Destinations
Ten days in Japan: how many gigabytes you actually need
Tokyo, Kyoto and train transfers. The day-by-day sum for a trip to Japan and how to turn it into a specific plan.
Irene Salazar 7 min Photo by Omkar Jori on Unsplash Ten days in Japan is the standard trip: Tokyo, Kyoto, some Osaka or Hakone and a few long train journeys. The good thing for this sum is that the trip looks fairly similar from one person to the next, so it can be worked out with some precision.
What you do with a phone in Japan
Three things, in this order: work out how to get somewhere, translate, and take photos. Japanese transport is magnificent and fiendishly complex at once, so the train timetable app gets opened twenty times a day, even though each lookup weighs little.
Translation is the second lead. Restaurant menus, signs, laundry instructions: the translator's camera gets used in Japan far more than anyone plans for, and it works offline if you download the language beforehand.
The sum, day by day
| Activity | Per day |
|---|---|
| Maps and train timetables | 20 to 40 MB |
| Messaging home | 10 to 30 MB |
| Translation with the language downloaded | next to nothing |
| Searches and bookings | 30 to 60 MB |
| Moderate social media | 300 to 600 MB |
| Posting photos and stories | 100 to 200 MB |
Adding up: someone travelling practically stays at 100 to 200 MB a day, that is 1 to 2 GB for the whole trip. Someone who also uses social media normally lands at 500 to 900 MB a day, between 5 and 9 GB over the ten days.
Three profiles and their number
| How you travel | Ten days |
|---|---|
| Only the essentials, with hotel wi-fi | 2 to 3 GB |
| Normal use with social media | 5 to 8 GB |
| Posting daily and with video | 10 to 15 GB |
| Working along the way | 15 GB or more |
The middle profile is by far the commonest, and that is why plans in that band are the ones that fit a trip of this length best.
What actually saves data in this destination
- Download Japanese in the translator. It is what saves most in Japan specifically, because offline camera translation costs nothing.
- Download maps of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. The Tokyo metro is enormous and looking it up on the move happens a lot.
- Set photo backup to wi-fi only. You take a lot of photos in Japan and hotels have good connections: let them upload overnight.
- Save your boarding passes and train bookings on the phone before you leave.
And the days, which here matter as much as the gigabytes
A ten-day trip needs ten calendar days of coverage, counting the day you arrive and the day you fly home. Flights to Japan tend to land in the morning and leave in the afternoon, so both ends count in full.
The durations the catalogue offers are not the same in every destination, so the step you land on may be longer than ten. You can see it on the product page by moving the days.
The rest of what is worth checking before choosing a plan is in how to choose the best eSIM for Japan.
Frequently asked questions
How many gigabytes do I need for ten days in Japan?
Between 2 and 3 GB with minimal use and hotel wi-fi, between 5 and 8 with normal social media use, and 10 to 15 if you post daily with video.
Does the translator use much data in Japan?
Next to nothing if you download Japanese before travelling: camera translation then works offline. Without downloading it, every translation goes over the internet.
Is there enough free wi-fi in Japan?
There is plenty in stations, convenience stores and cafes, but many networks ask for prior registration by email or for an app to be installed, so it is not worth planning the trip around them.
How many days does the plan have to cover?
All ten calendar days, counting arrival and departure days in full. If the catalogue does not offer that exact duration, you go up to the next step.
Do I need data on the Shinkansen?
You will have it: the train keeps signal along nearly the whole route, with breaks in the long tunnels. Download whatever you want to watch during the journey beforehand.
