Japan and Korea eSIM
Tokyo, Kyoto, then a short flight to Seoul or Busan. One eSIM for both countries, or two? It's close on price, so here's what else to weigh.
Our pick for 30 days, normal use
Japan + Korea
3 countries, 20 GB, 30 daysOne QR code for Japan and South Korea. It switches to the next network at every border. 2 separate eSIMs would cost €23.48 together.
Get this eSIMOne eSIM or 2 separate ones?
What the route costs at today's prices. Light is about 0.25 GB a day (maps, messages, ride apps), normal about 0.6 GB (plus socials).
| Trip | Use | One eSIM | Separate eSIMs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 days | light | €9.99Japan + Korea, 5 GB, 30 days | €13.982 eSIMs |
| 14 days | normal | €13.99Japan + Korea, 10 GB, 30 days | €17.982 eSIMs |
| 30 days | light | €13.99Japan + Korea, 10 GB, 30 days | €17.982 eSIMs |
| 30 days | normal | €20.99Japan + Korea, 20 GB, 30 days | €23.482 eSIMs |
| 60 days | light | €27.98Japan + Korea, 2 × 10 GB, 30 days | €23.482 eSIMs |
| 60 days | normal | €41.98Japan + Korea, 2 × 20 GB, 30 days | €35.982 eSIMs |
Prices from our catalogue on 24 October 2026, VAT included. Longer than 30 days means a new plan for each 30 days; the total is all periods together. Separate eSIMs split the days and data evenly over the countries.
Networks on the Japan + Korea eSIM
JapanKDDI (5G), SoftBank (5G)
South KoreaLG U+ (5G), SK Telecom (5G)The short version
On price it’s close. Japan and South Korea both have cheap local plans, so two eSIMs and one Japan + Korea eSIM often end up within a euro or two of each other. The table above shows today’s prices for light and normal use.
So decide on the rest. The Japan + Korea eSIM is one QR code, switches network when you land in Seoul, and has two things the Japan-only plan lacks:
- Hotspot. On the Japan-only plan, hotspot isn’t confirmed. On Japan + Korea it is.
- Top-ups, later. The network behind the Japan-only plan doesn’t allow top-ups at all. Japan + Korea does, once top-ups are live in our shop.
The Japan + Korea eSIM also works in mainland China. Handy if your trip includes a stopover there.
The networks
Japan: KDDI (au) and SoftBank, both with 5G. NTT docomo, the third big network, isn’t on the plan. In Opensignal’s April 2026 report, au won the most awards, SoftBank won Download Speed and docomo the Coverage awards.
South Korea: SK Telecom and LG U+, both with 5G. KT, the third network, isn’t on the plan. In Opensignal’s December 2025 report, SK Telecom won Best Network and LG U+ won 5G Availability.
These are the same networks as on our Japan and South Korea eSIMs, so whichever you choose, the signal is the same.
Where you’ll use the data
Both countries run on your phone. Google Maps knows every train line in Japan. In Korea, local apps do the navigating: Naver Map and KakaoMap are far more complete there than Google Maps, so install them before you go. Add Papago for translating, and KakaoT for taxis.
How much data
Ten days in Japan and four in Korea, with normal use (maps, translating, messages and socials), comes to about 8 to 9 GB. Three weeks is closer to 13 GB. The table above shows what that costs.
When the data runs out on the 3 GB plan or bigger, you stay online at 128 kbps: enough for messages, slow for maps.
Tips for the trip
- Install the eSIM at home, on wifi. It only starts counting when you first connect in Japan or Korea.
- Flying from Japan to Korea? Your phone switches network after landing. Give it a minute, or toggle flight mode.
- Install Naver Map or KakaoMap before you fly to Korea, while you still have fast data.
Sources: Opensignal, Japan, April 2026 and South Korea, December 2025. Networks, hotspot and top-up details per plan come from our own catalogue and supplier information.
Change the route
Add every country on your route. We'll find the one eSIM that covers them all, and tell you straight when separate ones are cheaper.
Up to 90 days. Longer than 30? We count the top-ups for you: a plan runs 30 days at most.
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