Japan Airport SIM Cards 2026:
Where to Buy, Hours and Prices

Counters and vending machines at Narita, Haneda and Kansai, from each airport's own listing, and what to do if you land after they close.

✓ Read 6 Nov 2026✓ From airport listings✓ Narita, Haneda, Kansai

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You can buy a SIM card at the airport in Japan: Narita, Haneda and Kansai all list prepaid SIM sales before security, at counters that mostly open from 06:00 or 07:00 and close by 21:00 to 23:00, and Kansai Terminal 1 lists 24-hour SIM vending machines. But if your phone is unlocked and takes an eSIM, you do not need any of them: a Japan eSIM starts at $1.99 (checked 5 Nov 2026), installs at home and works when you land, whatever the time. Airport listings read on 6 Nov 2026.

Quick Answer

Phone takes an eSIM

Buy before you fly, from $1.99

Phone cannot

Pre-order a SIM, or use the counter

Late landing

Vending machine, or an eSIM

Get Simbye eSIM before you fly →Check Klook eSIM prices →

Simbye discount:Code ROEBHIOM takes 15% off every eSIM plan: 10 GB / 30 days is $11.99 at list price and $10.19 with the code. Get Simbye eSIM →

By airport

Where Can You Buy a SIM Card at Japan's Airports?

Airport	SIM vending machines	Counters	Counter hours
Narita Terminal 1	GPA SIM vending machines, 1F Central Building and 1F South Wing	J WiFi & Mobile, XCom Global, Telecomsquare, AnyFone Japan, SoftBank Global Rental, JAL ABC	Most 07:00–21:00
Narita Terminal 2	GPA SIM vending machines, 1F Main Building, and 2F before customs	J WiFi & Mobile, XCom Global, Telecomsquare, AnyFone Japan, SoftBank Global Rental, JAL ABC	Most 07:00–21:00
Narita Terminal 3	GPA SIM vending machine, 1F	J WiFi & Mobile, 1F	07:00–21:00
Haneda Terminal 3	None listed	Mobile Center, 2F arrivals and 3F departures; AnyFone Japan, 2F arrivals	2F 06:00–23:00, 3F 06:30–23:00
Kansai Terminal 1	GLOBAL WiFi and JTB SIM vending machines, 1F, listed as 24 hours	GLOBAL WiFi and Sakura Mobile, 1F; Telecom Square, 4F	06:00–23:00; Telecom Square may vary with flights

From each airport's own service listing, read on 6 Nov 2026; Narita's page carries no update date and lists no hours for its vending machines. Not every counter sells a SIM as well as renting routers and phones, so check before you queue. Kansai notes that rental services are not available beyond the security checkpoint. Its Terminal 2 lists a GLOBAL WiFi counter, 07:00–21:30, and a 24-hour unmanned WiFiBOX. Sakura Mobile also offers airport pickup at Fukuoka, New Chitose and Chubu Centrair.

Price

How Much Is an Airport SIM Compared With an eSIM?

The airports do not publish prices, so this uses the sellers that do. Sakura Mobile sells both a physical SIM and an eSIM, which makes the gap easy to see.

Option	Published price	Get it
Simbye eSIM	From $1.99; 10 GB $11.99	Online, before you fly
Sakura Mobile Travel eSIM	From ¥1,375	By email
Sakura Mobile Travel SIM	From ¥3,850	Airport pickup, or delivered to a hotel or post office
Ninja WiFi pocket WiFi	From $2.25 a day	Airport counter, on Klook

Sakura Mobile's prices include tax, read on sakuramobile.jp on 6 Nov 2026. eSIM prices checked 5 Nov 2026. To see every eSIM by price, use our cheapest eSIM ranking; for a pick by trip, our best eSIM for Japan guide.

Get Simbye eSIM →Check Klook eSIM prices →

Edge cases

What if I land after the SIM counters close?

Your options narrow to a machine. Kansai Terminal 1 lists its GLOBAL WiFi and JTB SIM vending machines as open 24 hours, and Haneda lists a 24-hour unmanned WiFi rental in front of Mobile Center in Terminal 3. Narita's counters mostly close at 21:00, and its current page gives no hours for the vending machines. An eSIM bought on your phone still works in this situation, as long as you can get onto the airport's WiFi to download it.

What If Your Phone Cannot Take an eSIM?

Then a physical SIM or a router is the right purchase, and pre-ordering beats hoping a counter is open. Sakura Mobile offers pickup at six airports. If several people need data, a pocket WiFi rental may cost less overall, and our SIM card vs eSIM guide goes through the choice.

FAQ

Common Questions

1. Can I buy a SIM card at the airport in Japan?

Yes, at Narita, Haneda and Kansai. All three airports list prepaid SIM sales in their public areas, either at staffed counters or from vending machines; Narita lists counters across Terminals 1, 2 and 3, Haneda at Mobile Center in Terminal 3, and Kansai in Terminal 1. Read on each airport's own site on 6 Nov 2026.

2. Can I buy a SIM card at Narita Airport?

Yes. Narita's listing shows GPA SIM vending machines in all three terminals and staffed counters including J WiFi & Mobile, XCom Global, Telecomsquare and AnyFone Japan, most open 07:00–21:00, all before security. Terminal 3 has the fewest options: one vending machine and J WiFi & Mobile on 1F. Narita's page carries no update date, so check it before you rely on a counter. Read on 6 Nov 2026.

3. How much is a SIM card at a Japanese airport?

It depends on the seller, and none of the airport pages print a price. As a published reference, Sakura Mobile's Travel SIM starts at ¥3,850 with tax and its Travel eSIM at ¥1,375, read on sakuramobile.jp on 6 Nov 2026. The cheapest eSIM we track is $1.99 (checked 5 Nov 2026), so a SIM bought on arrival is rarely the low-cost option.

4. What if I land after the SIM counters close?

Kansai's Terminal 1 lists SIM vending machines as open 24 hours, and Haneda lists a 24-hour unmanned WiFi rental in front of Mobile Center in Terminal 3. Narita's counters mostly close at 21:00 and its current page lists no hours for the vending machines. The way to avoid the question is an eSIM installed before you fly, which works whenever you land. Read on 6 Nov 2026.

5. Is an airport SIM or an eSIM better for Japan?

An eSIM, if your phone is unlocked and takes one: it costs less, you can install it at home, and it is working when you land. A physical SIM is the right answer when your phone cannot take an eSIM. If several people or devices need data, compare a rented router in our pocket WiFi guide.

6. Do airport SIM cards come with a Japanese phone number?

Assume not. Sakura Mobile describes its Travel SIM as data-only with no phone number, and a tourist SIM from a vending machine should be read the same way unless the pack says otherwise. If you need a number, see our guide to Japanese phone numbers for foreigners. Read on 6 Nov 2026.

Skip the airport counter

Install a Japan eSIM at home and it is working when you land, from $1.99.

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Japan Airport SIM Cards 2026:Where to Buy, Hours and Prices