If you’re heading to Tokyo, you’re probably thinking: “It’s one of the most high-tech cities in the world, surely I can just use free Wi-Fi everywhere, right?”
I used to think the same thing. And I was born and raised in Tokyo!
The Shibuya Meltdown
A few years ago, I went back home for a visit. To save a few dollars, I decided to rely entirely on public Wi-Fi. I thought, “I’m a local, I’ll be fine.”
I was wrong.
I was supposed to meet a friend at the Hachiko statue in Shibuya. If you’ve been there, you know it’s one of the busiest spots on Earth. I couldn’t find my friend, and I couldn’t get a connection. I spent 20 minutes frantically wandering around, trying to log into a convenience store’s Wi-Fi which was super slow and the registration page kept timing out.
I was late, stressed, and realized that even in a high-tech city, “public” doesn’t always mean “easy.”
The Truth About Wi-Fi in Japan
While free Wi-Fi exists in Tokyo, it’s often:
• Patchy: It drops out the moment you walk ten metres away.
• Complicated: Many require an email registration or a specific app.
• Slow: Good luck loading Google Maps when 500 other people are trying to use the same hotspot.
The Solution: Get an eSIM
After that Shibuya nightmare, I never travel without an eSIM. For Aussies, it’s a total game-changer.
• Cheap: It’s much more affordable than paying $5–$10 a day for international roaming with Optus or Telstra.
• Instant: You can set it up on your phone while you’re still on your couch in Australia. The moment your plane touches down at Narita or Haneda, you’re online.
• Stress-Free: You don’t have to swap physical SIM cards or carry around a bulky pocket Wi-Fi router.
My Recommendation
I personally use apps like Klook or Holafly. You can grab a 10GB plan for a fraction of the cost of roaming, and it’s more than enough for maps, Instagramming your ramen, and—most importantly—finding your friends in Shibuya.