Guide to docomo Phone Plans | Prices, Speeds, and How to Apply

Are you in need of a Japanese SIM card? Have you thought about signing up for NTT docomo’s phone plans?

NTT docomo is one of the three largest phone carriers in Japan. You’ve probably seen one of their stores while walking around the streets of Tokyo.

Many people think because the company is so prominent in Japan, they’ll be set if they sign up with docomo. That may not be the case.

By taking a look at their home page, you’ll notice that they have various plans, options, and prices. It’s tough to navigate, and many people struggle to decide what they need and what’s in their budget.

This article will thoroughly explain all of the different docomo phone and SIM card plans, and how to apply for them.

For international residents concerned with international calling, texting, and English support, please keep reading!

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Understanding all of the docomo fees
2. docomo phone plans/SIM card plans | Gigaho Premier and Gigalight
3. International calling, SMS and roaming data fees
4. “Do I have to purchase a device?”
5. Data speeds and coverage
6. English support
7. How to apply
8. The docomo screening process
9. If you’re looking for simple phone plans in Japan

1. Understanding all of the docomo fees

Before explaining docomo’s specific phone and SIM card plans, we’ll give a brief overview of how their fee structure works. Looking at the big picture will make the plans easier to understand.

When signing a contract for a docomo phone or SIM card plan there will be 2 types of fees, an initial fee, and a monthly fee. The breakdown of the initial fees and monthly fees are as follows.

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Let’s go into detail about each of the monthly payments.

Basic fee (Mobile data usage)

Voice call fee

SMS fee

To summarize:

• When you sign up for a monthly contract with docomo, there are 3 main monthly fees. The basic fee, the voice call fee, and the SMS fee.
• The basic fee (mobile data usage) is based on the plan that you choose (3,465 JPY to 7,315 JPY).
• The voice call fee and SMS fee are based on how much you use them and not your plan. You pay what you use.

Optional monthly fees

So far, we have explained the basic fee (mobile data usage), voice call fee, and SMS fee. In addition to these fees, you can pay for extra services offered by docomo.

• Add-ons
• Monthly installments

Here’s a quick explanation on each.

Add-ons

docomo has many add-ons, the most popular being the unlimited domestic calling service.

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There are many other types of services that you can purchase, like an answering machine service, among others.

If you add options like these to your plan, your monthly fee will go up.

Monthly installments

At docomo, you can get a new phone while getting a docomo SIM card.

You could buy a phone outright, or you could pay for a new device in monthly installments with your phone plan.

You can split your installments up into 12, 24, and 36 times.

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2. docomo phone plans/SIM card plans | Gigaho Premier and Gigalight

Next up are the different plans and contracts offered by docomo.

When you go to the docomo homepage, there are various phone and SIM card plans listed.

The following 4 plans are being offered today and come with a Japanese phone number.

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*These 4 plans offer calling (Japanese phone #), data, and texting (SMS)

The plans that have “5G” in the name offer high-speed 5G connections.

Also, note that the monthly costs don’t change much between 4G and 5G.

Of course, the 5G Gigaho Premier line also has more data allowance compared to the 4G plan.

That said, we recommend that you sign up for 5G Gigaho Premier or 5G Gigalight if you have a phone that supports 5G.

Below are the details of 5G Gigaho Premier and 5G Gigalight plans. The 4G lines have similar pricing so please refer to the picture below for those also.

5G Gigaho Premier

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*Including Tax

5G Gigaho Premier is meant for people who want to use their phones a lot. It features unlimited data!

The basic fee is on a tiered system. If you use under 3GB in a month, the charge will be 5,665 JPY. If you use more than 3GB, your account will be charged 7,315 JPY (Charges happen automatically depending on the amount you used).

You’ll only be charged for voice calling and SMS that you use.

5G Gigalight

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*Including Tax

5G Gigalight is aimed at people who don’t use a ton of data.

This plan allows up to 7GB of data per month. Once you go over 7GB, the speed will be reduced to a slow 128kbps.

This plan is also a tiered system, and the amount of data you use per month will determine your monthly bill.

You’ll only be charged for voice calling and SMS that you use.

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3. International calling, SMS, and roaming data fees

First, let’s go over what each of the fees is and what they mean.

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International call fees and international roaming fees depend on the country that is being contacted.

International SMS fees depend on the number of characters in a message.

Below is a rough outline of the various fees for some countries.

International call fees

International call rates vary by country, and we couldn’t list them all in this article. Here are a few.

✔ International call rates (Price at 30 seconds in JPY, time in Japan Standard Time)

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For countries not listed, please check the docomo official website (Japanese only).

• docomo international call fees

International SMS fees

International SMS fees are listed below.

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Right now, to confirm the countries and carriers that you can send SMS to, check the docomo website (Japanese only).

• docomo international SMS fees

International roaming fees

The international roaming fee is only charged to your account when you take a docomo contracted phone out of Japan and use data in another country.

For example, if you call your Japanese friend while you’re on a trip in America, or you watch YouTube in Canada without WiFi.

The amount depends on what country you’re in, what you’re doing on your phone, and even what type of phone you’re using.

Please make sure to direct your questions about the fees to docomo before traveling abroad.

Check the docomo website to see what kind of fees you’ll incur traveling abroad (Japanese only).

• docomo international roaming fees

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4. “Do I have to purchase a device?”

When you go to the docomo website, you can see devices and plans bundled together. Although it may seem like you must buy a phone in order to use docomo’s services, they have SIM card-only contracts to choose from.

Make sure that your phone is unlocked when you apply for a SIM card-only contract.

Also, if you have a phone from outside Japan, make sure that it’s compatible with the cell services in Japan. If you’re unsure, contact docomo to confirm that your phone is compatible.

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5. Data speeds and coverage

docomo is one of the largest 3 carriers in Japan and is said to be the fastest as well.

But what’s the actual data speed? docomo has measured and published the data on their website.

iOS download speed: 154 to 298Mbps

iOS upload speed: 21 to 38Mbps

Source: docomo

Because it’s a mobile connection, it might be unstable at times. But, with the lower end of download speeds around 150Mbps, you should be able to watch YouTube videos comfortably.

They cover 99% of the populated area of Japan. So unless you’re deep in the countryside, a forest, or underground, you should be fine.

For those interested, please have a look at their coverage map (Japanese only).

• docomo coverage map

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6. English support

Click here for docomo’s English website.

• docomo’s English website

You can also talk to English speaking staff over the phone.

• Phone number: 0120-005-250

docomo stores offer English support by making an appointment in advanced. Although the clerks in the store do not speak English, you can proceed with the contract and other services through telephone interpreter.

• docomo English support business hours: 9 AM to 8 PM (weekends and holidays included)

Check the docomo website to reserve an appointment (Japanese only).

• Make a docomo reservation

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7. How to apply

If you want to sign up for a plan with docomo, they have online as well as in-store applications.

• docomo online shop (Japanese only)

• Lookup nearby docomo stores on Google MAP

While the online shop is convenient, it’s all in Japanese. It might be hard to navigate for people who can’t read Japanese, so we recommend filling out the forms with a friend who can.

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8. The docomo screening process

Even after you successfully fill out the application, you may not be able to use docomo right away.

There are cases where international residents have failed the docomo screening process after applying.

Sadly, docomo doesn’t release the criteria for passing their screening process, so there isn’t anything that we can do to prepare you for it.

If you do fail the screening process, consider the phone service for international residents, Sakura Mobile.

• Sakura Mobile: https://www.sakuramobile.jp/

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9. If you’re looking for simple phone plans in Japan

If you are looking for phone plans that you can use in Japan, check out Sakura Mobile!

Special features of Sakura Mobile’s long-term SIM cards:

To learn more, click here.

• Sakura Mobile: https://www.sakuramobile.jp/

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