Before you start
The data can be very expensive to Japan. If you want to have Internet access for more than a week, you'll quickly take into account: what was like buying a 3-euro sim card in South-East Asia can become a real puzzle if we're in mode « small budget » Hey! Indeed, the latter cost a small fortune (and even more if they allow to make some local calls or messages), public wifi is everywhere in the cities but often limited and/or paid, and do not even talk about the price of roaming data...
So how to be connected at lower cost ? What's the solution to access your e-mails, networks or get your GPS out of town? After comparing everything and traveling the country for a month and a half, we say more about the best solution we have found: Pocket Wifi !
WHAT YOU FIND IN THIS ARTICLE
→ The features and overall operation of a Wifi Pocket: what is it? How does it work?
→ A price comparison + the provider we chose and why
→ Our feedback on E-Connect which we tested the Pocket Wifi for 1 month
→ A good plan to pay your Wifi Pocket cheaper
The » Pocket Wifi « What is it?
True small pocket router, this box as large as a credit card is equipped with a sim to which you just need to connect via wifi to benefit from a secure network. Basically: it's a mini « internet box » wireless, that goes in a pocket and you can take anywhere you want.
Small, lightweight, easy to use, Wi-Fi pocket is mostly very practical Because it is possible to connect several devices: phones, tablets, computers... This is a big advantage vis-à-vis sim cards, whose use is personal. Here, with a single subscription, the whole family or group of friends benefits from a single connection (within 10 connected devices, depending on the operators) Hey! It's also good news to share the costs.
Basically the Wifi Pocket is: a box > 4G connection > for several devices. Your own Wi-Fi you walk anywhere you want.
Buying and using: how does it work?
Several providers offer this service. For their reputation, reliability and prices (the cheapest we found) we chose E-connect. It is their functioning that we describe here, know that this may vary if you choose a different provider.
1/ Order and pay: in a few clicks the turn is played.
The advantage of the system? Its simplicity. All procedures are online. Once the formula is chosen, you define the date and place of withdrawal. Your Wifi Pocket will wait in the form of a small parcel at the place and when you choose. The package is recovered in any post office, airport, hotel or even AirBnb. For reasons of availability, we advise you to place your order at least one week before your arrival, even if some providers offer a delivery the same day or the next day.
We recovered our Pocket Wifi from the post office of Narita International Airport upon presentation of our passport. Duration of operation: 3 minutes.
Inside the package (or rather large envelope) you will find:
- A Wifi Pocket
- An external battery
- Type B or C cable
- 1 Protective cover
- 1 Storage cover
- 1 prepaid return envelope
- 1 Sheet A4 with all instructions (starting, return procedure...)
Note: in general all included in the price of the rental but sometimes some agencies do not provide free external battery or storage/protection covers.
The start is very simple. Once on, simply connect your phone or other nomadic device to the corresponding WiFi signal with a password. The case also allows monitoring your consumption Throughout your trip.
2/ Return procedure: packed, weighed! (or almost).
Once your trip is over, you'll have to return your Wifi Pocket. You just have to slide the case and all accessories into the prepaid and planned envelope to this end. You can drop it in any post office or mailbox (you will find it in any city and also at all airports).
Which wifi pocket provider choose? Comparative.
As said above, it is on E-Connect that our choice was made. Our criteria were quite simple: reliability and price. This claimant came out quite quickly during our research and after in-depth comparisons it appeared to us much more advantageous for several reasons:
- The lowest price on the market.
- The possibility to choose between different monthly packages that were really meeting our needsThis was not the case with many other agencies.
- The use of the SOFTBANK 4G network, which covers 99% of the territory, without daily restrictions.
- An external battery Included in our rental, where other agencies charge this accessory.
- Their reputation :
- An agency established since 2011, cited as a reference in newspapers such as the N-Y times or Forbes.
- Member of the Japan National Tourism Organization
- Its satisfaction rate over 3000 reviews.
- It's not bad already, is it?
Here's a comparative formulas/prices of different providers.
Comparison based on a 30-day rental in October 2019 with post office withdrawal.
| Plans / Prices | Network | External battery included | |
| E-connect | 25 GB -> 75th 50GB -> 96th 2GB / day -> 105th | Softbank | Yes |
| Ninja Wi-Fi | 1GB / Day -> 216th Unlimited -> 245th | Softbank | No |
| Japan wireless | Unlimited -> 132nd | Softbank | Yes |
| Sushi Wi-Fi | Unlimited -> 122nd | Softbank | Yes |
| Keikaku | Unlimited -> 175th | Softbank | No |
GOOD PLAN
-10% on your loc pocket wifi interested?
As mentioned above, we chose E-connect alone after comparing several providers for their apparent reliability and price. And it was because we were satisfied with their services that we offered them to recommend them here, as well as negotiated this promo code for you: E2PWIFI. This approach makes a small (but cool) financial advantage for you (and makes it easier for you to break the data at a reasonable price in Japan, we hope) And we were able to get a rental at a lower cost. We are not paid to write this article and recommend E-connect, so you can browse all the information you will find here without fear that they will be biased by financial interests.
To use this code and get 10% is simple, just fill in the code at the time your order is finalized. It all starts here: econnect.com
To conclude: our feedback.
We tested our Pocket Wifi for 47 days throughout the Japan from north to south, in cities and in the countryside and in places so lost that we cannot even go back. After 1 month in van and 2 weeks in city-trip mode, we can say that it was very useful to us for a lot of situations : find out where to sleep, find where to eat, locate the service stations, guide us on the road or on the road, translate the traffic signs and a whole package of other information, check the weather, make the premises laugh with our « Google Translations », knowing where, when and how to take the subway in Tokyo...
But also communicate with our loved ones, work on the computer from the van during the day or make evening movies once the sun falls.
4 points to remember
→ We had of the network almost everywhere, sometimes even during our mountain hikes, whether with our phones or our computer. The housing did not encounter any malfunction. If at some point it disconnects, just open it to remove and then hand over its sim card (it happened to us twice).
→ ServicesE-Connect : difficult to make criticisms : the team is pleasant, easily reachable by email and especially super, super reactive. They've always answered our every question.
→ We have benefited 50GB pack Two, or 25GB/month/pers. This is largely enough for use « Normal » (GPS, Internet searches, social networks...) and it was perfect for us who had to work a lot on our blog or networks. If you are alone, two, see three and your consumption is reasoned, then the 25GB pack can even do the job and you will then have an unbeatable offer in terms of price and quality: to you to assess your data needs!
→ Its autonomy, the only small low deck: the battery is very difficult to maintain a full day of intensive use, but the external battery provided for free comes up against this small inconvenience.
You can order your online Wifi Poket in just a few clicks here: www.econnectjapan.com
It's in the pocket!
Is everything clearer connection / 4G level? Did this practical article help? Let us know your questions and comments, We always answer.
Bonjour Delphine & Maxime,
Merci pour toutes les précieuses informations de votre site ! Je n’aime pas toujours être influencée par des blogs de voyages, mais entre vos conseils et vos magnifiques photos, cela me permet de me préparer au mieux pour un voyage de plusieurs mois en Asie du sud . A propos d’internet ou de réseau, comment avez vous fait pour les destinations comme le Vietnam, la Thaïlande (j’aimerais également passer par le Cambodge et le Laos). Est-ce que vous profitez toujours du wifi gratuit ou bien avez vous pris un abonnement particulier ? Au Japon cela peut sembler plus facile mais que recommandez vous pour rester connecter dans ces différents pays cités ?
Merci d’avance pour votre retour et bon voyages sur les routes japonaises, cela donne très envie !
Bonjour Martha
Merci énormément pour ton retour, tu verras qu’en Asie du Sud la connexion internet est omniprésente ! La meilleure solution sera d’acheter une carte sim locale, les prix sont dérisoires et permettent d’avoir une bonne couverture 4G (même dans certains endroits reculés).
Sache également que dans les principales villes, presque tous les cafés, restaurants, hôtels et bars possèdent leur propre Wi-Fi bien souvent gratuite.
On espère que cela t’aidera à préparer ton voyage et si tu as d’autres questions n’hésite surtout pas.
Merci