When planning trips abroad, I always check my mobile operator’s roaming charges for the country I plan to visit. In general, these charges are incredibly high for Asia. Therefore, I always try to find a cheaper option to stay connected online without paying hundreds of euros for data.
Disclaimer: Some links in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase any service, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
All eSIM reviews are available here. I also tried other eSIM products in Japan. You can find more information in these articles:
Travel eSIMs for Japan
Read on to learn more about my experience with the Nomad Japan Travel eSIM. This article discusses eSIM technology and other companies in detail. In this article, you will find advice on choosing a suitable product for a trip abroad.
Airalo Discount Code
If you use my Airalo code SANDRA4293 you can get $3 off or 15% discount (link to the discount here) on your first eSIM.
If you already have an existing account you can get 10% discount on eSIMs US$10+ using this link.
Airalo Applications
Airalo has apps where you can buy new plans or track the usage of your existing plans. Below are the links where you can download them:
For Google Play click here.
For Apple Store click here.
What is Airalo Moshi Moshi?
Airalo Moshi Moshi is a data plan specifically for Japan. In addition, Airalo also offers a regional Asialink plan that can be used throughout Asia. Since I only planned to stay in Japan, I decided to try Moshi Moshi.
Airalo offers six data packages Moshi, which have different amounts of data and validity periods. Detailed instructions on creating an account and buying a package can be found in this article.
Price
As I wanted to test the service from Airalo, I bought the smallest data plan with 1GB of data and a validity period of 7 days. The price of the plan is $4.5. Once the discount code is applied, it can be as cheap as $1.50.
Once the data expires, buying another package (top-up) is possible. These 6 packages are available.
What phones support eSIM?
With this technology’s growing popularity, more and more phones and tablets are on the market that support it. When buying a phone, you should ask the seller if the phone supports eSIM. Airalo regularly updates the list of supported devices, so it is better to check their official support page.
Apple | Samsung | Google Pixel | Huawei | Xiaomi |
---|---|---|---|---|
iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 ProMax | Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra | Pixel Fold | Huawei P40 | Xiaomi 13 Pro |
iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, 13 ProMax | Galaxy S22 5G, S22+ 5G, S22 Ultra 5G | Pixel 7 Pro, 7a,7 | Huawei P40 Pro | Xiaomi 13 Lite |
iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 ProMax | Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G | Pixel 6 Pro, 6a, 6 | Huawei Mate 40 Pro | Xiaomi 13 |
iPhone 11, 11Pro, 11 Pro Max | Galaxy S20, S20+ | Pixel 5a, 5 | Xiaomi 12T Pro | |
iPhone XS, XS Max, XR | Galaxy Z Flip, Z Flip3 5G, Z Flip 4 | Pixel 4a, 4, 4 XL | ||
iPhone SE (2020, 2022) | Galaxy Z Fold, Z Fold 2, Z Fold 3, Z Fold 4 | Pixel 3 & 3 XL | ||
iPad Air (3rd, 4th a 5th gen) | Galaxy Note 20, 20 Ultra | |||
iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd a 3rd gen) | ||||
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th a 5th generations) | ||||
iPad (7th, 8th, 9th a 10th gen) | ||||
iPad Mini (5th a 6th gen) |
Mobile networks
Japan has four mobile operators – NTT Docomo, KDDI, Softbank and Rakuten Mobile. The Moshi Moshi data package can be used in the network of two operators, KDDI and Softbank. Japan spreads across many islands, and each operator has different coverage.
Connection type
Currently, most operators offer 5G only for their customers. Airalo is not a mobile operator and thus does not have a mobile network. They use mobile networks from operators in the country where they provide their services. Therefore, the data packages only work in the 4G/LTE network. I expect that it will change over time and soon Airalo will offer the services in 5G networks.
Activation
After downloading the Moshi Moshi data package, I tried to see if my phone would connect to the UK network. It did not work out. The result was exactly as I expected. The data plans cannot be used outside of Japan.
The activation and validity period of the data plan starts as soon as the eSIM is connected to a supported network.
My experience with Airalo Moshi Moshi
Network registration
After landing at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, I turned off flight mode. I watched how long it took the Airalo eSIM to register into the network. For comparison, I had an English SIM card, which was roaming. The Moshi Moshi eSIM registered to the KDDI network within seconds, and I could soon use the Internet. In comparison, it took several minutes for my English SIM to register to the Japanese mobile network.
This difference was caused by the Moshi Moshi eSIM being a domestic eSIM (and therefore Japanese eSIM in the Japanese network), while the English SIM was treated as a foreign SIM. Registering a foreign SIM card into the mobile network is more complicated and takes a little longer.
Coverage
One of the advantages of Moshi Moshi eSIM is that it can use the mobile networks of two Japanese operators. During my vacation in Japan, I visited several cities – Tokyo, Yokohama, Sapporo, and Otoru. Thus I could test the service in different parts of Japan.
My phone automatically chose the network of the operator that offered better service. My experience was seamless; I didn’t notice that I was without the service. Even the subway in Tokyo was covered, and I could browse the Internet or watch my friend’s Instagram photos without interruption.
Speed
My data plan was only 1GB, so I didn’t test the connection speed. I didn’t plan to download a large amount of data, so I found the speed test irrelevant. In addition, I didn’t spot any interruptions while watching videos on Youtube and other platforms.
Top-ups
Buying a new top-up is incredibly easy. After clicking on “My eSIM” and “TOP-UP” options, I saw a menu of all packages. There is no need to install the eSIM again. The data is automatically added to the existing eSIM profile. Quite simple, isn’t it?
Conclusion
I used up 1GB of data very quickly. Social networks like Instagram consumed a large proportion of my data plan. Therefore, before buying a data package, you should consider what applications you plan to use while travelling. My experience with Airalo Moshi Moshi was positive, as I had no problems.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Two options for Japan – local and regional eSIM | No Unlimited Data bundle |
Fast registration to the network | |
Support of up to two mobile operators – KDDI, Softbank | |
Short and longer-term validity period of packages – from 7 to 30 days | |
Multiple Top-up options |
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