation.

NINJA Wi-Fi, introduced earlier in this article, will be a reassuring ally to have when that happens. Through NINJA Wi-Fi, you can pick up a router on the same day at their Shinjuku Counter as long as you make a reservation online by 15:00.

Please see below for Shinjuku Counter’s address. It is accessible in a minute on foot from the Tokyo Metro Higashi-Shinjuku Station A1 Exit.

2-4-10 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021

2-4-10 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021

What SIM Cards Are Available in Tokyo?

Photo by Pixta
A SIM card is another option you can use when traveling in Tokyo. A SIM card is more difficult to set up than a pocket Wi-Fi router, but it has the advantage of being easy to carry around with you.

Mobal provides SIM cards equally as affordable as pocket Wi-Fi routers for 4,730 yen for eight days at 3GB per day. Mobal will also send the SIM card to your home country prior to your arrival in Japan which is an amazing benefit to have.

SIM cards are also provided by various other companies besides mobal. Please check out the articles below for more details.

Best Pocket Wi-Fis for Long-Term Stays in Tokyo

Photo by Pixta
In this article, we mainly introduced services for international visitors that are traveling in Tokyo for a short time.

However, there are various pocket Wi-Fi services that are great for people who will be living in Tokyo between half a year to a year for study abroad or work. Mobal and Sakura Mobile, introduced earlier in the article, provide pocket Wi-Fi services that are convenient and a great value for mid-to-long term stays.

Installing Internet at Home

Please consider installing internet at home if you will be staying in Japan for over a year. This is so you can use more data at a cheaper price.

In the MATCHA article below, we introduce major internet service providers. GTN and Sakura Mobile both offer services that accept applications in English, so be sure to check them out.

Affordable Smartphone Services for Japanese Residents

Another option is to use affordable smartphone and SIM card services targeted to Japanese residents. The past few years have seen the birth of many affordable services thanks to the revision of laws and regulations in Japan.

A majority of these services can only be applied for in Japanese. But give it a try if you are familiar with Japanese or have a Japanese friend that can help you.

Make Your Tokyo Trip Fulfilling with Pocket Wi-Fi!

It’s your long-awaited trip to Tokyo. We all want to enjoy a unique Tokyo experience while being able to easily stay connected to the internet.

Refer to this article to choose a pocket Wi-Fi that best suits you and make your Tokyo trip fulfilling for everyone!