Here are five MVNO(Mobile Virtual Network Operator) companies that are popular among Japanese.
MVNO has a cheap price plan, and the biggest advantage for short-term residents is that the contract period is looser than the three major carriers.
On the other hand, it is necessary to keep in mind that there are disadvantages such as slow internet connection and small communication area.
Let’s look at the five MVNO companies at once.
Y! Mobile
Y! Mobile is a brand operated by SoftBank.
To be precise, Y! Mobile is not a MVNO, but it is a popular carrier because it has a cheaper rate plan than the three major companies and the communication speed is as fast as Softbank.
Required documents
・ Card foreign passport or special permanent resident certificate
・ Name seal (permitted with name seal, not with self-inking stamp)
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer: Bankbook + seal used for bank transactions or cash card + seal used for bank transactions
UQ Mobile
UQ Mobile is the fastest of the cheapest SIMs
However, if you want to pay in installments, you need to be aware that installments may not be possible if your period of stay does not meet the UQ Mobile standards.
Required documents
・ Resident Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate
* In the case of lump-sum payment by account transfer, the remaining period during the stay is required at least 8 months. In the case of installment payment, if the period of stay is less than the standard of UQ Mobile, it may not be possible to purchase in installments.
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer: The original cash card
LINE Mobile
LINE Mobile has popular LINE MOBILE plan that does not consume data communication charges even if you use major SNS such as LINE, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Also, it does not support direct debit, but it is convenient that you can pay with LINE Pay or LINE Pay card besides credit card.
Required documents
・ Special permanent resident certificate or residence card + supporting documents (utility receipt)
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ LINE Pay payment … LINE Pay account
・ LINE Pay card payment … LINE Pay card
mineo
mineo is a nice feature for those who are considering a mobile contract for a short stay because there is no cancellation fee when canceling.
Payment can only be made by credit card.
Required documents
・ Resident Card or Alien Registration Certificate
・ Auxiliary documents (utility receipt or certificate of residence)
・credit card
Rakuten Mobile
Rakuten Mobile has the advantage that you can pay monthly from Rakuten points that you have accumulated.
People who frequently use Rakuten services such as Rakuten Ichiba are easy to collect points and are brands with great merit.
Required documents
・ Special permanent resident certificate or residence card
・ Auxiliary documents (utility receipt , certificate of residence or notification evacuation site certificate)
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Debit card payment… Debit card (Only Rakuten Bank Debit Card or Suruga Bank Debit Card can be registered)
・ Bank transfer… Cash card or passbook