PR: This article contains affiliate links. If you sign up for Rakuten Mobile or apply for a Rakuten Card through a link marked “Ad”, we may receive a commission.
Signing up for a phone in Japan is different when you are not a Japanese national. This guide compares nine mobile brands on these points: which ID they accept, rules about the time left on your period of stay, how you can pay, whether you can apply in a shop or online, and help in English. All facts come from each company’s official pages, checked on 27 September 2026. When a company does not say something, we write “Not stated”.
In short
- Start with section 1: it sorts the brands by your situation.
- Second-generation residence cards issued on or after 14 June 2026 cannot be used at docomo’s online shop or ahamo, and povo does not accept second-generation cards now.
- No Japanese credit card? Most brands take a bank account. povo does not.
- With less than 90 days or 3 months left on your stay, several brands limit how you can pay or sign up.
- The prices in section 5 are examples with different data and calls. Do not compare them as the same plan.
Checked with official pages on 27 September 2026.
1. Which brand fits your situation?
docomo, au and SoftBank each have their own shops. They also run other brands: ahamo (docomo), povo and UQ mobile (au), and LINEMO and Y!mobile (SoftBank). Rakuten Mobile has its own shops too. Find your situation below, then check the tables in sections 2 to 5.
- You have no Japanese credit card. docomo, ahamo, au, UQ mobile, SoftBank (at a shop), LINEMO, Y!mobile and Rakuten Mobile take a bank account. Rakuten Mobile charges ¥110 each month for bank account payment. Some brands also take debit cards (section 3). povo takes a credit card or Paidy, not a bank account or a debit card.
- Less than 90 days or 3 months are left on your stay. docomo and au (at a shop) take only your own credit card. au’s online shop, Y!mobile’s online store and povo need 90 days or more. Installment plans for a phone may be refused if your stay ends first (au, UQ mobile, SoftBank).
- You want to talk to someone in English. docomo, au, UQ mobile, SoftBank and Y!mobile list an English phone line (section 4). LINEMO says its application and support are in Japanese only. Rakuten Mobile has an English website and English papers at shops, but its phone support is in Japanese only.
- You want to sign up online, without a shop. ahamo, povo and LINEMO are online-only brands. The others take online applications too.
Important
Your residence card is new. Second-generation residence cards issued on or after 14 June 2026, and Specified Residence Cards, cannot be used at docomo’s online shop or ahamo. docomo suggests a docomo shop instead, and ahamo suggests a store that runs an ahamo sign-up fair. povo does not accept second-generation cards now. SoftBank’s and Y!mobile’s online stores check the new cards by a delivery person, not by the app. Rakuten Mobile’s ID page lists second-generation and Specified Residence Cards as accepted.
Before you apply:
- Check that the address on your residence card, including its IC chip, is up to date. au, UQ mobile and Rakuten Mobile say their online ID check does not work with an old address.
- Decide how you will pay: a credit card, a bank account or a debit card (section 3).
- Check the expiry date on your residence card and how much time is left on your period of stay.
2. What ID do I need, and does the time left on my stay matter?
Each brand name links to the official page for that row. These links are not ads.
| Brand | ID for foreign residents | Time left on your stay |
|---|---|---|
| docomo | Shop: residence card with a My Number Card or Japanese driver’s license, or residence card + foreign passport (no passport for permanent residents) | Less than 3 months left: monthly bill by your own credit card only |
| ahamo | Residence card. Second-generation cards issued on or after 14 June 2026 and Specified Residence Cards are not accepted | No rule on time left is stated. The card must be within its expiry date |
| au | Shop: residence card + foreign passport (a Specified Residence Card alone is enough). Online: residence card, read by its IC chip (online page) | Shop: less than 90 days left, your own credit card only. Online: 90 days or more needed |
| povo | Residence card. Second-generation cards cannot be used now (povo FAQ) | Less than 90 days left: the ID check fails |
| UQ mobile | Shop: residence card + foreign passport (a Specified Residence Card alone is enough). Online: residence card, read by its IC chip (online page) | Buying in one payment and paying by bank account: 90 days or more. Credit card: any time left |
| SoftBank | Residence card + foreign passport. Permanent residents and Highly Skilled Professional (ii): residence card only | Not stated for the line. Phone installments can be refused if your stay ends before them |
| LINEMO | Residence card + passport photo page. Permanent residents: residence card only (see note below) | Not stated. The card must not be expired |
| Y!mobile | Residence card + foreign passport. Permanent residents and Highly Skilled Professional (ii): residence card only | Online store: 90 days or more (online page) |
| Rakuten Mobile | Residence card (second-generation and Specified cards accepted) or special permanent resident certificate | Not stated. The card must be within its expiration date |
Notes: ahamo’s 3-month rule is about paying, not about your stay. It says that if your My Number Card expires in less than 3 months, you pay by your own credit card (section 3). LINEMO’s English application guide says a residence card must show “Permanent Resident”, but its English top page also accepts a residence card with a passport. Ask the company if your case is close to one of these rules.
3. How can I pay, and where can I apply?
Each brand name links to the official payment page. These links are not ads.
| Brand | How to pay each month | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
| docomo | Shop: credit card or bank account. Online shop: credit card or online bank account set-up | Shop or online |
| ahamo | Credit card or bank account; some debit cards. My Number Card expiring in less than 3 months: credit card only | Online. docomo shops help for ¥3,300 |
| au | Credit card (debit cards included) or bank account | Shop or online |
| povo | Credit card or Paidy (pay later). No debit cards | Online only, from a smartphone |
| UQ mobile | Credit card (debit cards included) or bank account. Cards from outside Japan may not work | Shop or online |
| SoftBank | Shop: credit card or bank account. Online shop: credit card (online page) | Shop or online |
| LINEMO | Credit card, bank account, or a debit card with a Visa, Mastercard or JCB mark | Online only |
| Y!mobile | Credit card or bank account | Shop or online |
| Rakuten Mobile | Credit card; Rakuten Bank debit card or some other debit cards; or bank account (¥110 fee each month) | Shop or online |
4. Can I get help in English?
| Brand | English by phone | Other help in English |
|---|---|---|
| docomo | 0120-005-250, 9:00–20:00 | English website. Shops use interpreters by phone |
| ahamo | Not stated | No English site found |
| au | 0120-959-472, 9:00–20:00 | English website. Chat, 10:00–19:00 |
| povo | Not stated | English website |
| UQ mobile | 0800-777-5461, 10:00–19:00 | English contact page |
| SoftBank | 157 from a SoftBank phone (press 8) or 0800-919-0157, 10:00–19:00 | English website |
| LINEMO | None: Japanese only | Application and support in Japanese only |
| Y!mobile | 151 from a Y!mobile phone or 0570-039-151 (press 5). Hours: Not stated | English pages (language menu) |
| Rakuten Mobile | None: Japanese only | English website and English papers at shops. Chat in Japanese only |
5. What does it cost?
Note
This table shows one example plan per brand. The data, calls and extras are different, so the prices are not a like-for-like comparison. Prices are monthly, tax included, before discounts, and do not include a phone. They are the prices on each plan page on 27 September 2026.
| Brand | Example plan and monthly price | Calls, and the fee if you cancel within 1 year |
|---|---|---|
| docomo | docomo MAX: ¥5,698 up to 1GB, ¥6,798 up to 3GB, ¥8,448 unlimited | Call options from ¥880. Cancel fee ¥1,100 |
| ahamo | ahamo: ¥2,970 for 30GB. From 1 Dec 2026: 40GB ¥3,135 to 120GB ¥5,115 | 5-minute domestic calls included. Cancel fee ¥1,100 |
| au | au Value Link: ¥8,008, unlimited data | Call options from ¥880. Cancel fee ¥1,100 |
| povo | povo: base ¥0; 3GB for 30 days ¥990 | Calls ¥22 per 30 seconds. No cancel fee |
| UQ mobile | Komikomi Plan Value: ¥3,828 for 35GB | 10-minute domestic calls included. Cancel fee ¥1,100 |
| SoftBank | PayToku 2: ¥10,538, unlimited data | Calls ¥22 per 30 seconds. Cancel fee ¥1,100 |
| LINEMO | Best Plan: ¥990 up to 3GB, ¥2,090 up to 10GB | Calls ¥22 per 30 seconds. Cancel fee ¥990 |
| Y!mobile | Simple 3 M: ¥4,378 for 30GB | Calls ¥22 per 30 seconds. Cancel fee ¥858 |
| Rakuten Mobile | Rakuten SAIKYO Plan: ¥1,078 up to 3GB, ¥2,178 up to 20GB, ¥3,278 unlimited | Calls free with the Rakuten Link app (some numbers excluded). Cancel fee up to ¥1,078 |
What changes the price and the rules:
- When you sign up. The cancellation fee applies to lines started on or after a set date: 1 July 2025 for docomo and ahamo, 1 October 2025 for au and UQ mobile, 1 July 2026 for SoftBank, and 1 April 2025 for Rakuten Mobile. LINEMO and Y!mobile count 12 months from the month the line starts. ahamo’s price changes on 1 December 2026.
- Shop or online. Some rules differ by route. au’s online shop needs 90 days or more left on your stay. docomo’s online shop cannot take the new residence cards. SoftBank’s online shop takes a credit card for the monthly bill.
- SIM only, or buying a phone. The prices above are for the plan only. If you buy a phone in installments, au, UQ mobile and SoftBank may refuse the installment plan when your stay ends first. UQ mobile does not offer 60- or 72-month installments to foreign residents. Rakuten Mobile does not take debit cards for phone installments.
PR · The link goes to the Rakuten SAIKYO Plan page on Rakuten Mobile’s English site. Choose the Rakuten SAIKYO Plan, not the Data Type plan.
6. Rakuten Mobile: good points and limits
These points come from Rakuten Mobile’s own pages. The official plan page (not an ad) is Rakuten SAIKYO Plan.
- The price follows your data. The fee depends on how much data you use that month: ¥1,078 up to 3GB, ¥2,178 up to 20GB and ¥3,278 with no data limit (tax included).
- Your residence card works. The ID page accepts residence cards, including second-generation and Specified Residence Cards.
- Help at shops. Rakuten Mobile says its shops have English versions of the Important Notice and application forms, and a point-and-speak phrase sheet. It also says some support is not available at electronics stores and post offices.
- eSIM and online sign-up. You can apply online and use an eSIM, or apply at a shop.
- Points on your bill. If you pay by credit card or debit card, you can use Rakuten Points toward your monthly fee (1 point = ¥1). You cannot use points with bank account payment.
- Leaving early. After one year there is no cancellation fee. Within one year, the fee is up to ¥1,078.
Limits:
- Phone support is in Japanese only.
- Bank account payment costs ¥110 each month, and only the Rakuten Bank debit card and some other debit cards work. Rakuten Mobile says a debit card may fail at billing even after it is registered, and the card issuer decides.
- Speed may be restricted at busy times, and 5G is in some areas only. Check the coverage map for your home and workplace.
If you want to pay by credit card, Rakuten’s own card is one option (see the Ad at the end of section 8). Card applications are screened.
7. Where are the shops in Kumamoto City?
Rakuten Mobile’s shop search lists Rakuten Mobile Sakuramachi Kumamoto (楽天モバイル サクラマチ熊本店) and Rakuten Mobile Kumamoto Shimotori (楽天モバイル 熊本下通店), both in Chuo Ward. It also lists shops in Higashi Ward and Minami Ward (shop search).
In Chuo Ward, the other companies list docomo Shop Shimotori (ドコモショップ下通店), au shop Shimotori (auショップ下通, listed with interpreting in au’s English store list) and SoftBank Shimotori (ソフトバンク下通, which also handles Y!mobile). Opening hours and closing days can change, so check the shop page before you go.
What to say
英語の資料はありますか？
Eigo no shiryo wa arimasu ka?
Do you have the papers in English? Rakuten Mobile says its shops have English versions of the Important Notice and application forms, and a point-and-speak phrase sheet.
8. How do I sign up for Rakuten Mobile?
- Check that your phone works with Rakuten Mobile (there is a device check on the official site).
- Have your residence card ready. Your name, address and date of birth must match what you enter. Rakuten Mobile says that if the address on the card’s IC chip is not up to date, you cannot use the app’s ID check, and should apply at a shop.
- Have your payment ready. A credit card, a Rakuten Bank debit card or another debit card that works, or a bank account (¥110 a month).
- Apply online or at a shop, and choose the Rakuten SAIKYO Plan.
PR · Rakuten SAIKYO Plan: ¥1,078 up to 3GB, ¥2,178 up to 20GB, ¥3,278 unlimited a month (tax included). Choose the Rakuten SAIKYO Plan, not the Data Type plan.
PR · Rakuten Card is a credit card issued by Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. The standard card has no annual fee. Applications are screened, and a card may not be issued.
9. Common questions
When is my Rakuten Mobile bill paid?
In Japan, phone bills are usually paid after you use the service. Rakuten Mobile’s payment guide for foreign residents says you pay the month after use. A bank account is debited around the 27th of the next month. A Japanese debit card is charged around the 11th to 13th of the next month. For a credit card, Rakuten Mobile bills the card around the 11th to 13th, and the card company takes the money later.
What happens if a payment fails?
Rakuten Mobile sends an email or SMS with a date to pay by. If you do not pay by then, the line is stopped. If you still do not pay, the contract is cancelled, and the line and phone number cannot be restored. Rakuten Mobile says this may also affect new contracts with other phone companies.
How do I update the address on my residence card’s IC chip?
Rakuten Mobile’s FAQ says the IC chip address is registered when you report your new address at the city office. If you reported a move on or before Saturday, 13 June 2026, only the back of the card was updated, not the IC chip. To update the chip, you apply for a new card at a regional immigration office. In Kumamoto, that is the Kumamoto Immigration Office.
I am leaving Japan. What should I do with my Rakuten Mobile line?
Cancel it before you leave. Rakuten Mobile says monthly fees keep coming if you leave without cancelling. The last bill comes in the month after you apply to cancel. Japanese cards and bank accounts may stop working after your period of stay ends. If you have a card issued outside Japan, change your payment to it by the end of the month you apply to cancel.
