Mobal Reviews

Install of eSIM was easy using a QR code on my iPhone, never hit any coverage black spots even on the trains and Metro. Having data has been so useful for navigating on Google Maps and contacting people.

Date of experience: April 25, 2024

I really wanted to make and receive phone calls right away when I arrived in Japan, and Mobal is the only sim card that will give you a real phone number and allow you to setup your phone before you even arrive in Japan. As soon as we landed in Japan, our phones were working and able to call for a taxi or whatever we needed. It was great! I recommend it to anyone to use as a temporary sim when going to visit or live in Japan, and then get on a cheaper plan, once you're all setup in Japan.

Date of experience: October 18, 2023

I have bought and the SIM card prior to our arrival in Japan. The website is simple and easy to navigate, very efficient customer service (need to change our collection date), and multiple collections points. We arrived at a late hour in Japan and the collection point in the airport was closed, however, we could easily collect the SIM cards, the next day, from another shop in the city, without having to go back to the airport. Excellent reception and internet speed! Faster than in The UK.
Highly recommend

Date of experience: June 03, 2023

I used Mobal in my more than 2 years of stay in Japan, and it was so sooo convenient! I had no problems in ordering the sim, setting up payments, up to my cancellation when I left Japan for good. Reception was also always good, I remember having good coverage even when I go hiking and just doing daily life within my small inaka town.

Date of experience: February 07, 2023

I saw some bad reviews, so felt a need to share my experience. Went to Japan on a holiday for 12 days. Went for a 16-day data only sim-card, with a pick-up at Kansai Airport. It has worked splendidly: installation was very easy, and after that I had great reception both in cities as in a more rural part of Japan I visited. A few times the speed went just a little slower (more or less seconds I hate to wait for connection to a website), but overall great speeds and great reception. Would definitely buy again.

Date of experience: December 24, 2023

Mobal has very quick set up of about 3 days. Making calls can be expensive with Mobal which can be tough during a hard time. Calls may also struggle to come through sometimes. However the data is extremely reliable. Their pocket wifi was also a LIFESAVER. It is extremely cheap compared to installing 5G, and immeasurably rescued my life in Japan. Mobal may be a little more costly than some other carriers but their help team responds promptly and their services are extremely reliable. I recommend them for any new settlers in Japan.

Date of experience: November 14, 2022

Just the fact that they stopped konbini payments in order to make everyone subscribe for their ridiculous debit card is enough for this 1 star.

Edit: me, and I'm sure many other people are put in an enormous and unjustified difficulty because of this. I don't know what to do with your understanding.
You know perfectly that Japan is still a cash society and that it is more difficult for a foreigner to apply for a debit/credit card. Making me receive a call from an associate speaking my language...why? I can perfectly understand English and communicate in this language.
And, moreover, there's nothing to understand. You are just doing a legalized fraud and I will have no choice than closing the contract.

Date of experience: July 25, 2024

I lived in Japan for 2 years and needed a sim card before I was due to be there. Ordering from mobal was quick, efficient and easy. I didn't have any issues while using it and found the billing process easy. The deactivation process is flexible and really convenient too.

The company is involved in some great social iniatives too. This is a great option for expats in Japan and I highly recommend it!

Date of experience: July 19, 2022

Mobal's service has been a lifesaver for me in Japan. The process of starting a phone plan which you normally need a Japanese credit card and to open a bank account you need a phone number, but Mobal's streamlined approach has made it much easier and is extremely expat friendly. While they may not be the cheapest option, the convenience and time saved make it worthwhile, especially for newcomers adjusting to life in Japan. I hope they consider offering more competitive prices to retain long-term residents like myself.

Date of experience: February 03, 2024

Very easy to set up in the UK, excellent coverage throughout Japan even in the depths of the subway.
50 gb more that enough for social media and internet. No calls or texts included but this was not a disadvantage. Would need more if streaming video and audio.

Date of experience: October 01, 2023

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.5 stars)

I used Mobal's "Data + Voice" SIM for two months during my stay in Japan, and overall, it was a great experience. The ordering process was incredibly easy, and collecting and setting up the SIM card was a breeze. One of the standout aspects is the excellent network coverage—it was strong enough to stream videos on trains without any buffering, which was really convenient. Their billing plans also seem to offer great value, especially considering the amount of data provided.

There were rare instances where I suddenly lost signal in certain areas that weren’t underground, but this was a minor issue overall. I didn’t need to contact customer support myself, but friends who did mentioned that Mobal's support team was very responsive and mostly helpful.

I would definitely recommend Mobal, especially for iPhone users. If you're using an Android device (like I did), you may run into some network issues, but iPhones seem to work much better across the board in Japan. In fact, using an iPhone is generally a smoother experience here, from network connectivity to tapping your phone to pay for train tickets.

In summary, Mobal is a fantastic option, particularly for foreigners visiting Japan. Just keep in mind, it’s even better if you’re on an iPhone!

Date of experience: July 15, 2024

Super easy process to order and receive the product. Good customer service that is helpful and the instructions you are sent are easy to follow for both android and apple.
Best product I had whilst in Japan. No problems with connection or data at all.

Date of experience: May 20, 2024

I highly recommend this service. I used Mobal for my phone plan in Japan from January 2018 until May 2024. I had the SIM V1 and then the SIM V2. I saw the service getting better and more flexible with time (e.g., being able to freeze the account during Covid-19, or being able to change the data plan each month). I plan to keep buying a Mobal SIM or eSIM for my future trips to Japan.

Date of experience: June 01, 2024

Sadly I can't recommend mobal anymore since they don't sell unlimited data simcards anymore.
I used to tell all my friends about mobal and used it since many years, but now I'm sadly disappointed they decided to take a big step back. We will have to find another website...

Date of experience: February 07, 2024

Mobal works almost flawlessly, but for travel in rural japan reception is not the best. It’s sad it’s on the Docomo network and not SoftBank. The ESIM pickup was horrible, I arrived in Osaka KIX in the evening, the pickup point had just closed. I had to sleep in the terminal just so I could pick up the e sim in the late morning… and the fact that it is a esim that needs to be physically delivered too… it’s stupid. I know it’s due to regulations but the pickup point should at least be 24 hours at an airport or multiple pickup locations.

Edit: thank you Mobal for your reply on the review but the information you are giving me is incorrect. I have not been in touch with you earlier through email. I stay to my opinion that the delivery of your e-sims are not the best, but otherwise your services are pretty great. Of course it was my choice to sleep in the terminal, but I really needed the esim asap and the most flexible option to me was to wait until the pickup point opened which was a whole nights wait in the terminal. I feel there must be better options or just other pickup point in the city for situations like these where the customer arrives evening time or late nights

Date of experience: April 10, 2024

I chose Mobal because it provides a physical SIM instead of just an eSIM. It was the only alternative valid for my phone. Delivery was fast, although I had to pay 5€ more on my own as custom import taxes (from UK to Spain). I still haven't used the card, as my trip is scheduled for some weeks from now.

Date of experience: May 29, 2023

I ordered two unlimited SIMs for 30 days and pick-up and installation was very easy. The coverage is also really great! My brother had problems with installing and sometimes he had no reception while I did, I suppose this could be because his chinese-designed phone didn't support all frequencies. For reference, I am using an A13 from Samsung and he has a similarly priced(~160€) phone from Redmi or something like that.
This was my first time visiting Japan and we did so for 4 weeks through almost all areas of Japan, but I am sure that I will return and will definitely choose Mobal again! Maybe even for a longer period as I am thinking about doing a semester abroad.
And even if you won't choose Mobal, don't think that you can survive without internet, at least if you travel around a lot and stay more than 2 weeks ;)

Date of experience: August 25, 2023

International SIM doesn't work on a pixel 7a in Japan. Only worked intermittently. This info is available on their website but in small print which you will miss.

Date of experience: July 05, 2024

I installed the e sim correctly with all instructions followed. It did gave signal but not for data. After a few days I gave up and installed an e sim from another brand which worked instantly. Therefore confirming that I had everything set up correctly. You can only get support from Mobal through email. They didn't want to refund the money because I had deleted the esim that wasn't working correctly. Of course I deleted it, and moved over to another e sim that was actually working instead of waiting for email reply whilst being in Japan. Really Dissapointed by mobal

Date of experience: October 18, 2023

Terrible customer service. Takes more than promised time to respond to my request (Im still waiting) The recent service cut with their softbank transition was handled terribily and made me think twice about this company. My number is tied with several business online 2FAs and im stuck waiting for a living soul to respond back.

Date of experience: April 18, 2024