Boys in down jackets at an intersection in Akihabara, Tokyo. It's a cloudy day and there are few people on the sidewalks. Tall buildings with colorful signs across the street, along with an aboveground metro line.

AIRALO VS. UBIGI FOR JAPAN ESIM – Our Family’s Experience with Both

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If you’re heading to Japan with your kids and you’re tired of researching ‘the best ESIM for Japan,’ I feel you!

There’s so much to plan for with a family trip to Japan, and ESIMs are actually really important because sometimes in Japan you really just need to look something up or get help with directions. Or book your priority passed for DisneySea, or look up the hours to the bicycle rental shop on Lake Yamanakako, or message your guide for your food tour because you accidentally missed your metro stop.

I’ve used both Ubigi and Airalo in Japan, and honestly, they’ve both worked well.

For future trips, I’ll base my purchase on which ever one can give me the better deal.

But, back to our trips to Japan and our experiences with Ubigi and Airalo ESIMs.

Our Ubigi and Airalo ESIM Details

Screenshot of a mobile phone with info on ESIM and personal hotspot.
I install my ESIMs before arrival in Japan and turn them on once we land

I used UBIGI in 2024 while traveling for 11 days.  I purchased the 30 day, 10GB plan for $15.30.  I didn’t run out of data and I wasn’t even close (I don’t remember the exact number but I remember it wasn’t a worry toward the end of our trip).  I traveled with my almost-10 year old son.  We spent time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Osaka.

I used Airalo in 2026 while traveling for 11 days.  I purchased the 15 day, 20GB plan for €21.50 ($24.85).  I decided to buy a larger plan because I knew my family would be using my phone as a hotspot.  We ended up with 7.5GB remaining at the end of our trip. I traveled with my 8 and almost-12 year old son and my mother (the latter two had phones with them but mostly used WI-FI at the hotels).  We spent time in Tokyo and around Mt. Fuji.

How We Used ESIMs in Japan

Mother with sons in either arm. They're sitting on a fabric seat in a train. You can see buildings and a hill in the window behind them. They have their small suitcases in front of them.
On the train to Mt. Fuji. My mom snapped this photo. I was feeling grateful for our ESIM that helped me figure out our route after I put us on the wrong train.

You may be thinking, “why do I care?” The main reason is so you can think about how you’ll be using your data in Japan and how that may affect how many GBs of data you’ll need. For example, if you’re planning on hanging out at parks and streaming your favorite sitcoms, you’ll need more data than we had.

Here’s what I used our phone data for:

  • Google maps and navigating (Tip:  You can also download the local Google maps you need to have them for offline use).
  • Looking up restaurants and things to do around us and reading reviews
  • Calling (voice mostly) my family while in Japan
  • Calling (voice & video) my family that was back home

I used hotel wifi for:

  • Photo uploads to Google photos
  • Watching Japan tourism videos with my kids (for example, choosing priority rides for FUJI-Q or looking up foods we wanted to try the next day).  
  • Japanese culture – my boys like watching Japanese music videos and anime
  • Planning out the next day. I already had a calendar and a Google Map with our destinations/activities, but I spent time looking at transport for the day and doing a little research.

A Couple More Things…

More things I like about Airalo:  

  • It showed me my device was compatible right in the app.  I appreciate not having to do extra research or stress about being wrong about my research. 
  • I’ve used Airalo in multiple countries and customer service has always been amazing when I’ve had a problem (which has always been my fault).

Another thing I like about Ubigi:  

  • You can purchase an annual plan.  I’d do that for sure if I had a couple of trips planned to Japan for 2027 (Okinawa, yes, I hear you calling me.  And don’t worry Tokyo, we’ll always come back to you.)

There are a ton of discount codes for Ubigi and Airalo online. Here’s one from me for Airalo: CANDIC3209, which gets you $3 off of your first purchase (that’s an affiliate link, please see below for more details).

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase from the links, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Please see our Disclaimer for more information.

Looking for more on travel to Japan? Check out
9 Reasons to Visit Japan with Kids
Packing List for 10 Days in Japan with a 9-Year-Old
10 Days in Japan with a 10-Year-Old – Our Itinerary
Souvenirs from Japan – What We Brought Back
Japan Souvenirs – Regrets & Favorites (1 Year Later)
Things to Do in Tokyo with a 10-Year-Old
Where to Stay in Tokyo with Kids – Areas & Hotels
How to Get Glasses in Tokyo – In One Day
Going to a Tokyo Baseball Game with Kids
A Day at Universal Studios Japan – Our Experience
Tokyo Disneysea with Kids – Quick Tips
Staying in a Ryokan in Kyoto
Airalo vs Ubigi for Japan ESIM

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