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SIM & eSIM

The difference between a physical SIM and an eSIM, and the steps to get connected.

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Última verificação: 2026-08-29 (JST)As formas de contratação e as opções de suporte podem mudar. Verifique sempre as informações oficiais mais recentes antes de contratar.

Physical SIM vs eSIM

Physical SIM

  • A small card is shipped or handed to you
  • You insert it into the phone's SIM tray
  • Easy to move to another phone

eSIM

  • Nothing is shipped — activated digitally
  • Scan a code or use the carrier's app
  • Moving to a new phone is its own procedure

Getting connected

Contract signed
SIM issued or eSIM ready
Insert SIM / download eSIM
Activation (kaitsū)
Network connects
Test a call and mobile data
Until activation completes, the new SIM has no service. Keep a Wi-Fi connection available.
Network

APN settings by carrier

You only need these if you are setting up a SIM-free phone, or a phone bought for a different carrier. A carrier-sold phone normally configures itself.

Use the row for your exact plan and SIM

The values below were checked against the linked official pages. APNs can differ by contract generation, SIM type and device. A wrong APN can prevent service and, in some cases, cause charges outside a flat-rate allowance. Never install a configuration profile from an unofficial site.

Plan / brandAPNUsername / passwordNetwork fieldsiPhone / iPadSource
NTT DOCOMO (spmode)
DOCOMO / ahamo compatible 5G and LTE plans		spmode.ne.jpUsername: Not required
Password: Not required		Authentication: Nenhum
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: Use the values supplied by the SIM
APN type: Leave the default value		Normally automatic. Update iOS and carrier settings; a manual APN field is usually not shown.

Do not enter a username or password. DOCOMO's official Android procedure specifies spmode.ne.jp and IPv4/IPv6.

Official guide
au (4G LTE contract)
au 4G LTE contracts		uno.au-net.ne.jpUsername: 685840734641020@uno.au-net.ne.jp
Password: KpyrR6BP		Authentication: CHAP
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: Use the values supplied by the SIM
APN type: default,mms,supl,hipri,dun		Normally automatic on supported iPhone models. Remove an old MVNO profile only if au's procedure instructs you to.

This row is for a 4G LTE contract. Do not substitute the 5G APN. The handset must support au VoLTE.

Official guide
au (5G contract)
au 5G contracts		uad5gn.au-net.ne.jpUsername: au@uad5gn.au-net.ne.jp
Password: au		Authentication: CHAP
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: Use the values supplied by the SIM
APN type: default,mms,supl,hipri,dun		Normally automatic on supported iPhone models. Complete the line switch before testing.

This row is for a 5G contract. A matching APN does not by itself make an overseas handset compatible with au 5G or VoLTE.

Official guide
povo2.0
povo2.0		povo.jpUsername: Not required
Password: Not required		Authentication: Nenhum
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: Use the values supplied by the SIM
APN type: default,supl (add dun only when the official device note requires it)		Normally automatic. On iPad or an older configuration, the official profile may be required.

Leave username and password blank. Complete SIM/eSIM activation in the povo app first. Some models have a device-specific tethering setting.

Official guide
SoftBank
SoftBank 4G/5G and Simple Style 4G smartphone SIM		plus.4gUsername: plus
Password: 4g		Authentication: CHAP
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: Use the values supplied by the SIM
APN type: default,ia,mms,supl,hipri
MMS: MMSC http://mms-s / proxy andmms.plusacs.ne.jp / port 8080		A supported SoftBank iPhone normally configures automatically. SIM type and iPhone/iPad compatibility must match.

Use this only for the compatible smartphone USIM stated by SoftBank. A wrong Access Internet Plus setting can cause charges outside the flat-rate allowance.

Official guide
LINEMO
LINEMO		plus.acs.jp.v6Username: lm
Password: lm		Authentication: CHAP
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: 440 / 20
APN type: default,ia,mms,supl,hipri		iOS 15 or later normally configures automatically. Earlier/specified cases use LINEMO's official profile.

Enter lm in lower case. Save the APN, select it, then restart or toggle airplane mode.

Official guide
Rakuten Mobile
Rakuten Mobile		rakuten.jpUsername: Not required
Password: Not required		Authentication: Nenhum
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: 440 / 11
APN type: default,supl (add dun if tethering is unavailable)		A supported, up-to-date iPhone normally configures automatically after activation. Delete an old profile if the official procedure requires it.

Leave username and password blank. Set both APN protocol and roaming protocol to IPv4/IPv6. Confirm the exact model on Rakuten's compatible-products list.

Official guide
UQ mobile
UQ mobile		uqmobile.jpUsername: uq@uqmobile.jp
Password: uq		Authentication: CHAP
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: Use the values supplied by the SIM
APN type: default,mms,supl,hipri,dun		Supported iPhone models usually configure automatically; specified older cases use UQ mobile's official profile.

The handset must be compatible with au VoLTE. Enter the username and password exactly in lower case.

Official guide
Y!mobile
Y!mobile		plus.acs.jp.v6Username: ym
Password: ym		Authentication: CHAP
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: 440 / 20
APN type: default,ia,mms,supl,hipri
MMS: MMSC http://mms-s / proxy andmms.plusacs.ne.jp / port 8080		A supported Y!mobile iPhone normally configures automatically. Use the official profile only when the guide for your iOS version requires it.

Enter ym in lower case. Do not reuse an older Y!mobile or SoftBank APN without checking the current guide.

Official guide
IIJmio (example MVNO)
IIJmio Type D and Type A SIMs		iijmio.jpUsername: mio@iij
Password: iij		Authentication: PAP or CHAP
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: Use the values supplied by the SIM
APN type: default,supl		Install the current official IIJmio configuration profile when the selected SIM/service requires it.

This is an MVNO example. Every low-cost SIM provider has different credentials; use the provider and service type printed for your contract.

Official guide
mineo (example MVNO)
mineo D / A / S plans		mineo-d.jp (D) / mineo.jp (A) / mineo-s.jp (S)Username: mineo@k-opti.com
Password: mineo		Authentication: CHAP
Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
MCC / MNC: Use the values supplied by the SIM
APN type: default,supl		Install the official profile for the correct D, A or S plan. A profile for another plan will not connect.

The APN changes with the network plan: D is DOCOMO, A is au and S is SoftBank. Check the plan letter before setup.

Official guide
Última verificação: 2026-08-29 (JST)As formas de contratação e as opções de suporte podem mudar. Verifique sempre as informações oficiais mais recentes antes de contratar.

iPhone / iPad

  1. Finish line activation and update iOS and carrier settings while connected to Wi-Fi.
  2. Open Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Service), select the new line and choose it for cellular data and the default voice line.
  3. Major carriers and many current iPhone models configure automatically. If the official guide requires a profile, open only the carrier's official page in Safari and install its current profile.
  4. When changing from an MVNO, Settings > General > VPN & Device Management may contain the old profile. Remove it only when instructed, and only while Wi-Fi is available.
  5. Turn Wi-Fi off and test data, calls, SMS and Personal Hotspot. If any item fails, check the carrier's supported-device list as well as the APN.

Android

  1. Finish the carrier's line switch, SIM/eSIM activation and software update. Keep Wi-Fi available.
  2. Open Settings > Network & internet (or Connections) > SIMs / Mobile network, select the correct SIM, then open Access Point Names.
  3. Tap + or New APN. Enter only the fields shown in the table, preserving lower/upper case, punctuation and hyphens.
  4. Open the menu, save the APN, and select its radio button. Toggle airplane mode or restart the phone.
  5. Turn Wi-Fi off and test mobile data, a voice call, SMS and tethering. If the APN will not save, reset APNs and do not overwrite MCC/MNC unless the official guide instructs you to.
Dual-SIM checkBefore editing an APN, confirm which SIM is selected for mobile data. An APN saved under the other SIM will not be used. For eSIM, do not delete the eSIM profile just to reset an APN.

Common questions

What is the difference between a physical SIM and an eSIM?

A physical SIM is a card you insert; an eSIM is a profile downloaded onto a compatible phone, usually activated faster with no shipping wait. Both still need the carrier's activation step to complete before there is service, and eSIM support depends on the exact phone model.

Do I need to set an APN?

Only if you are setting up a SIM-free phone, or a phone bought for a different carrier. A carrier-sold phone normally configures itself. Use the row for your exact plan and SIM, keep every character exact, and never install a configuration profile from an unofficial site.

Why does my new SIM have no signal?

Until the carrier's activation (line switch) completes, the new SIM has no service. Keep a Wi-Fi connection available, finish any software and carrier-settings update, then turn Wi-Fi off and test mobile data, a voice call, SMS and tethering.

Will my overseas phone work on a Japanese SIM?

Not always. The phone must be unlocked and accept the carrier's SIM or eSIM, and working data does not prove that calls, SMS or emergency calls work. Check the carrier's tested-device list and VoLTE support, and confirm the exact regional model number — the Japanese, US, European and Asian versions of the same phone can differ.

On a dual-SIM phone, which SIM does the APN apply to?

Only the SIM currently selected for mobile data. An APN saved under the other SIM is not used. Confirm which SIM is set for data before editing an APN, and for eSIM, do not delete the eSIM profile just to reset an APN.

Terms

SIM card
The small chip that connects your phone to a mobile network. Comes in a physical form you insert.
eSIM
A SIM built into the phone that you activate by scanning a code or through an app — nothing physical is shipped.
Activation / kaitsū
The step that switches your line onto the new SIM and network. Until activation finishes, the new SIM has no service.
SIM lock
A restriction that ties a phone to one carrier. New phones sold in Japan are now generally sold without it, but older devices may still be locked.
SIM-free / unlocked
A phone with no SIM lock, which can be used with any compatible carrier's SIM.
APN settings
A small configuration that tells the phone how to reach a network's data. Needed when you set up a SIM-free phone or a low-cost SIM yourself; a carrier-sold phone usually sets it automatically.
Related guides

Related guides

How to Get a Mobile Phone in JapanBuy a Phone in JapanAfter Your ContractOnline-only / Online-focused Plans

Sources

Japan Phone Guide

A personal information site about mobile phones in Japan — made and kept up by one person, not a company or a carrier. It does not sell contracts.

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Nomes, preços e condições dos planos foram conferidos com as fontes oficiais vinculadas em 2026-08-29 (JST). As condições podem mudar; confirme a página oficial antes de contratar.

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© 2026 Japan Phone Guide. Fonte oficial: 総務省 / MIC.