au by KDDI Japan SIM card: visitors buy the povo2.0 Japan SIM

Is an au by KDDI Japan SIM card a good choice for a visitor?

Yes, if you want data on au's network and are happy with no phone number. The route is not through au-branded shops. KDDI's English newsroom describes a visitor product called the povo2.0 Japan SIM, built on au's network and sold under its povo brand. We read KDDI's pages on 8 October 2026, and several of them are 2025 announcements, so check the current povo site for today's plans.

What can a visitor buy?

KDDI announced two ways to get the Japan SIM. First, from 1 July 2025, SIM cards that let foreign travellers buy data were put on sale at about 14,600 Lawson convenience stores. You pay cash at the register, scan the QR code on the back of the card, enter the PIN on the card and add data on a dedicated site. Second, from 28 August 2025, a data-only eSIM version was offered online. KDDI says a new customer creates an account and activates the eSIM before buying data.

Plans listed in those announcements included data top-ups from 1 GB to 20 GB and unlimited plans lasting 2, 6 or 24 hours, and the Lawson cards offered options such as 3 GB for seven days and 10 GB for 30 days. We are not quoting yen prices because those are from 2025 announcements and may have changed. The povo site has the current list.

The pages we read do not mention voice calls or a Japanese phone number, so treat the product as data only.

What about au itself?

KDDI's older "Travel Data eSIM powered by GigSky" service ended on 30 November 2020, per KDDI's page. Its "Unlimited Data Overseas" product is for au subscribers going abroad, not for visitors coming to Japan. So au's own plans are not a tourist option. The povo Japan SIM is.

au coverage: what KDDI says

KDDI's announcement says the Japan SIM uses the same au network as povo2.0 and gives access to au's 5G. We did not find a coverage percentage on the pages we read. Check au's coverage map for your route, especially if you are leaving the main cities.

au versus a travel eSIM

A povo Japan SIM is a locally sold product, so you may buy it on arrival at a Lawson or before you fly online. A travel eSIM is bought in advance and does not need a shop. Both are data only. The Japan comparison page lines them up. For other carriers see NTT Docomo, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile.

For the wider picture see our Japan SIM and eSIM hub, the Japan SIM card comparison and our cheapest eSIM page. This page is desk research from the carriers' own public pages, not a test of any plan.