With over 13 million passengers passing through Kansai Airport (KIX) on international flights in 2018, Osaka's premier aviation hub has established its place as the gateway to Japan's Kansai region, signaling a growing need to stay connected during your travels with a Pocket WiFi or Japanese SIM card.
If your travel plans include visiting Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, or any number of the other must-see destinations of western Japan, then it's important to consider where and how you can get and stay online before embarking on your journey.
Keep reading to find out what Kansai Airport Pocket WiFi and Travel SIM card services are available, and which companies offer plans that meet your personal data needs.
- Should You Book a Pocket WiFi or SIM Card Rental Before Arriving at Kansai Airport?
- Pocket WiFi vs. Travel SIM vs. Japan Phone Rental: Which is Right for You?
- Price Comparison for Japan Pocket WiFi at Kansai Airport
- Price Comparison for Japan SIM Cards at Kansai Airport
- How to Pick Up Your Sakura Mobile SIM Card or Pocket WiFi Rental at Kansai Airport
- Stay Connected with Kansai Airport Pocket WiFi and Travel SIM from Sakura Mobile
Should You Book a Pocket WiFi or SIM Card Rental Before Arriving at Kansai Airport?
Fortunately for international travelers arriving at Kansai International Airport, there are plenty of Pocket WiFi and SIM card rental options available for same-day pick up. The airport's official website offers a list of WiFi rental companies located within the airport terminals that can rent you a Pocket WiFi device after you land. However, if you choose to book a rental while planning your trip (at least three days ahead of your flight when booking online), you can find some great deals not available to last-minute shoppers.
Comparing Pick-Up Options at Kansai International Airport
| Service Counter | Vending Machine | Booking Online | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick-up location options | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | |
| After-hours pick up | ❌ | ✅ | ⚠️ | Some online bookings are available for after-hours pick up at service counters |
| Device and plan options | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | |
| Guaranteed availability | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | |
| Long-term stay plans (+30 days) | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ✅ | Be aware that long-term plans at service counters are usually quite expensive. Also, there are currently only two long-term plans available for purchase from vending machines |
✅ = Good, ⚠️ = Average, ❌ = Not available
Service Counter
After you pick up your checked-in bags and make your way into the airport's arrival lobby, you'll find several service counters offering Pocket WiFi and Travel SIM rentals. The primary benefit of renting a device through a service counter is convenience, but at a cost. The drawbacks are that you'll have less options to choose from while having to pay more than booking online; and during peak tourist seasons, service counters may run out of available devices, further limiting your options at the airport.
Vending Machine
For many first-time international tourists in Japan, there is a certain amazement in the variety of products you can conveniently buy from the country's countless vending machines. Kansai Airport's Travel SIM vending machines are great for travelers arriving on late flights or for those only needing to buy "emergency" data until they can rent a cheaper alternative. The cost per gigabyte tends to be much higher than at service counters or booking online, so we suggest only using this option when the other two aren't immediately available.
Booking Online
When shopping online for rental plans (both Pocket WiFi and Travel SIM), you're more likely to find that most companies require that you book at least three days in advance. Apart from this stipulation, you're likely to find that booking online offers the best prices and widest variety of plans, which means you save money and pay for only the data you need.
Pocket WiFi vs. Travel SIM vs. Japan Phone Rental: Which is Right for You?
There are three ways to stay connected once you arrive at Kansai International Airport—unfortunately, continuing to use the data service from your own country is not one of them. Each option has its own pros and cons that should be considered so that you can get the device best suited for your data needs.
Comparing Device Options
| Pocket WiFi | Travel SIM | Phone Rental | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use your own phone | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | |
| Connect with multiple devices | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Some online bookings are available for after-hours pick up at service counters |
| Receive a Japanese phone number | ❌ | ⚠️ | ✅ | |
| Good for long-term stays (+30 days) | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | |
| Coverage in rural areas | ✅ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | Be aware that long-term plans at service counters are usually quite expensive. Also, there are currently only two long-term plans available for purchase from vending machines |
✅ = Good, ⚠️ = Average, ❌ = Not available
Pocket WiFi
The convenience of Pocket WiFi is the setup: Turn on, enter the password into your smartphone, tablet or laptop, and you're done! It's great for groups traveling together and tends to have more consistent coverage in rural areas and small towns than the other two device options can provide. The primary downsides to Pocket WiFi are the battery doesn't last as long as a phone, and you need to carry the Pocket WiFi wherever you go.
Travel SIM
For solo travelers, SIM cards offer convenience and portability. Not only do you get to keep using your own smartphone, but you don't have to worry about possibly losing or breaking a rental device like a Pocket WiFi or Phone Rental. The downsides to Travel SIMs are that they are a little more complicated to set up than Pocket Wifi, and locked smartphones are not compatible with Japanese SIM cards. (If you're not sure about whether your phone is unlocked, be sure to ask your phone's service provider before leaving on your trip. Also, don't hesitate to check out our page on SIM card compatibility for more details.)
Japan Phone Rental
Rental options are available for both smartphones and flip phones, and most travelers choose a Phone Rental because they want the security of having a local phone number. (Read in detail about Phone Rental options here.) Due to country regulations, it's difficult for non-residents to obtain a local phone number, which is one of the main reasons why Phone Rental fees are high for international travelers.
If you happen to meet the residency requirements for receiving a local phone number, we suggest that you shop around for long-term options that include a local number, since continuing to use a Phone Rental over a long period will be quite expensive.
Price Comparison for Japan Pocket WiFi at Kansai Airport
Whether shopping online ahead of your trip or renting a Pocket WiFi after your flight lands, it can be hard to know which companies offer the best deals on Pocket WiFi at Kansai Airport. The table below provides a detailed price comparison for your convenience.
Comparing Pocket WiFi plans at Kansai International Airport
| Company | Data Limit | 5-Day Rental | 10-Day Rental | 15-Day Rental | 20-Day Rental | 30-Day Rental | 60-Day Rental | 90-Day Rental |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sakura Mobile | Unlimited | 6,380 JPY | 8,980 JPY | 10,980 JPY | 12,890 JPY | 16,890 JPY | 21,990 JPY | 26,990 JPY |
| JAL ABC | Unlimited | 6,565 JPY | 13,130 JPY | 19,695 JPY | 26,260 JPY | 39,390 JPY | 78,780 JPY | 118,170 JPY |
| Telecom Square | Unlimited | 7,000 JPY | 14,000 JPY | 21,000 JPY | 28,000 JPY | 42,000 JPY | 84,000 JPY | 126,000 JPY |
Note: Prices tax-excluded.
*"Unlimited" data may be subject to fair usage policy, meaning network providers can restrict download speeds if users are deemed to be using an "unfair" or excessive amount of data.
How Does Sakura Mobile's Kansai Airport Pocket WiFi Service Compare to Others?
With Sakura Mobile Pocket WiFi service at Kansai Airport, you can expect a smooth and well-connected trip to Japan with the following features:
- Full English customer support
- Easy, FREE pickup and return
- Reliable coverage from SoftBank, a major 4G service provider
- Fast, 225 Mbps maximum network speed
- Flexible data plans
- Long battery life
- Lightweight and portable
- Competitive, affordable pricing
- 5-star service with stellar customer reviews
Most importantly, Sakura Mobile's Pocket WiFi router offers a battery life of up to 20 hours, meaning you can do more during your travels without worrying about constantly having to stop and charge your device.
When comparing Kansai Airport Pocket WiFi plans, you can see that Sakura Mobile keeps you connected at the cheapest price when renting for seven days or more. This competitive pricing, paired with industry-leading bilingual customer support and flexible data plans, makes our tiered Pocket WiFi plans a great addition to your upcoming trip.
Find out how to pick up your Sakura Mobile Pocket WiFi at Kansai International Airport.
Price Comparison for Japan SIM Cards at Kansai Airport
Kansai Airport offers a variety of options for travel SIM cards: service counters, vending machines, and booking ahead online. Because each competitor plan offers different unlimited data plans, the table below compares which plan offers the best value.
| Company | Expiration | Listed Price | Fixed Data Amount | Cut Off | Online Top Up | Network | Kansai Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sakura Mobile | 8 days | 4,500 JPY | Unlimited | No | Unnecessary | NTT docomo | 21,990 JPY |
| 15 days | 6,500 JPY | ||||||
| 30 days | 9,000 JPY | ||||||
| XCom Global | 7 days | 3,800 JPY | Unlimited | No | Unnecessary | NTT docomo | 7:00–22:00 |
| 15 days | 6,800 JPY | ||||||
| 30 days | 9,800 JPY | ||||||
| Any Fone Japan | 7 days | 4,800 JPY | 1 GB | Yes | No | ? | 7:30–20:30 |
| 14 days | 6,500 JPY | 2 GB | |||||
| 30 days | 8,000 JPY | 5 GB | |||||
| 7 days | 7,500 JPY | Unlimited | No | Unnecessary | |||
| 15 days | 8,500 JPY | ||||||
| 30 days | 9,500 JPY |
Note: Prices tax-excluded
Enjoy unlimited data anytime, anywhere with Sakura Mobile! Never worry again about a slow connection or going over your data plan with our stress-free, 4G LTE. Make traveling fun and convenient, reserve your unlimited data SIM with us online with us with our 24/7 reservation system and we will prepare everything for you as soon as you arrive. Unlike many SIM card rentals in the airport, we never sell out of SIMs, and make pick-up fast and convenient at our counter, which stays open the latest in the entire airport, no matter the time you land in Japan. Say goodby to troublesome, expensive and slow data plans, say hello to a limitless Japan!
Keep reading to find out how you can pick up your Sakura Mobile Travel SIM at Kansai International Airport.
How to Pick Up Your Sakura Mobile SIM Card or Pocket WiFi Rental at Kansai Airport
If you choose to pickup your Sakura Mobile SIM card or Pocket WiFi at Kansai Airport, we have our own counter (open 6 AM - 11 PM) in the International Arrivals lobby on the 1st floor.
If you're concerned about your flight's schedule, you can just as easily have your rental device conveniently shipped to the Osaka Central Post Office (open 9:00 - 21:00) located in front of Osaka Station in Umeda, or to your final destination, like a hotel, hostel, or even a friend's home.
Stay Connected with Kansai Airport Pocket WiFi and Travel SIM from Sakura Mobile
Whichever device you choose to stay connected with—it's money well spent. Sakura Mobile offers some of the most competitive plans in the Japanese market for international travelers.
We have acknowledged that long-term residents need to make their stay in Japan stress-free, which is why we have simplified the process of getting a short and long-term Pocket WiFi or SIM card.
We offer:
- Flexible data plans or short-term and long-term visitors
- No activation fees
- Online data top-up
- Full English support before and after booking
- Access to Japan's best data SIM network, NTT docomo
- Pocket WiFi operates on SoftBank, the most popular WiFi provider
- Easy pickup and return
- Reliable Pocket WiFi and Travel SIM devices
Now that you're armed with the information you need to navigate Pocket WiFi and Travel SIM rentals at Kansai Airport, be sure to read our western Japan travel guides for ideas on what to do during your trip.
