Review: How Holafly eSIM works in Japan

I visited Japan recently. From the rich eSIM offerings on the Internet, I tried Holafly and Moshi Moshi from Airalo (review here). In this blog post, I review my experience with Holafly Japan. What eSIM technology is in this article.

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.

Holafly Japan review

Holafly Discount Code

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What is Holafly Japan eSIM?

Holafly Japan is a data plan specifically designed for Japan. Compared to its competitors, Holafly offers unlimited data bundles. In addition, Holafly has an international plan “Asia” that can be used throughout Asia (South Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Laos). 

Holafly

As I planned to stay only in Japan, I decided to try the ” Japan ” data plan with unlimited data.



Price  

Data plan Japan has 8 variations that have different validity periods from 5 days up to 90 days. They all have unlimited data, and no fair user policy (FUP) should be applied.

Holafly
Data plans

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. The Holafly team regularly updates the list of supported devices. The list is displayed by clicking on “Check it now”.

Holafly
AppleSamsungGoogle PixelHuaweiXiaomi
iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 ProMaxGalaxy S23, S23+, S23 UltraPixel FoldHuawei P40Xiaomi 13 Pro
iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, 13 ProMaxGalaxy S22 5G, S22+ 5G, S22 Ultra 5GPixel 7 Pro, 7a,7Huawei P40 ProXiaomi 13 Lite
iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 ProMaxGalaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5GPixel 6 Pro, 6a, 6Huawei Mate 40 ProXiaomi 13
iPhone 11, 11Pro, 11 Pro MaxGalaxy S20, S20+Pixel 5a, 5Xiaomi 12T Pro
iPhone XS, XS Max, XRGalaxy Z Flip, Z Flip3 5G, Z Flip 4Pixel 4a, 4, 4 XL
iPhone SE (2020, 2022)Galaxy Z Fold, Z Fold 2, Z Fold 3, Z Fold 4Pixel 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)
Supported phones (June 2023)

Mobile operators in Japan and connection type

Japan has four mobile operators – NTT Docomo, KDDI, Softbank and Rakuten Mobile. The Holafly Japan data plan can be used in the KDDI network only. Japan spreads across many islands, and each operator has different coverage.

KDDI coverage

Connection type

Currently, most operators offer 5G only for their customers. Holafly 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. The plan technical information shows that the service will work in the 4G/LTE network. 

Activation

The activation and validity period of the data plan starts as soon as the eSIM is connected to a supported network.



My experience with Holafly Japan

Network registration

I selected Holafly Japan eSIM in the phone settings and observed how fast it would register into the network. The eSIM had registered into the KDDI network within several seconds, and I could start browsing the Internet soon. My phone displayed the 5G icon. What a pleasant surprise!

A few minutes later, I received two text messages. One informed me that the eSIM has been activated. The second contained information on when the eSIM will be deactivated and whom to contact (email and phone number) in case of issues.

Holafly

Coverage

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. I didn’t notice that I was without the service. Even the subway in Tokyo was covered well, and I could browse the Internet or watch my friend’s Instagram photos without interruption.

Speed

I didn’t test the connection speed, as I don’t find it important while using my phone. I didn’t plan to download a large amount of data. In addition, I didn’t spot any interruptions while watching videos on Youtube and other platforms, even if I was taking the metro.

Top-ups

All options for Holafly Japan have unlimited data, and there is no possibility to buy additional data. However, when the plan’s validity expires, you can buy a new one.



Conclusion

Unlimited data plans are an excellent option for those who use social media or streaming platforms often. On top of it, if you don’t trust public wifi, Holafly eSIM is the best choice for you. Throughout my trip, I didn’t have to depend on finding public wifi or limit my Internet usage and worry that I consumed too much data. My experience with Holafly Japan was positive. There were no problems during use.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
Two options for Japan – home (Japan) and international (Asia) eSIMExpensive if the data consumption is low
Fast registration to the networkNo plans for low data consumption (e.g. 1GB plan)
5G support
Short and longer-term validity period of packages – from 5 to 90 days
Unlimited data plans

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