What Rakuten announced
On April 15, 2025, Rakuten Mobile announced that it ranked first in MMDLabo's survey category for communication services contracted by foreign residents in Japan.
The survey covered 750 foreign residents in Japan who had a communication service contract, with respondents from Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, Myanmar, and China.
In the survey, 21.0% of foreign-national respondents used Rakuten Mobile, the highest share in the ranking. SoftBank followed with 15.6%.
Under 3GB is ¥1,078 including tax. In heavy-use months, data charges are capped at ¥3,278 including tax.
Check Rakuten Mobile plansWhy this supports our recommendation
Rakuten Mobile says foreign customers gave strong marks to its usage fees and data allowance. Those are also the two points that matter most when trying to reduce fixed monthly costs in Japan.
Rakuten Saikyo Plan charges by data usage: 1,078 yen up to 3GB, 2,178 yen up to 20GB, and 3,278 yen over 20GB. These are tax-included prices, excluding calls and paid options.
For foreign residents, a clear monthly data ceiling is easier to compare than complex family or internet bundle discounts. That is why OtokuJapan often suggests checking Rakuten Mobile first.
Can foreign residents sign up?
Yes. Rakuten Mobile is a monthly mobile service for people living in Japan, and foreign residents can apply when they meet the identity, address, and payment requirements.
For identity verification, foreign nationals should generally prepare a valid residence card or special permanent resident certificate. Do not assume a passport alone is enough; check the official identity verification page before applying.
Your name, date of birth, and address should match your document and Rakuten account. Differences in Latin letters, katakana, middle names, building names, or room numbers are common causes of application trouble.
What to prepare before applying
Prepare a Rakuten ID, residence card or special permanent resident certificate, Japanese address, reachable email address, payment method, and a phone compatible with Rakuten Mobile.
Rakuten Mobile lists credit cards, debit cards, bank account transfer, and Rakuten Point use among payment methods, but availability depends on the application details. Confirm the official payment guide before deciding.
If you want to keep your current phone number, use MNP. Do not cancel your old carrier first; choose number transfer during the Rakuten Mobile application flow.
Who Rakuten Mobile fits
Rakuten Mobile fits students, language-school students, technical intern trainees, workers, and long-term residents who want to lower a recurring monthly bill. People who use video, social media, maps, translation apps, and video calls benefit most from the clear data ceiling.
If your phone supports eSIM, you can start without waiting for a physical SIM card. If you are worried about coverage, using dual SIM while keeping your current line is a practical test.
The main caution is coverage. Some mountain areas, underground spaces, deep indoor locations, and rural areas may still be weaker. Check your home, workplace, school, and commute route before switching fully.
Support for non-Japanese speakers is improving
Rakuten Mobile says its shops have added staff who can support multiple languages such as English, Chinese, and Nepali, and that contract documents such as flyers and important explanations are being made multilingual.
The company also announced that POCKETALK was introduced in 162 stores nationwide. Rakuten says these efforts helped raise the share of foreign-national contracts at Rakuten Mobile shops by 8% year over year to about 25% of all shop contracts.
Rakuten Mobile also says it is designing some service communication in easy Japanese, including payment-related notices. That matters after sign-up, not only during application.
What to check before applying
This ranking is useful evidence, but it does not mean Rakuten Mobile fits every person. Check coverage at home, work, and commute routes, device compatibility, and accepted identity documents.
Your residence card name, date of birth, and address should match the application. If you recently moved or your period of stay is close to expiry, fix those points first.
The practical conclusion is simple: Rakuten Mobile has strong foreign-resident adoption, clear pricing, and improving multilingual support. If you want to lower your phone bill in Japan, it is worth comparing early.