Pocket WiFi or eSIM For Japan? Here’s What’s Better For You

When I first started traveling to Japan in 2016, one of the best (and most underrated) perks of staying in an Airbnb was the free Pocket WiFi that came with the apartment.

It saved us so much time and hassle—we didn’t need to spend extra money on SIM cards, and we didn’t have to waste time researching data plans or figuring out compatibility. That meant we could focus on the real prep work, like mastering the train system, mapping out our itinerary, and figuring out where to eat first.

Back then, it was rare to find an Airbnb that didn’t include a Pocket WiFi. But these days, we stay in hotels more often, and most hotels don’t offer that same perk (which makes sense, considering they’d have to manage hundreds of devices if they did!).

Lately, we’ve been using eSIMs for our Japan trips. They’re convenient, literally weightless, and easy to install if your phone supports them.

But it got me thinking… are eSIMs always the better option? Why would anyone go out of their way to rent a Pocket WiFi if they had to pay for it, pick it up at the airport, and return it at the end of their trip?

Surprisingly, there are still good reasons to choose Pocket WiFi over eSIMs—depending on your phone, your travel group, and how tech-savvy you are.

This article breaks it all down so you can figure out which one makes the most sense for your trip.

This post may contain affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful and free content. Thanks a lot!

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Pocket WiFi vs. eSIM: What’s The Difference?

Pocket WiFi

What it is: A small, portable device that creates a private WiFi network you can connect your phone, laptop, or tablet to—just like your home WiFi. In Japan, Ninja WiFi is one of the most well-known pocket WiFi brands in the market.

How it works: You carry the pocket WiFi device around with you, and it connects to local cellular networks to give you internet access. You’ll usually rent one in advance and pick it up at the airport, your hotel, or get it shipped to you.

Do you need to install anything? Nope! Just turn it on, connect to the WiFi using the password (just like at home), and you’re good to go. BUT: you do have to keep it charged, and you have to carry it with you wherever you go.

Good for:

• Groups or families who want to share one connection
• People who don’t want to mess with phone settings or SIM cards
• Travelers who want to keep using their regular SIM for calls/texts

eSIM

What it is: A digital SIM card you can download directly to your phone. It gives you access to a local data plan in your destination—no physical SIM card needed, no need to stop by a booth/shop at the airport.

How it works: You buy a plan online (from companies like Airalo), scan a QR code or download an app, and activate the eSIM on your phone. After a few steps, you’ll be instantly connected to a local network, allowing you to access the internet.

Do you need to install anything? No physical installation, but you’ll follow a few steps in your phone’s settings to set it up. Most newer phones (iPhone XS and up, newer Androids) support eSIMs.

Good for:

• Solo travelers who want a simple setup with no extra device
• Light packers (no device to carry or charge)
• People who want internet access right when they land

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Aren’t Pocket Wi-Fi’s Outdated?

Before I had actually tried a pocket wifi for myself, I also thought they were outdated.

With the rise of easy-to-use digital eSIMs, I never really considered pocket WiFi devices.

I mean—why carry an extra device around when you could just download an eSIM to your phone and be done with it? No pickups, no drop-offs, no forgetting the charger. Right?

But then, my friends started coming to me with their not-so-smooth eSIM situations.

One friend wanted truly unlimited data to play Pokémon GO in Japan for hours a day—and most eSIM plans came with low data caps or drastically throttled speeds after 3GB.

Another two friends couldn’t even use eSIMs at all—one had a leased phone that was still under contract with T-Mobile, the other was still on a locked Verizon device. Neither of them had the option to even see the eSIM menu in their settings.

That’s when I realized: Pocket WiFi isn’t outdated—it just solves a different set of problems.

In fact, for many travelers, it may still be the better option.

Here’s a quick breakdown of why someone might choose the pocket WiFi over a digital eSIM:

• Pocket WiFi is more “set it and forget it” for people who don’t want to dig into phone settings or troubleshoot connectivity issues.
• It gives you a huge data cushion, often with unlimited (or very high) usage limits, which is a major plus if you need to do work remotely, streaming, navigating, or doom-scrolling on TikTok/IG.
• It’s group-friendly—one Pocket WiFi device can support multiple people, so you only need one device for a family or a friend group of 5. Some pocket Wi-Fi devices can even accommodate up to 10 devices.
• You don’t need to rely on phone compatibility or risk losing access to your main number while abroad (on the iPhone, eSIM/SIM cards can mess with your iMessage).

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Pocket WiFi Still Has a Place—Here’s When to Use It

Let’s dive a bit deeper into some of the more common reasons why Pocket WiFi may make sense for you:

Your phone carrier restricts you from using eSIMs

Some phone carriers (especially if you’re on an older plan or a “locked” phone) don’t allow eSIM usage until you completely pay off the phone. Some carriers may only “unlock” your phone after a certain period of time has passed.

For example, with Verizon Wireless, phones that are leased or still being paid off typically can’t use eSIMs until 1 year after the device was purchased (at the time of writing).

Carriers do this because they want you to buy international data packages directly through them—which are often wildly overpriced compared to what you can get through a third-party provider like Airalo.

With Pocket WiFi, this isn’t a problem. It doesn’t rely on your phone’s carrier or compatibility settings at all. It’s plug-and-play: simply power it on and connect as you would with your home Wi-Fi.

eSIMs don’t give you enough data

Many eSIM plans come with limited high-speed data (usually ranging from 5GB–20GB for 2 weeks). For bigger packages, the price skyrockets.

Here are some examples of what’s out there:

• Airalo’s largest data package is 20GB for 30 days.
• Nomad’s largest data package is 50GB for 30 days.

If you’re a heavy user—Google Maps every 10 minutes, uploading photos, watching videos on your social media apps, playing Pokémon GO, or using hotspot tethering—you’ll burn through that fast.

Pocket WiFi often comes with unlimited data (or much higher caps), which is better for longer trips, remote working, or families sharing the same plan.

You’re not tech-savvy (and don’t have anyone to help)

If you’re the kind of person who dreads digging into your phone settings or isn’t 100% sure what “cellular settings” even means, eSIM setup can feel intimidating.

Pocket WiFi requires zero phone configuration. It’s a physical device—you turn it on, find the WiFi name on your phone, type in the password, and you’re connected. Easy.

You’re traveling with family or a larger group

A Pocket WiFi device can usually connect anywhere from 5 to 10 devices at once, so it’s perfect if you’re traveling with your partner, kids, other family members, or friends.

Instead of buying individual eSIMs for each person (which adds up fast), you can all share one Pocket WiFi.

It’s also a great solution if someone in your group need internet access on devices that don’t support eSIMs—like an iPad, laptop, or Nintendo Switch—especially in places without reliable public WiFi!

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Pocket WiFi vs. eSIM: Which Is Cheaper?

Let’s consider a family of four heading to Japan for two weeks, for example. We’re going to compare the costs of getting an eSIM per person vs. sharing a Pocket WiFi.

eSIM: We’ll use Airalo’s 20GB package for this exercise. Most people need at least 1GB per day. At the time of writing, each 20GB pack costs $26 USD.

Pocket WiFi: We’ll use Ninja WiFi’s 4G Unlimited Plan (5GB per day). At the time of writing, it costs 1,100 yen per day for a pocket WiFi that can connect up to 5 devices. For a 2-week trip, you’d be looking at 12,320 yen (tax included) = ~85 USD.

REMEMBER: Pocket Wi-Fi devices usually let you connect up to 5 devices — all for the same price per day.

Here’s a comparison of what it costs depending on how many people you’re traveling with.

	2-week eSIM	2-week Pocket WiFi
Cost for 1 person	$26	$85
Cost for 2 people	$52	$85
Cost for 3 people	$78	$85
Cost for 4 people	$104	$85
Cost for 5 people	$130	$85

As you can see, Ninja WiFi’s Pocket WiFi doesn’t start getting cheaper than Airalo’s eSIM until your group size reaches 4 or more.

Cost-to-value ratio aside, some travelers actually value the fact that things are much more straightforward with Pocket WiFi — they don’t have to bother with installing eSIMs and dealing with the confusing technical aspects.

Yes, the pick-up and drop-off at the airport can be a hassle—but it’s a tradeoff many travelers are happy to make for ease, coverage, and peace of mind.

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Pocket WiFi vs. eSIM: Connection Quality

In terms of connection quality, both Pocket WiFi and eSIMs perform well in Japan.

Japan has excellent mobile infrastructure, so you’re unlikely to experience major slowdowns with either option under normal usage. Honestly, you won’t notice a difference in major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka.

Pocket WiFi devices typically run on Japan’s main mobile networks (like SoftBank, au, or Docomo), depending on your rental provider. These devices have strong, consistent speeds suitable for streaming, video calls, and uploading photos on the go—even with multiple users connected.

eSIMs also piggyback on the same networks, offering solid LTE/5G coverage across most of the country. If you’re using a reputable eSIM provider, you can expect performance to be nearly identical to that of a Pocket WiFi.

From my experience? Speeds were comparable whether I was tethered to a Pocket WiFi or using an eSIM—browsing, navigating with Google Maps, and uploading videos worked smoothly on both.

The only exception might be if you’re heading to very rural or mountainous areas, where Pocket WiFi rented from a major provider might offer slightly better reception than some discount eSIM providers.

With that said, Pocket WiFi is certainly not perfect.

On our most recent trip, we road tripped through Northern and Central Kyushu with just a Pocket WiFi shared between Papu and me. There were definitely spotty, mountainous areas where internet access dropped entirely.

As we made our way through Oita Prefecture—driving from Beppu to Yufuin and then over to Kurokawa—there were some stretches where the internet dropped temporarily or stayed connected but didn’t actually load anything.

Our Google Maps app still worked fine as long as the route had already been set before service dipped. Once we arrived at Aso National Park, the Pocket WiFi was super finicky and didn’t really connect at all (but for what it’s worth, neither did the public WiFi at the visitor center).

It’s hard to say how an eSIM would have fared in those exact spots, but I doubt it would have been better than the Pocket WiFi.

But like I said. In most cases, you won’t notice a major difference. If your trip is mostly within bigger cities, either option will get the job done with minimal hassle.

Bottom line: If you’re deciding between the two based on speed alone, you’re probably safe choosing whichever option is more convenient for your trip.

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So… Which One Do I Personally Use?

Honestly, it depends on the trip.

If I’m just traveling with my partner, we usually go with separate eSIMs for each of us. It’s convenient, fuss-free, and one less thing to carry around.

But if I’m traveling with my family—whom I rarely separate from on trips—a Pocket WiFi is the way to go. One device covers all of us, and we don’t have to worry about setting up multiple eSIMs or running into compatibility issues.

For group travel, it’s also way more cost-effective than buying 4–5 separate eSIMs.

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Planning Your Trip To Japan?

Head to the Japan section of the site to discover the rest of our Japan travel guides:

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