Guide to T-Mobile’s Japan Roaming Plans

Are you thinking about using a T-Mobile international roaming plan during your trip to Japan?

Thankfully, some T-Mobile plans allow you to use your phone in Japan for no extra charge.

However, these plans also have some cons and are not for everyone. The connection speeds may be slow, or you may not have a lot of data to use while on your trip.

In this article, we will be explaining T-Mobile’s roaming plans for Japan in detail. This includes the connection speeds and coverage, pros and cons, and how to use the plans themselves.

After reading, you should be able to know whether or not you want to use a T-Mobile international roaming plan while in Japan.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Details of T-Mobile’s international roaming plans in Japan
2. Magenta and Magenta MAX plans in Japan
3. T-Mobile data passes in Japan
4. For those that want to enjoy web browsing, social media, and YouTube while in Japan
5. Things to make sure of
6. FAQ about T-Mobile use in Japan

Details of T-Mobile’s international roaming plans in Japan

If you are using one of the Magenta plans or Magenta MAX plans, you will be able to use T-Mobile in Japan at no extra cost.

If you are not under these plans, you will need to buy what are called “data passes” before you can use T-Mobile during your trip.

*Extra fees incurred only when making phone calls

Although you may be curious about how much data you will get and how fast the connection speeds are, we will first be going into detail about coverage.

This is the most straightforward aspect to understand because the coverage area of T-Mobile in Japan is the same whether you are on a Magenta/Magenta MAX plan or using a data pass.

 

T-Mobile’s coverage in Japan

 

In the areas that are colored dark purple ■, you can connect to 4G/LTE.

Looking at the above map, you can see that most of Japan is covered by T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network.

The Japanese partner network for T-Mobile is not publicly listed, but it is most likely one of Japan’s three biggest carriers: docomo, au, or SoftBank.

With this amount of coverage, you will be able to get connection most anywhere unless you are deep in mountainous areas or out at beaches far into the countryside.

Next, we will break down the amounts of data that you get, connection speeds, and other details of the Magenta/Magenta MAX plans and the data passes.

• Magenta and Magenta MAX plans in Japan
• T-Mobile data passes in Japan

Let’s break down each part.

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Magenta and Magenta MAX plans in Japan

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*Tethering is not available.

The following are the details of each plan.

Pricing

If you are under one of the Magenta or Magenta MAX plans, using your mobile data and sending texts will not cost you any extra money.

However, both outgoing and incoming calls will cost $0.25 per minute.

Apps like Facebook Messenger, Skype, or LINE use mobile data to call. For individuals who want to make phone calls, we suggest you use one of these third-party applications so that you can save money.

Connection speeds

The maximum speed that you can get with Magenta plans is 256Kbps, which you may feel is quite slow.

At this speed, Google MAP will most likely take a few seconds to respond and you will not be able to stream videos or load images. This means that watching YouTube or uploading pictures on social media will not be possible.

With Magenta MAX plans, there are 5GB of high-speed data prepared for you to use. However, the exact connection speeds are not listed on the T-Mobile website.

Data amount

Magenta MAX gives you 5GB of high-speed data, but whether or not this is enough depends on how much you use the internet.

For your reference, the following is about how much data you will need to complete different activities on your phone.

So, will T-Mobile Magenta or Magenta MAX plans be enough?

In summary, these are the types of internet users that will do fine in Japan with Magenta or Magenta MAX plans.

(It is safe to assume that your stay in Japan will be at least a week. If this is the case, to make your 5GB last the entire trip, you should expect to only be able to use Google MAP and send texts.)

While both Magenta and Magenta MAX plans do not have extra fees, you will not be able to have very much freedom with your internet usage.

Note that if your data runs out, you can also buy data passes to get high-speed data.

In the next section, we will explain how data passes for those without Magenta or Magenta MAX plans work.

Data passes work the same for those with Magenta/Magenta MAX plans as well, so it may be helpful to read up on regardless.

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T-Mobile data passes in Japan

For those who do not have Magenta or Magenta MAX plans, you will need to purchase data passes in order to use T-Mobile while in Japan.

There are three types of data passes.

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You may be wondering if these data passes are actually worth buying.

We will go over the points that you should think about before making a decision.

Allocated data

You’ll notice that all three plans are set to a limit of 500MB of data per day.

This will be enough to get by for those who just want to use Google MAP or send some texts.

However, if any of the following apply to you, this will most likely not be enough data.

After you have used up your 500MB of data for the day, your connection speeds will drop to a maximum of 128kbps, which will not allow you to do much of anything.

Making phone calls

Data passes will allow you to make unlimited phone calls at no extra charge. Thankfully, this means that even if you use up your data, you will be able to stay connected.

Something to note

You may want to consider the fact that the exact connection speeds of the data passes are not listed on the T-Mobile official website.

Even if you are allowed 500MB of data per day, it will be considerably stressful if the connection speeds are slow.

So, should I be looking to buy T-Mobile data passes for Japan?

Taking into account all the above points, these are the types of people to whom we can and cannot recommend T-Mobile data passes.

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For those that want to enjoy web browsing, social media, and YouTube while in Japan

• I want to use my phone in Japan without having to worry about running out of data
• I need a connection speed fast enough to let me watch YouTube videos without any issues

If either of these apply to you, we recommend that you buy a prepaid SIM card meant for traveling in Japan.

One of the popular providers for these is Sakura Mobile.

Key features

Over the years, Sakura Mobile has provided tens of thousands of travelers with prepaid SIM cards.

When comparing prices to the number of days, you will notice that Sakura Mobile is a bit more expensive. However, Sakura Mobile offers unlimited plans so you will not have to worry about running out of data.

Sakura Mobile is on the docomo network, which is the biggest network in Japan. This means you will get the fastest possible connection speeds during your trip, allowing you to watch YouTube stress-free.

If you are interested, check out the available plans here.

• Sakura Mobile official site

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Things to make sure of

Is your phone compatible with Japanese frequency bands?

Before leaving for Japan, you must ensure your phone is compatible with Japan’s frequency bands. This is something that you need to check regardless of whether you are using T-Mobile or Sakura Mobile.

The devices that will work with Sakura Mobile SIM cards can be found here.

• Sakura Mobile SIM card device compatibility

If you cannot find your device on the above page, please feel free to contact us with any questions. Our customer support team will get back to you by the next day.

Even if you have a device that is not compatible or do not have the time to figure it out before your trip, there are still ways to get connection while in Japan.

One of these is Pocket WiFi, a portable router that you can carry around with you during your trip.

Sakura Mobile also offers plans for Pocket WiFi, which can be viewed here.

• Sakura Mobile Pocket WiFi plans for travel

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FAQ about T-Mobile use in Japan

Can I use T-Mobile in Okinawa?

Connection with T-Mobile is available in Okinawa.
Below is the coverage map for the area; you can see that 4G LTE is available on most of the island.

In the areas that are colored dark purple ■, you can connect to 4G/LTE.

However, there are places such as deep in the mountains or areas near the ocean like the US military base that have been said to not have connection. If you want more information, we recommend that you check directly with T-Mobile.

Are there T-Mobile stores in Japan?

Unfortunately, there are no physical T-Mobile stores in Japan. This means that even if you have problems with your device or plan, you will not be able to receive direct support.

With time differences, it may also be difficult to get a hold of customer support when you need it.

With year-round English support, Sakura Mobile can help you through any issues that you may have with your SIM card through email, phone, or live chat.

If you are worried about dealing with potential connection issues during your trip, we recommend getting a Sakura Mobile SIM card.

• Sakura Mobile official site

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