Data Options in Japan
There are a lot of choices for getting data for your mobile phone while traveling in Japan. Some of the options are
- Pocket Wifi
- International roaming on your regular phone service in the US
- Sim cards (physical)
- Sim cards (eSim)
There's plenty of information and pro/con for each of these options on the internet. We'd like to share some of our experience with these options.
"eSim is highly recommendable. Ease to use with no fiddling around with the tiny sim cards. In my case, when I installed the provider's app, I got a $9 special discount that gave me 15 days unlimited for $30." Y.T.
"Sim cards (physical) work best for older phones. Sometimes, it worked right away after we inserted the sim card; sometimes, we had to fiddle around with the APN (Access Point Name) settings. Either way, make sure to get the 5G version if possible. My sons mistakenly bought the 4G version and complained all summer about their slow internet connection." T.H.
IC Card
IC cards are highly recommended. These are prepaid smart cards that you can use to pay for the basic train fare by simply touching the card on the card reader as you go through the ticket gate enroute to riding the train. The fare amount will be deducted automatically from your card as you touch the card on the card reader at your destination. The IC card can also be used to purchase goods at convenience stores and so much more. There is a lot of information on the internet regarding these cards (for example, Japan-Guide.gov), so I won't try to repeat what is easily available online. Here are some questions that I had when I started to use the IC card for the first time (and the answers that I found).
You cannot use the IC card to pay for a ride that begins in one regional transportation company's area and crosses over to another area.
There are about ten types of IC cards in Japan, issued by various regional transportation companies (such as JR East). All of these cards are compatible with each other and can be used nationwide where IC cards are accepted as payment. One thing to keep in mind is that you cannot use the IC card to pay for a ride that begins in one regional transportation company's area and crosses over to another area. As long as your ride stays within one area, you will be OK. For example, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Tenri are all within one area. Also, IC cards cannot be used for rides exceeding 200 kilometers (with certain exceptions). If you are curious as to where one area ends and where the next one begins, here are links to maps showing some of the major areas (sorry, only available in Japanese):
Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto/Nara) From Shimonoseki (the western tip of Honshu Island) to Hiroshima, Himeji, through the entire Osaka/Kyoto/Nara area, to Maibara in the east, but not the northern coast of Honshu, such as Shimane and Tottori.
Nagoya From Maibara in the west, through Nagoya, to Atami in the east.
Tokyo From Atami in the west, including the Hakone area, through the entire Tokyo/Yokohama/Chiba region (including Narita Airport), through Nikko and on, to north as far as Kuroiso. If you like nitty gritty detail, note that the transportation company that operates in Tokyo also covers Niigata and Sendai as well as other areas in the Tohoku area; you can use the Suica Card (and all IC card) within these areas but not between these areas (scroll to "Areas Suica Can Be Used").
There are also some very minor exceptions, one which may be useful for Tenrikyo people going to Nagoya from Tenri on Kintetsu Railroads (and back). You can use the IC card to pay for the basic fare all the way to Nagoya, as long as you stay only on a Kintetsu train. This is because the entire Kintetsu network operates as a single area for IC card purposes.
No.
If you use JR's Haruka or Nankai's Rap:t trains leaving from Kansai International Airport, you will need to purchase an additional ticket called the "special express ticket" either online or at the ticketing machine.
In Japan, there are two types of train fares/tickets: basic fare (乗車券 jyosha ken) and "special express ticket" (特急券 tokkyu ken, also known as "limited express ticket" or "reserved seating ticket"). For most train rides, you will only need to pay the basic fare, for which you can use the IC card. On the other hand, all Shinkansen rides, as well as a number of Limited Express trains (generally, the ones with reserved seating), require both the basic fare and the "special express ticket" (2 tickets for 1 ride!).
For Shinkansen, you will definitely need to purchase a "special express ticket" (either a non-reserved seat or reserved seat ticket). Also, for the basic fare, you may not be able to use the IC cards to pay for it even if you stay in one area. Rules vary depending on region; please search the internet for details. There are ways, however, to purchase your Shinkansen ticket online (both basic fare and "special express tickets"), paying with credit card, and linking your reservation to your IC card. Your IC card will serve as your ticket. Here is the link for online purchase for trains between Tokyo through Kyoto and Osaka all the way to Kyushu: SmartEX.
For other Limited Express trains, for the basic fare portion, you can (1) use the IC card to pay for it as you go through the ticket gate as long as you stay in one area, or (2) purchase your basic fare at the ticket office or ticketing machine if you will cross over into another area. As for the "special express ticket" however, IF THEY ARE REQUIRED, you will need to purchase it in advance either online or at a ticket office.
How to tell if you need a "special express ticket"?
Good question! JR's Haruka and Nankai's Rap:t, both leaving from Kansai International Airport, require the "special express ticket" in addition to the basic fare. Hankyu Railroad and Hanshin Railroad have Limited Expresss trains that do not require a "special express ticket."
Train apps, like Japan Transit Planner, will indicate which part of the total fare is for the "special express ticket." A note of caution: if you search with Google Maps, it will only give you the total fare, leaving you unaware that a particular ride requires a "special express ticket."
If you like complicated charts, here is a link with a chart that covers most trains in Japan ("special express ticket" is referred to as "surcharge" in this chart).
There is a solidly entrenched idea in Japan that "elementary school students pay half price." Kids not yet in elementary school are free while kids who are in middle school pay adult fare.
Based on this idea, train companies came up with an "age bracket rule" that states that children 6 to 11 years old pay half price. Infant (birth to 1 year old) and small children (2 to 5 years old) ride free, as long as they don't take up seating in a limited express train. Twelve and up pay adult fare.
But, what about kids who are 6 but not yet in elementary school or 12 years olds still in elementary school? This is where it gets interesting.
JR Central Japan, which operates the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka, and JR West Japan insist that the elementary school in question be one in Japan. So, for foreigners, the age bracket rule applies without exception. Other railroad companies, such as Nankai, Kintetsu Railroad, and Tokyo Metro, only mention elementary school in general. So, any 6 year old who has not started elementary school can ride for free; similarly, any 12 year old who is still in elementary school pays half price. Please check the specific train company's website to confirm. YMMV. If you want to follow the spirit of what Nankai, Kintetsu Railroad, and Tokyo Metro allows, follow this guideline: for six-year olds, they are free until March 31 after they turn six. Likewise, for twelve-year olds, they pay half price until March 31 after they turn twelve.
There are also other minor rules, such as small children riding alone will require a half-price ticket (something to keep in mind if you are planning to send your five-year old to travel in Japan alone). Or, two free riders per one paying rider (that is, a family of one adult and three small children under the age of 6 will have to pay for one adult's and one children's fares).
Also, there are IC cards for children 6 to 11 years old. They pay half price but you will need to purchase these at select ticket offices and present an ID to prove age.
Hurricanes and Localized Downpours
When traveling in Japan during early summer through autumn, it’s always a good idea to keep one eye on the weather forecast. Hurricanes do happen. Already in 2026, two hurricanes have swept through central Japan, causing flight cancellations from Narita Airport and elsewhere.
Weather sites, such as the one below by Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), will plot the hurricane’s course.
If there is talk about an incoming hurricane, it would be a good idea to see how it may affect your travel plans. Check your flights regularly. Trains will be delayed or even cancelled as well.
“My son’s return flight from Narita to United States in early June 2026 was cancelled due to a hurricane. He received notice of it two days in advance and was able to reserve a seat on a plane leaving a day earlier, although not a direct flight.”
Another phenomenon is 集中豪雨 (shuchu go-u) or what JMA translates as “localized torrential rain.” This one is rather hard to predict, although the map at the following link provides locations of these “localized torrential rain.”
“A lot of Japanese people will tell you that these ‘localized torrential rain’ seems to be happening more often. Last summer, we were caught in a massive downpour at our followers dormitory near Jiba. After it subsided in fifteen minutes, my sister, who had gone shopping at a local shopping mall, came back and wondered why the ground was so wet. She was probably only fifteen minutes away.”
These may not affect your travel plans significantly, but it is always a good idea to be prepared for such rain.