NTT will begin operating prepaid SIM card vending machines for foreign visitors to Japan at Narita International Airport from July 24.
The SIM vending kiosks, the first to be installed at Narita International Airport, will give foreign tourists and business passengers access to low-cost mobile data communications while in Japan.
There will be two of the kiosks, One machine each will be installed in the international arrival lobbies of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
In addition to the SIM, called Prepaid SIM for JAPAN, passengers will be able to buy smartphones, mobile routers, accessories and more.
Touch panel screens in English or Chinese guide the user through the purchase procedure. Payment is via credit card, so there is no need to prepare Japanese yen cash.
The SIM cards are priced at ¥3,450 for one week and ¥4,950 for two weeks (excluding tax). Both offer a maximum download speed of 150 megabytes per second and 50 Mbps as an upload speed. If the data amount exceeds 100 MB a day, the network speed will slow down.
Buying a smartphone and SIM card together will cost about ¥13,000.
Note: Information as of July 17, 2015. Products and prices are subject to change without notice. Prepaid SIM for JAPAN prices may vary by retail location.
Passengers will need to register their information in order to activate the service. It can be done by scanning their passport information at the vending machine or using the machine’s touch panel.
The firm has already set up vending machines, which have English and Chinese guides, at Kansai International Airport and in Tokyo’s Odaiba district.
While mobile service providers also sell prepaid SIM cards at Narita airport, this is the first time they are being sold in vending machines.
How it works
Purchase and Contract Procedure
During the purchase procedures, instructions are provided on how users many apply for the no-charge Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi service provided by NTT Broadband Platform Inc. at some 130,000 locations, including airports, train stations, commercial facilities, convenience stores and more.