Mobal vs Sakura Mobile (2026): Long-Term SIM Plans for Living in Japan
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In a hurry? Mobal vs Sakura Mobile at a glance:
- Same at 30GB: both charge ¥4,378 a month for 30GB with a phone number.
- Smallest plan with Mobal: 1GB for ¥1,650. Sakura Mobile starts at 5GB.
- Biggest gap at 100GB: Mobal charges ¥6,490 a month, Sakura Mobile ¥12,078.
- Sakura Mobile for under-18s and email eSIMs: it accepts sign-ups under 18, and sends the eSIM QR code by email if you verify online with a residence card or My Number Card showing your current address. Mobal doesn’t sell voice plans to under-18s and doesn’t email eSIMs.
- Both: run on Docomo, give you a real 070/080/090 number, have no minimum contract and slow to about 200 kbps after your data runs out.
If you are moving to Japan to study or work, you will soon need a Japanese phone number: Sakura Mobile says it is the kind of number you need to open a bank account and rent an apartment. Mobal offers English-language customer support, and Sakura Mobile says you can sign up entirely in English. This guide compares their long-term voice and data plans, the ones with a phone number. We checked both companies’ own pages on October 13 and 14, 2026, and rechecked Mobal’s on October 17. All prices are monthly, in yen, with tax included.
Mobal vs Sakura Mobile: side-by-side
| Mobal | Sakura Mobile | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | ¥4,950 for the SIM or eSIM (SIM card ¥4,455 through our link) | ¥5,500 activation fee (students get ¥1,100 off) |
| Data plans | 1GB to 200GB | 5GB to 100GB |
| Network | Docomo 5G/4G | Docomo 5G/4G |
| After your data runs out | About 200 kbps | About 200 kbps, slower if you keep using it |
| Unused data | Rolls over | Rolls over to the next month |
| Calls in Japan | ¥44 a minute; incoming free | ¥16.5 per 30 seconds |
| Minimum contract | None | None (renews monthly) |
| Cancelling | Any time, no termination fee | End of a month only; request by the 25th |
| Under 18 | Not allowed (a parent can order in their name) | Allowed |
| Payment | Credit/debit card or PayPal; no cash | Credit/debit card, or cash at convenience stores (Smart Pit) |
Monthly prices compared
These are the voice and data plans, which come with a phone number. Call and text charges are extra on both.
| Data per month | Mobal | Sakura Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | ¥1,650 | — |
| 5GB | ¥3,190 | ¥3,278 |
| 10GB | ¥3,630 | — |
| 15GB | ¥3,795 | ¥3,828 |
| 30GB | ¥4,378 | ¥4,378 |
| 40GB | — | ¥5,478 |
| 50GB | ¥5,280 | — |
| 60GB | — | ¥7,678 |
| 80GB | — | ¥9,878 |
| 100GB | ¥6,490 | ¥12,078 |
| 200GB | ¥9,900 | — |
At 5GB, 15GB and 30GB, the prices are close: Mobal is ¥88 cheaper at 5GB and ¥33 cheaper at 15GB, and 30GB costs the same. At the small end, Mobal has a 1GB plan for ¥1,650 (and a voice-only plan with no data for ¥1,430), while Sakura Mobile starts at 5GB. If you’re unsure how much data you use, 30GB is where the two are easiest to compare.
The gap is widest at 100GB, where Mobal is ¥5,588 a month cheaper. Mobal’s page still lists its 100GB and 200GB plans under “Optional Add-ons”, which you switch on in your account after buying, but Mobal confirmed to us in October 2026 that ¥6,490 and ¥9,900 are the total monthly prices, not extra charges on top of another plan. Sakura Mobile’s largest plan is 100GB, so only Mobal has a 200GB plan.
The upfront cost is close too: ¥4,950 for Mobal’s SIM or eSIM, ¥5,500 for Sakura Mobile’s activation fee, or ¥4,400 for students after the ¥1,100 discount. Through our Mobal link below, the SIM card costs ¥4,455 instead of ¥4,950 (10% off), and you don’t need a discount code. The discount doesn’t apply to the monthly plan fees.
ID and getting your SIM or eSIM
Both companies have to check your ID for a plan with a phone number. With Sakura Mobile, what you need depends on whether you already have a registered address in Japan.
Sakura Mobile: with a residence card or My Number Card that shows your current address, you pass an online ID check and get the eSIM QR code by email or the SIM card by delivery. With only a passport, you can still apply, but you must pick up in person at Sakura Mobile’s Shinjuku office, an airport counter (Narita, Haneda, Kansai or Fukuoka) or a partner counter. You don’t need to be a resident of Japan to apply.
Mobal: you show your passport when you pick up, or upload your ID before shipping if you choose delivery. Mobal doesn’t send eSIMs by email: it posts you an eSIM access code, or you collect it. Pick-up points for its voice and data SIMs cover 11 areas, including Narita and Haneda airports, Shinjuku Station, Tokyo Station and Shibuya’s Mark City building. The name on your passport must match the name on the order.
So if you already have a residence card or My Number Card showing your current address, Sakura Mobile can email the eSIM QR code, and you don’t have to collect anything. If you are still abroad, Mobal offers free worldwide delivery (you upload your ID before it ships), so you can order before you leave.
Under 18: only Sakura Mobile signs you up
Sakura Mobile says you can sign up even if you are under 18. Mobal says voice SIMs and eSIMs are only available to customers aged 18 or over. A parent or guardian aged 18 or over can place the order in their own name. If you collect in Japan, the name on the passport must match the order and the person collecting must be over 18. For a high-school exchange student, that makes Sakura Mobile the easier option.
Calls and texts
Incoming calls are free with Mobal; we didn’t check Sakura Mobile’s rate for incoming calls. Outgoing calls in Japan cost ¥16.5 per 30 seconds with Sakura Mobile and ¥44 a minute with Mobal, so a 3-minute call is ¥99 with Sakura Mobile and ¥132 with Mobal. Mobal charges ¥33 for each text sent in Japan; we didn’t check Sakura Mobile’s text rate. If most of your calls go through LINE or WhatsApp, the call rates matter less. Mobal notes that those calls come out of your data allowance.
Cancelling and refunds
Neither has a minimum contract. Mobal says you can terminate any time with no termination fees. Sakura Mobile’s monthly plans renew automatically and end only at the end of a month: send the termination form by the 25th and the contract ends that month; send it on the 26th or later and it ends the following month. Sakura Mobile’s last bill arrives one month after the contract ends.
Mobal also has a money-back guarantee: email its returns team within 8 days of activating (or within 3 months of buying, if you haven’t activated). It refunds the initial purchase fee only, not plan or usage fees, and doesn’t cover phones that turn out to be incompatible.
For more detail, see Sakura Mobile’s help page on cancelling a monthly contract and Mobal’s money-back guarantee page.
Check Sakura Mobile monthly plans →
Mobal or Sakura Mobile: which to choose
- You use very little data, or need a number mainly for SMS codes: Mobal. Its 1GB plan is ¥1,650 and its voice-only plan is ¥1,430.
- You use about 30GB: either. The monthly price is the same, ¥4,378.
- You use a lot of data (100GB or more): Mobal. Its 100GB plan is ¥6,490 a month against Sakura Mobile’s ¥12,078, and it also has a 200GB plan for ¥9,900.
- You are under 18: Sakura Mobile.
- You have a residence card or My Number Card showing your current address, and want an eSIM by email: Sakura Mobile.
- You make a lot of ordinary phone calls: Sakura Mobile’s ¥16.5 per 30 seconds is cheaper than Mobal’s ¥44 a minute.
- You want to pay in cash: Sakura Mobile, through Smart Pit at convenience stores. Mobal doesn’t take cash.
Whichever you choose, your phone must be unlocked. For its eSIM, Mobal also asks for support for 5G or 4G/LTE Band 1 (2100MHz), and VoLTE for calls.
Leaning towards Sakura Mobile? Our Sakura Mobile guide covers its data-only plans, the prorated first month, airport pickup counters and how cancelling works.
Leaning towards Mobal? Our Mobal guide covers how its billing works, getting the SIM or eSIM, whether you can keep your current number and using your Mobal number outside Japan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mobal or Sakura Mobile cheaper?
From 5GB to 30GB they are close: Mobal is slightly cheaper at 5GB and 15GB, and both charge ¥4,378 for 30GB. Mobal is the only one of the two with a 1GB plan (¥1,650), and it is much cheaper at 100GB: ¥6,490 a month against ¥12,078.
Which network do Mobal and Sakura Mobile use?
Both use Docomo’s 5G and 4G network. Sakura Mobile lists docomo 5G/4G on every voice and data plan, and Mobal told us its service supports both 5G and 4G on the Docomo network.
Do I need a residence card?
Not for Sakura Mobile: it says you don’t need to be a resident to apply and can use a passport, but you then have to pick up in person. Mobal’s pages say you can show your passport when you pick up, or upload your ID before delivery; they don’t mention a residence card.
Is there a minimum contract?
No. Mobal has no minimum contract and no termination fee. Sakura Mobile has no formal minimum length; its plans renew each month until you send a termination form by the 25th.
Can I keep my existing Japanese phone number?
Both support number porting, with limits. Mobal’s help page says its latest Voice eSIM can take a number from another provider, while its latest physical Voice SIM and its “Voice Lite” SIM and eSIM get a new number instead. Sakura Mobile’s number-porting option is for SIM cards only; eSIM port-ins are covered on a separate help page.
Final thoughts
On price, the two are close at 5GB and 15GB and level at 30GB, while Mobal has the smaller 1GB plan and is far cheaper at 100GB. Sakura Mobile is ahead on access: it signs up under-18s, emails eSIMs to people with a residence card or My Number Card showing their current address, charges less for ordinary calls and takes cash. Decide how much data you use and how you will get your SIM, and the choice usually follows.
Only visiting for a few weeks? A travel eSIM is simpler than a monthly plan. Our comparison of travel eSIMs for Japan covers the options, and our airport eSIM guide shows where to buy one when you land.
