Are you thinking of applying for SoftBank Hikari?
The website is all in Japanese, so you might be having trouble if you are trying to find details about the service or specifics about the contract.
In this article, we will be providing you with a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know before applying for SoftBank Hikari. This includes: the connection speed, pricing, availability of English support, installation fees, and customer reviews.
Even if you are not well-versed in telecommunications, we will be explaining everything easy-to-understand without any fancy lingo.
Let’s get started!
In this article, we’ll cover
- What is SoftBank Hikari?
- Plans and pricing
- Connection speeds and allocated data
- English support
- The installation process (how long it takes and what you need to do)
- Reviews
- How to apply
- If you are looking for fiber internet in Japan
Related Article
For those who want to read about the best internet services for international residents in Japan, check out the following article. We compared a variety of internet services including, but not limited to SoftBank Hikari here:
1. What is SoftBank Hikari?
SoftBank Hikari is a home internet service (fiber-optic) provided by SoftBank, one of the largest mobile carriers in Japan.
The maximum connection speed is 1Gbps, the highest quality that you can expect to get in Japan.
If your phone is under contract with SoftBank, you can get a discount on your phone bill by also using SoftBank Hikari. Because of this, SoftBank Hikari is popular among existing SoftBank customers.
Outline of SoftBank Hikari
Scroll right for more →→
| URL | https://www.softbank.jp/sbhikari/ |
| Fees | Monthly fees
Initial fees
(All prices include tax) |
| Minimum Contract Length | Renewed automatically every two years *Cancelling your contract early will result in a 10,450 JPY penalty |
| Connection Speed | 1Gbps maximum |
| Allocated Data | Unlimited |
| English Support | Both website and customer service available in Japanese only |
| Network | NTT FLET'S Hikari |
FYI: What is FLET’S Hikari?
”FLET’S Hikari” is the name of a fiber-optic network provided by NTT, the largest telecommunications company in Japan.
It has the widest coverage compared to other competitors, providing service to over 90% of Japan.
NTT has their network open to other internet service providers. This means that other companies are allowed to use the FLET’S Hikari network and offer internet to customers with their own prices and options.
In other words, SoftBank Hikari borrows the FLET’S Hikari network and supplies it to their own customers.
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2. Plans and pricing
Once again, here is a breakdown of the pricing of SoftBank Hikari.
*These prices include tax
Monthly fee
| Single-Family House Type | 5,720 JPY/month |
| Apartment Type | 4,180 JPY/month |
You cannot choose the type of internet that will be installed. If you live in an apartment, you will be looking at Apartment Type internet. Otherwise, you will be using Single-Family House Type internet.
Additional Monthly Fees (For those looking to use WiFi at home)
| Equipment Rental | 750 JPY/month |
If you want to use wireless internet in your home, you will need to rent specific equipment from SoftBank. This includes a home gateway and a wireless LAN. Together, these two items will cost you 750 JPY per month.
Initial fees
| Administrative fee | 3,300 JPY |
| Installation fee | 2,200 ~ 26,400 JPY |
The above are the initial fees which you pay one time at the beginning of the contract. At maximum, they will cost you 29,700 JPY.
Save 550 JPY per month with a cellphone from SoftBank
If you are currently using a SoftBank smartphone and enter a contract for SoftBank Hikari, your phone bill will be discounted 550 JPY per month.
On SoftBank’s website, the discount is listed as 1,100 JPY per month. However, you must apply for a different add-on in order to use it, bringing the actual discounted amount to 550 yen.
※4 Customers must apply for one of the following add-ons (starting from 550 yen):
For those not using SoftBank Hikari Family 10 Giga:
- Hikari BB Unit rental
- Wi-Fi multipack
- BB Phone, White Hikari Phone, or Hikari Phone (N) + BB Phone
For those using SoftBank Hikari Family 10 Giga:
- Hikari BB Unit rental
- Wi-Fi multipack
- White Hikari Phone
*Information translated to English from the SoftBank Hikari Ouchiwari Page
Depending on your phone plan, the discount may not be applicable. Please check with SoftBank ahead of time and confirm.
Take note of the contract length
There are two possible contract lengths for SoftBank Hikari: 2 and 5 years.
If you cancel before the contract period is up or outside the contract renewal period, you will be charged a penalty.
| Plan Name | Penalty |
| 5 Year Contract Plan | 16,500 JPY |
| 2 Year Contract Plan | 10,450 JPY |
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3. Connection speed and allocated data
The connection speed and allocated data for SoftBank Hikari are as follows:
| Connection Speed | 1Gbps maximum |
| Allocated data | Unlimited |
Aside from SoftBank Hikari, the other companies that use NTT Flet’s Hikari such as docomo Hikari and Sakura Fiber Internet have the same internet connection speeds.
1Gbps is the highest possible speed and will differ from the speeds you actually experience throughout the day. This may cause you to wonder how fast SoftBank Hikari actually is.
やばいやばい！！Softbank Airなんてインターネット速度10Mbpsもなかったのに、Softbank光にしたら250Mbpsになった😭速度早すぎる！！https://t.co/4HkHVyYaZn
— おやまくま (@jsb3_k13b36) February 8, 2021
“Woah woah! When I was using SoftBank Air, the internet speed was only 10Mbps but I switched to SoftBank Hikari and now it’s 250Mbps 😭 So fast!!”
This individual experienced an internet speed of 250Mbps after switching to SoftBank Hikari. Although this is slower than 1Gbps, it is still more than enough to watch Netflix or play online games.
There are multiple reasons why your internet might be slower than the maximum speed. With NTT FLET’S Hikari, you should expect the speed to be around 100 to 700Mbps.
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4. English support
The website for SoftBank Hikari does not have an English version. The application page is also only available in Japanese.
The online chat box and phone number only support Japanese as well.
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5. The installation process (how long it takes and what you need to do)
No matter the provider, in most cases you will need to have fiber internet physically installed into your home.
It usually takes between two weeks and a month from the time you apply until the day the installation process starts.
After applying for SoftBank Hikari, you will have to talk with an operator to schedule your installation date.
If you are not confident in your Japanese abilities, make sure to ask someone to help you translate.
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6. Reviews
We have gathered comments about SoftBank Hikari from Twitter. Below, you can see examples of both good and bad customer reviews.
Good reviews
A bargain when paired with the phone discount
上りも下りも600とか出るしソフトバンク光には感謝してる
携帯料金も安くなるし— うっちー@WPL (@GLA_dice) May 14, 2020
“Upload and download speeds are around 600 so I’m super thankful for SoftBank Hikari.
My cellphone bill gets discounted too.”
Fast connection speeds
18:00現在の回線
良好。switchのゲームの回線落ちも起きてないしこの時間帯でこれだけ安定してくれれば回線問題は解決と言ってもよさそうルーター買い換えてそろそろ1週間たつけど回線落ち無し
ソフトバンク光ユーザーでゲームの回線落ちする人はBBユニットが原因の可能性が高いですね～(-“-) pic.twitter.com/mc6FqqzSA3— ますくのゴリラ＠ましゅう (@rivermasyuu) February 12, 2020
“My internet speed as of now, 6 pm.
Looking good. I haven’t experienced any connection drops while playing games on the Switch. If the internet is stable even at this time of the day, I think I can safely say my connection problems have been fixed.
It’s been about a week since I replaced my router and I haven’t had any issues.
The BB Unit is most likely the problem for all the SoftBank Hikari users that are having problems playing games.”
Bad reviews
Cannot get a hold of customer support
ソフトバンク光さんよ
電話でしか解約できんのに電話繋がらない、それなのに7日前までに電話しろとか無理ゲーw
チャットという名のテンプレループ罠発動するし…— 夏樹は髪色だけは素敵でいたい干し芋🐏野郎☘ (@natsuki0818) May 22, 2020
“Okay, SoftBank Hikari.
I can only cancel my contract over the phone but I can’t even get through to an operator—AND you want me to call at least 7 days beforehand? Literally impossible.
The live chat repeats itself and isn’t much help, either…”
Many add-ons can cause confusion
ソフトバンク光 高いからオプションを取り除こうと思うんだけど この明細みても何がなんだかわからんぞ！
誰でも解るようにしろよ！ pic.twitter.com/7vgLZVG607— ジェダイマスター よ~しだ (@FrkMspeed) January 16, 2020
“The add-ons for SoftBank Hikari are expensive so I was thinking about getting rid of them, but even after looking at the details I don’t understand what any of this means! Make it easier to understand!”
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7. How to Apply
Next, we will be going over the necessary first steps to apply for SoftBank Hikari. We will be explaining the process for first-time users who are not currently using any type of fiber internet service.
1. First, access the SoftBank Hikari homepage.
2. Click the apply button.
3. You will be redirected to a page that will ask you questions about your current internet and cellular environment.
4. If you are switching over to SoftBank Hikari from a different provider, answer accordingly.
5. Continue answering the prompts until you reach an option to apply for SoftBank Hikari.
6. The following is the application page for SoftBank Hikari. You will be required to enter personal information such as your name, home address, and email address. You may want to use a translator or ask a friend who knows Japanese to help you.
- SoftBank Hikari: https://www.softbank.jp/sbhikari/
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8. If you are looking for fiber internet in Japan
If you are an international in Japan, you might be thinking the following:
- “The application process and contract details for home internet are complicated so I want to have English customer support to rely on just in case.”
- “I don’t want to have to deal with a 2 to 5 year long contract.”
- “But I also need fast internet.”
If this is the case, we recommend that you get Sakura Fiber Internet.
Features of Sakura Fiber Internet
- Fast Internet Connection
- No 2-Year Binding Contract
- Reliable English Support
- Simple, Stress-Free Installation
- Various Payment Method
Sakura Fiber Internet is 6,480 JPY per month which is a bit more expensive than other providers, but English support is available to customers 365 days a year and there is no requirement to enter a 2 year contract.
Additionally, Sakura Fiber Internet uses the same network as SoftBank (NTT FLET’S Hikari), which means that you will be getting the same high quality of internet.
If you are interested, please check here for more details.
- Sakura Fiber Internet: https://sakuramobile.jp/internet
For those who want to read about the best internet services for international residents in Japan, check out the following article. We compared a variety of internet services including, but not limited to SoftBank Hikari here:
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