Japan Pocket WiFi Guide: Unlimited vs. Pay-as-You-Go Plans

With so many options on the market for Japan Pocket WiFi, trying to understand which WiFi device and data plan is right for your next trip can be a real headache. Should you go with:

• WiFi router or a SIM card?
• Unlimited or Pay-as-You-Go?

The more you compare competitors, the more you can get confused but look no further! Keep reading to find out what you need to know about Japan Pocket WiFi before you book.

What we cover:

	Should I rent a Japan Pocket WiFi
	Unlimited vs. Pay-as-You Go
	Japan Pocket WiFi with Sakura Mobile

Staying Connected with Japan Pocket WiFi

Staying connected in Japan is very easy and affordable, and is probably the best investment you can make to ensure that your trip has minimal stress. Having reliable WiFi at your fingertips lets you focus on what you want to see and do in Japan rather than using your precious time to find out how to make what you want to see and do possible maps, translation apps, eBooking, social media, and websites are all endlessly easier with reliable pocket WiFi at your fingertips.

Is Japan Pocket WiFi Right for Me?

A Japan Pocket WiFi Router is a guaranteed one-size-fits-all solution for your WiFi needs; and the pros greatly outweigh the cons.

	Pros		Cons
	No APN setup		Requires recharging
	Easy connection		A little bulky to carry around
	Reliable in the city or countryside
	Connect up to 12 devices
	Easy to carry
	Secure connection

What makes the Pocket WiFi Router a great choice is that as soon as you open the package and turn it on, you can connect any WiFi enabled device like:

• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Laptops
• eReaders (Kindle, Nook, etc.)
• Handheld gaming consoles

If your motto is “simpler is better,” you can’t get any simpler than a Pocket WiFi Router!

Unlimited vs. Pay-as-You-Go Pocket WiFi Plans

Every traveler has different WiFi needs in Japan. At a minimum you want to have access to necessities like Google Maps, translation apps, and e-mail reservations. Additionally, you may want to be able to stream videos and music, Skype, upload images to share with friends and family, and more. To know which data plan is right for you, ask yourself these two questions.

	Am I okay with slow WiFi if I go over my daily limit?
	How connected am I to WiFi?

1. Am I okay with slow WiFi if I go over my daily limit?

Both Unlimited and Pay-as-You-Go offer the same basic solution, but there are some important differences to consider when picking the best plan for your needs.

Unlimited WiFi Plans

The main benefits of Unlimited WiFi over Pay-as-You-Go WiFi is that:

• You’re always guaranteed data even when you go over your daily data limit. “Throttling,” or slowly down your upload and download speed after reaching your daily limit, is usually included in Unlimited Plan fine print; but as long as you are aware of this, you can budget your daily data usage (with a data usage app) to make sure throttling is kept to a minimum. Sakura Mobile also conveniently offers an online account record to help you track your data usage.
• Your daily data limit resets which means you don’t need to wait too long to have access to the Internet again, and you don’t need to buy additional data because you accidentally used it all up. If you think that the daily data limit is too low, some providers like Sakura Mobile offer tiered plans that let you choose how much data you need each day before throttling kicks in.

Pay-as-You-Go WiFi Plans

The main benefits of Pay-as-You-Go WiFi over Unlimited WiFi is that:

• You’re given the flexibility to use the data as you need it. If you know that you will need to reserve a large amount of data for only one or two days on your trip, then having no daily data restrictions may be an important deciding factor.
• Your data speed will never slow down, but it will stop once you’ve reach your plan limit. At this point, you will need to “top up” your data by buying more.

2. How connected am I to WiFi?

Both types of plans have pros and cons as shown above, and both can also offer most travelers with enough data to meet their needs while in Japan. By understanding how connected you are to the Internet, you can have a better idea of how much data you should buy once you’re ready to book an Unlimited or Pay-as-You-Go plan.

Light Data Users

If you plan to access WiFi sparingly, we suggest going with a basic Unlimited WiFi Plan or a low-data Pay-as-You-Go WiFi Plan. For the Unlimited Plan, throttling probably won’t kick in at any time since you will mostly be using your WiFi for simple searches that don’t drain your data. These “light user” plans are good if you regularly:

	Check train routes
	Search for restaurants
	Translate English to Japanese
	Check your e-mail

Heavy Data Users

If it’s important for you to have access throughout the day and evening, we suggest going with an Unlimited WiFi Plan that has a high daily data cap or a Pay-as-You-Go WiFi Plan that offers a minimum of 3 GB data a day. (You can figure this out by taking the total amount of the Pay-as-You-Go Plan data and dividing it by the number of days you will be in Japan.) These “heavy user” plans are good if you regularly:

	Post on Facebook and Instagram
	Upload pictures
	Stream music
	Watch YouTube
	Perform business-related tasks

Sakura Mobile Unlimited Pocket WiFi Plans

At Sakura Mobile, we understand that each traveler in Japan uses WiFi differently, so we’ve designed our Pocket WiFi rentals to meet your unique data needs. Shop our tiered Unlimited Pocket WiFi Plans that offer guaranteed service even after you hit your daily limit!