It is convenient to get a Wi-Fi card at an airport or any of the main train stations immediately upon arrival. (Photo: nvtrlab)

Free Wi-Fi for Foreign Tourists

Provided by NTT East in Eastern Japan (Kanto Region)

It is convenient to get a Wi-Fi card at an airport or any of the main train stations immediately upon arrival. (Photo: nvtrlab)
Sarah Chaney   - 3 min read

NTT East is providing free Wi-Fi for foreign visitors in 17 prefectures centered in and around eastern Japan (the Kanto Region). Although there are many people who are already taking advantage of this service, this article is information for those who may not have heard about it yet.

According to a survey conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, a majority of foreign tourists in Japan are troubled by the lack of free internet. Of the respondents, about 50% think that there should be free Wi-Fi available in Japan.

In order to provide better service for tourists in Japan, NTT East has started providing free Wi-Fi since last June.

This free internet service is available to use for 14 days from when you first start using it (336 hours). Once you have been registered, connecting to the Wi-Fi is made easy through a downloadable app called "Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi." This useful app allows you to connect to the internet in over 90,000 locations and 143 stations run by Toei Subway and Tokyo Metro.

In order to use this service, you must be a foreign visitor to Japan. Residents in Japan are not eligible.

This free Wi-Fi is available in 17 prefectures: Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano and Niigata.

The process of signing up and receiving free internet is fairly simple. When you show your passport at participating locations, you will receive a "Free Wi-Fi Card." When you are at a Free Wi-Fi location, you simply need to input the ID and password that is on the card.

It is very convenient for foreign visitors to receive the Free Wi-Fi Card at the airport or main train stations. However, Narita Airport stopped distributing free cards on March 31st, 2015.

As I mentioned before, the Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi application allows foreign visitors in Japan to easily connect to free internet nearby. This application has no limit, unlike the 14-day restriction on the NTT East service.

The languages supported on this app are English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, Thai, Malay, Indonesian and Japanese.

Once you have received your Free Wi-Fi Card, try downloading the app for an easier, faster way to connect to the internet. Rather than inputting your ID and password with every use, the app will instantly connect you with the tap of a button. In addition, the app will allow you to search for nearby locations with free Wi-Fi in Japan.

Sarah Chaney

Sarah Chaney @sarah.chaney

Greetings! I am currently sailing through my second year living in Fukushima. In the four years I've lived in Japan, I have realized that Fukushima is Japan's best kept secret. With JapanTravel.com, I look forward to helping people be able to learn more about Fukushima and also assist with transl...