photo by Hamza Butt
When traveling abroad, you can’t leave your phone. It helps you in making bookings, searching information, and other bits and pieces. You may have an unlimited data with your phone in your country and use mobile data as you like. But when you are abroad, you have to mind mobile data usage as you use a prepaid SIM or roaming service. Even if you are not a traveller, you may want to save data usage of yoiur MVNO plan.What you can use to save your mobile data while you are outside is free WiFi hotspots at places such as shopping centers, cafes, and retail shops in a city. There also are useful free apps to find WiFi hotspots and unify logging in.
First of all, turn on VPN app
When you connect to public Wi-Fi, the first thing you should care for is a security issue. You need to protect your personal information from someone who wants to intercept your data. You can be a target of a vicious fraud so easily if you are using free Wi-Fi hotspot without any protections. To avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, make sure to turn on VPN app before connecting to public Wi-Fi. You may also want to protect your privacy by not revealing any of your personal information while connected to public hotspot, or turning off Wi-Fi connection on your device after using public Wi-Fi.
Express VPN
Free 30 days trial. Enter a normal contract and cancel it within 30 days to receive a full refund. You can enjoy a full service with no data transmission limit during the trial period.
NordVPN
30-day money-back is available. Low-price, high-speed data communication. The amount you paid will be refunded if you cancel your subscription within 30 days.
Ultra VPN
30-day money-back. Low price but fast connection. You can get refund if you cancel your contract within the designated period.
Free Wi-Fi hotspot app: Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi
Free WiFi services are everywhere in Japan, for example, at shopping centres, public facilities, and council offices. You can save mobile phone costs by using free WiFi. But each free WiFi services are run by individual business, and you need to log in every time you access a new network. It may sound significant, but actually, having to log in a new network all the time can be quite frustrating. In such a situation, Japan Wi-Fi will be of a great help for you.This multi-lingual app covers a total of 16 languages including Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.
There are two types: manually operated Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi and automatically connected Japan Wifi auto-connect.
Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi
Japan Wifi auto-connect
Free Wi-Fi hotspots: SoftBank Free Wi-Fi Passport
One of the Japanese telecommunications giants SoftBank offers free Wi-Fi network service for foreign tourists. Users can log in to SoftBank free Wi-Fi hotspots across Japan with a password they can get by calling specific telephone numbers. The password is valid for 2 weeks. SoftBank’s free Wi-Fi hotspots are located in 400,000 cafes, restaurants, service areas on expressways, hotel lounges, or other public facilities.
- Set your roaming network to “SoftBank”
- Call *8180 (English), *8181 (Chinese) or *8182 (Korean)
- Get the password from the audio guidance (Keep record)
- Go to a SoftBank Wifi hotspot
- Select “.FREE_Wi-Fi_PASSPORT”
- Enter your ID (country code + phone number) and password to login
Free Wi-Fi hotspots: City Wi-Fi networks
City Wifi networks are run by local city governments providing free internet access at council offices, public facilities, and participating shops. Find a City WiFi logo of each city to use City WiFi. Currently, 46 prefectures except for Iwate Prefecture provide City WiFi.
Examples of City WiFi
Tokyo Free WiFi
Sapporo City Wi-Fi
Osaka Free Wifi
Kyoto Wifi
NAGOYA Free Wifi
Fukuoka City Free Wifi
※Those “Citi Wifi” networks are covered by previously introduced Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi and Japan Wifi auto-connect.
Free Wi-Fi hotspots: Public transport
Free WiFi services were available at Toei Subway stations & trains, Toei buses, Osaka Metro stations & trains. But unfortunately, their services were terminated in 2023. Currently, free WiFi services on public transport facilities are available on Shinkansen and at airports.
JR Shinkansen
Available as Shinkansen Free Wi-Fi (Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu), JR-EAST FREE Wi-Fi (Hokuriku Shinkansen E7), JR-WEST FREE Wi-Fi (Hokuriku Shinkansen W7). Cars with free Wi-Fi has a Wi-Fi mark. Covered by Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi.
International airport
Free WiFi is available at local airports.
Narita Airport: FreeWiFi-NARITA, no limitation
Haneda Airport: HANEDA-FREE-WIFI, up to 300 min/log in, unlimited logging in
New Chitose Airport: NewChitose_Airport_Free_Wi-Fi, no limitation
Itami Airport: _FreeWiFi-KansaiAirports、_FreeWiFi-KansaiAirports_2.4G
Kansai Airport: _FreeWiFi-KansaiAirports、_FreeWiFi-KansaiAirports_2.4G
Chubu Airport: FreeWiFi-centrair, up to 24 hrs/log in
Fukuoka Airport: AirportFreeWiFi-2.4G、AirportFreeWiFi-5.0G, up to 60 min/log in, up to 3 times/day
Free Wi-Fi hotspots: Café and restaurant chains
Large café and restaurant franchises offer free Wifi service in their shops across Japan for the customers.
Starbucks: at_STARBUCKS_Wi2
Up to 1 hour connection once you login
How to use
TULLY’S COFFEE: Tully’s Wifi
Unlimited connection with no password
How to use
McDonald’s Free Wi-Fi
Up to 1 hour connection once you login
How to use
PRONTO FREE Wi-Fi
3 o 30 minutes connection allowed a day.
How to use
Skylark Group: “. Wi2_Free_at_[SK.GROUP]”
(Gusto, Bamiyan, Yumean, etc.)
Up to 60 min/log in, unlimited log in
How to use
*In addition to the above groups, other café and restaurant franchise groups such as Doutor, Komeda Cofee, Renoir and Denney’s offer free Wifi to their customers.
Free Wi-Fi hotspots: Convenience stores and shopping centers
Convenience store
Among the three major convenience store chains, LAWSON provides free Wi-Fi service. Seven Eleven and Family Mart provide free internet access through “d Wi-Fi” which is supported by Docomo. To use “d Wi-Fi”, you need to sign up with “d point” system. Currently, Seven Eleven has NO free WiFi service.
Shopping centers
Same as convenience store chains, major shopping centers also provide free Wi-Fi. Some centers have free Wi-Fi connection in the entire building and others only provide it in the limited areas.
Ito Yokado
U-Spot is available at Ito Yokado stores.
Don Quijote
DONKI Free Wi-Fi is available at all stores.
PARCO
Free WiFi “atPARCO Wi-Fi” is available, 60min/session up to 3 sessions a day.
AEON
Free WiFi services are available at AEON malls across the country. Each mall provides the service at different locations in the building. Up to 12 hours per log in.
You need to log in to use free Wi-Fi in convenience stores and shopping centers. Previously introduced app Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi and Japan Wifi auto-connect cover these retailers’ free Wi-Fi.
Getting free Wi-Fi is easier than getting free water
Free WiFi services quickly spread across Japan in late 2010s. Now, free WiFi is available at many places such as government related facilities, restaurants, and shopping centres. In urban areas, you would have no trouble to find free internet. However, these services are basically provided by each shop and facilities. Accordingly, users have to log in every time you access a new network. This can be solved by using Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi. Once you sign up with the app, you can get connected to the internet without logging in again. Also, Japan Wifi auto-connect which connects to a WiFi hotspot automatically is now available. You no longer need to search for a hotspot around you. Free WiFi service is a great advantage for international visitors who use prepaid SIMs and people who use MVNO with low data capacity. For such people, public Wi-Fi is a great advantage, and you can save your data usage during your stay in Japan.
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