Sim Local eSIM Review: Is It the Best eSIM for Japan?

The viewing garden at the Adachi Museum of Art is the highest rated in Japan.

Since I work remotely, staying connected while I travel is critical. Roughly 3.5 years ago, I started writing about the pros and cons of eSIM cards and testing eSIMs across the globe.

I spent the last month exploring all four of Japan’s main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. eSIM technology has come a long way in Japan since my first trip in 2013, when my only option to stay connected was to drag around a pocket WiFi device. For this adventure, I tested out SIM Local eSIM, a Dublin/London-based provider that partners exclusively with AU, one of Japan’s most trusted networks.

My eSIM was a huge help for navigation for hiking and driving, translating menus and hot-spotting to my computer. But is Sim Local eSIM the best eSIM for Japan? Keep reading for my experience and extensive speed tests from Yakushima to Hokkaido.

Affiliate Disclosure: Please note this is a sponsored post with affiliate links. All opinions are my own. If you make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Sim Local eSIM: How to Install an eSIM in Your iPhone

The Sim Local eSIM app has a tool that helps you select the perfect plan (left) and easy on-screen directions for installation (right).

Download the Sim Local app, go to My eSIM to choose your plan, use code TravelAnna to save 5% on any purchase, then tap Install and download your plan. I always install my eSIMs before I leave for a trip, even though plans will not activate until I arrive at the destination. Upon arrival, turn on the eSIM for mobile data and enable data roaming. For installation help, check out Sim Local’s activation guide or watch the in-app video instructions.

The installation process was very simple. I got a message saying it couldn’t auto-detect if my phone was eSIM compatible, so I tapped yes to confirm it was. I appreciated the transparency before buying about the network coverage: the app said service is excellent in large cities (Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, Tokyo) but might be limited in rural areas, which is what I experienced and experienced.

Japan Trip Details

Places Visited: Osaka, Kyoto, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Yakushima, Kagoshima, Sapporo, Tokyo, Nikko, Okayama, Takamatsu, Uwajima, Mitari, Uchiko, Sapporo, Shiretoko National Park, Daisetsuzan National Park, Shikotsu-Tōya National Park

Plan Tested: 30-day Unlimited AU plan for Japan ($77.50 USD) & 4-day Unlimited AU Plan for Japan ($13 USD)

Network: AU by KDDI

Usage: Google Maps for navigation (driving/walking), GPS maps for hiking, WhatsApp for texts, calls and audio messages, uploading video/photos to social media, Google Translate for menus/signage and using a hotspot to connect to a computer.

Sim Local eSIM Japan Speed Tests

In larger cities, I ran speed tests on the Ookla app and have organized them by island:

Honshū

Tokyo Shinjuku (5G+): 313 Mbps download, 60 Mbps upload
Narita Airport (5G+): 572 Mbps download, 68.8 Mbps upload
Kyoto (4G): 363 Mbps download, 32.5 Mbps upload
Kurashiki (5G): 248 Mbps download, 20.4 Mbps upload
Hiroshima (5G+): 544 Mbps download, 41.7 Mbps upload
Adachi Museum of Art, near Matsue/Sakaiminato (5G): 190 Mbps download, 31.1 Mbps upload

Shikoku

Takamatsu (4G): 98.8 Mbps download, 25.7 Mbps upload
Ritsurin Garden (5G): 111 Mbps download & 57.1 Mbps upload

Kyūshū

Mojiko (4G/5G switching): 141 Mbps download, 24.6 Mbps upload
Yakushima (4G): 65.7 Mbps download, 28.4 Mbps upload
Kagoshima (5G+): 223 Mbps download & 18.9 Mbps upload

Hokkaidō

Sapporo (5G): 160 Mbps download, 31.6 Mbps upload
Ashashidaki Ropeway (5G+): 268 Mbps download, 21.8 Mbps upload at the bottom but a couple of bars of service at the top.
Utoro, near Shiretoko National Park (4G): 62.6 Mbps download, 9.84 Mbps upload
Shiretoko Goko Lakes Visitor Center: 36.2 Mbps download, 7.01 Mbps upload

Sim Local eSim in Japan

With the AU network, I still had service while hiking in Yakusugi Land, on Yakushima, an ancient cedar forest and UNESCO site.

My Sim Local eSIM activated instantly when I landed in Osaka. Throughout the trip, it switched between 4G and 5G service in major cities with no issues. I even had 5G+ in several areas, which I didn’t even know existed! I was able to upload Instagram stories and videos on bus rides between attractions despite service fluctuations.

I went to Yakushima, a remote mountainous island famous for a UNESCO site with ancient cedar forests. I had good service at the coast and while hiking in Yakusugi Land but none on the rural bus ride in between. Interestingly, I had service in parts of the gigantic Akiyoshido Cave in Yamaguchi but spotty on the bus ride there.

We drove all over Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, in a rental car and had reliable service in towns but spotty in between, which is to be expected in a mountainous region full of tunnels. (This was also clear before purchasing the plan.)

My friend was using the SoftBank network, which he gets for free through his job, but my AU eSIM had stronger service in Hokkaido than SoftBank. We downloaded offline maps for driving and hiking in advance to be safe.

In Nikko, a popular day trip from Tokyo, we had good service in town but spotty in the UNESCO temples at the outskirt on all networks. We did get a nationwide earthquake alert (false alert!) that was pushed to all mobile phones while we were there despite the spotty service.

It was easy to hotspot to my computer at the airport to work. I love that there was no daily limit for high-speed data with the AU (KDDI) network. The only glitch I had was that my eSIM showed it was active when it had expired, which I talk about in the customer service section below.

Sim Local eSIM FAQ

The Sim Local eSIM app shows all plan details in the description, including hotspot and fair-usage limits, before purchasing.

What types of plans does Sim Local offer?

Sim Local eSIM offers local plans for single-country trips or regional ones for multi-country adventures. Choose between fixed and unlimited data ranging from three days to a month. I appreciate Sim Local’s transparency with hotspot and fair-usage data allowances listed under the plan details before purchasing.

Sim Local eSIM Customers Service

Sim Local provides 24/7 customer support via phone, live chat, email and WhatsApp. I found the WhatsApp customer service to be fast and helpful. My eSIM stopped working because it had expired. I thought this might be the case but was confused because the app said it was active. The agent confirmed the app displays all bundles as active, a glitch the team is working to fix. I bought a new eSIM, and it worked perfectly.

Does Sim Local eSim offer unlimited data?

Yes, Sim Local offers unlimited data plans with the following fair-use speeds:

Unlimited: 5GB of high-speed data per day
Unlimited Plus: 10GB of high-speed data per day

If you exceed the allowance, speeds will be reduced (up to 1Mbps) and reset in 24 hours.

Japan plans do not have a daily usage limit. Speeds may be reduced after consistent heavy usage over three days.

Pros & Cons of Sim Local eSIM in Japan

Pros:

Competitive pricing (Plans start at $1/GB!)
Generous Fair-Use Data policy for unlimited plans (This is huge for me!)
24/7 Customer Support with a real human
No Quibble Refunds: If your plans change, refunds are easy.
Physical stores in major European airports
Hotspot Capability (Limited to 3 GB/plan)
Emergency Data Extension (1 GB/day for unlimited plans)

Cons:

A new eSIM must be installed with every plan.
Plan expiration dates don’t show up in the app, which is confusing.

As a heavy-data user, I loved that the Japan plans are truly unlimited with no set daily fair-usage limit. I do wish the hotspot limit was bigger than 3 GB for 30-day plans. (If you need more hotspot data, simply buy two 15-day plans to get 3GB per plan for hotspot for roughly the same cost.)

Overall, I had a mostly seamless experience with Sim Local eSIM in Japan and feel confident recommending them as one of the best eSIM networks in Japan for coverage and speed for both short and long trips. Keep in mind that remote locations will have sparse coverage.

Want to try Sim Local ? Use codeTravelAnna to save 5% off any purchase.

Is Sim Local eSIM the best eSIM for Japan?

In this Article

Sim Local eSIM: How to Install an eSIM in Your iPhone

Japan Trip Details