Japan Travel 🇯🇵⛩️ @lemmy.globe.pub counselwolf @lemmy.dbzer0.com 1y ago

Are There Free Wi-Fis on Train Stations? or Recommend Places With Free Wi-Fi?

I'll be traveling with a big group (family of about 20+) and we might avail a portable wifi device for the group as a whole.

If I plan to do some stuff away from the group, are there any reliable places where they offer free wi-fi so I don't get lost?

5 comments

There’s surprisingly many spots in the big cities (cafes, restaurants, malls) and also in the Shinkansen. That said, it can be kind of a hit and miss, especially if you leave the bigger cities.

Pocket wifi is overpriced IMO. eSIM with data-only is super comfortable and pretty cheap per GB. Get them in a tech store like Bic Camera.

However it may not be possible to create a hotspot. Regular data sim cards are also available and cheap. Not sure if they can have the same restrictions, or if those restrictions would apply to your phone.
Airlo, get a data only esim, its very helpful to have data in japan!

Having internet is really useful in weird places, translation anywhere, the menu is QR code based, looking up bus schedule, ordering a taxi, etc.
- Is there a way to know if my phone is compatible with their esims? my phone's a little old (LG G7 ThinQ which is 2019 model iirc).
  
  https://gscs-b2c.lge.com/downloadFile?fileId=MAZbz3r5D1zpmm58VJ8XjQ
  
  I can't tell if your phone supports e-sim's there is no mention of it in the manual or product specification page.
  
  Try adding a esim now, see if you have that option in android.
  
  Since the phone is part of the google fi product line-up I'm pretty sure your radio will be covered by "some" bands in japan.
  
  If e-sim's arn't a option, get a google fi data only sim card from a friend, then just be careful and keep your data usage low (don't stream videos).
I had good luck with free wifi at coffee shops. The fastest wifi I had in Japan was at a Starbucks. I haven’t had great luck with the free wifi on trains at all.

I have heard Ubigo is a good option for esim cards. Make sure to enroll when you have reliable internet access already.

If you’re looking for a vendor for your portable wifi, IVideo gave us a router with excellent speeds on my last visit, and the return process was a simple prepaid envelope. Make sure to double-check the opening hours of the shop if you pick up your router locally.