/ pocket wifi

Pocket WiFi Pickup Options in Japan: Which One Suits Me?

At eConnect Japan, a provider of mobile internet solutions for your travel needs, we offer more than just being a one-stop online ordering service. We have 4 pickup options for our Pocket WiFi rental service. This means that no matter what your vacation plans may include, be it camping in the countryside, hopping from Japanese style inns to hotels, to those who are just here for a couple days on business, we have the pick up option that suits you!

Those four options are airports, hotels, post offices, and residences. Let's explore how each one of these 4 options could suit your travel itinerary!

Airports

tilt photo of airport interior taken at daytime

This option is great because it allows you to have your device in hand, as soon as you land. Once you arrive at the airport, all you need to do is go to the airport post office with your passport to get your device.

If you're having difficulties finding the airport post office, just ask one of the attendants at the informational kiosks at the airport, the people there are super helpful and will guide you there! (Also, you will always be able to find decent English speaking staff at the major airports we cater... so don't worry about the language barrier!)

The airports we are able to offer the pick up services for are the international ones with active airport post offices. Below is a list of those airports.

The one downside to the airport pick up option is that there is a time constraint. The time for pick ups matches up with the hours of operation of that airport's post office. If the post office is closed when you land in Japan, then you won't be able to pick it up until working hours start (which could be a problem if you get there at 12:00 AM). There could also be other issues, like flight delays or last minute change of Airport you are flying into.

Hotels

hotel bedroom windows

The next option on the list are hotels! Most people will be staying in some sort of accommodation during their stay in Japan. If that accommodation is a hotel, then this is the pick-up option for you. It is very simple, once you get to the hotel, the hotel staff will inform you that the package is waiting for you at the check-in counter. Grab the package and be on your way! Easy peazy. This option is also great because unlike the airport post offices, no matter how late you arrive, your device will still be there waiting for you!

The downside to this option is that it leaves you venerable and mobile internet-less from the airport until you reach the hotel!

I would not worry much about this issue however, because in 2020 there are plenty of ways to manage a trip from the airport to your hotel! For example, you could use your network provider's roaming data until you reached the your hotel. The train systems here are so simple to navigate that just having the map pulled up on your phone or taking a screenshot of the directions from Google Maps (while on free airport WiFi of course), will enable you to easily navigate to your destination. That way you can make it to the hotel where your Pocket WiFi is waiting for you. Also, the trains/transportation from many of these airports to your destination can be easily navigated with the help of the airport staff. Just have the address or name of the place pulled up on your phone and don't hesitate to ask!

Post Office

photo of two red post boxes mounted in brown concrete wall

If you are a little more familiar with the layout of your area this is another very convenient pick up option. Simply pick the post office you want the unit sent to (we have an interactive map on the checkout process on our site), and go to the post office pick up counter with your passport and grab your package! Japan's post offices are truly some of the worlds best. They are located in every town in Japan so finding one will not be difficult. There are 24 post offices which would be a huge plus if happen to be staying near one!

However, the flip-side is that there may not be a 24 hour post office available where you are staying. Some of the smaller post offices in Japan are not open at night or on the weekends. The other downside to this option is similar to hotels. You will need to navigate to the post office without any mobile internet.

Residences

If you are staying with a family member or friend for some time here then one of the easiest and most straightforward options is to just have the unit sent directly to an address. Once you have it sent to the address, the package will just be dropped into that address' mailbox. Go to the address, check the mailbox, and grab your device! It's as simple as that. One thing we ask people to do when ordering to residences is to make sure the mailbox is not filled to the brim with old mail. If the postal worker can't fit the envelope into the mailbox, then they will take it back to the post office, making things more inconvenient for you!

This option is great but again having to find your way from the airport to the residence you ordered the device to may take a little bit of cunning and resourcefulness. But hey, vacation is about adventure right!

One other issue that people may run in when using this option is treating an Airbnb like a residence... we will explain why we don't recommend doing that in the next section below.

Time to jump into the world of exceptions!

Airbnb, Share-houses

If you are staying in non-traditional accommodation, like a share-house or an Airbnb, you may need to think about your options. As I said before, we typically do not recommend to ship to Airbnbs and hostels as residences because of the owner dilemma. Many times owners of Airbnbs don't actually check the mailboxes for months, or won't guarantee that you have access the mailbox. All these factors lead to a higher chance your device won't be delivered correctly. Since eConnect Japan's goal is to provide the utmost customer satisfaction, we want to do everything in our power to guarantee proper delivery.

But don't worry! If you are using an Airbnb or a share-house, we recommend you use one of the other pick up options. You can grab the device at the airport when you touch down, or from the closest post office to your Airbnb/share-house, which is just a quick google search away!

A pick up solution for all

To sum things up, airports, hotels, post offices, and residences are the 4 pickup options. Here at eConnect Japan, our aim is to provide a variety of pick up options that suits any type of travel itinerary. With our interactive and intuitive website, ordering Japan Pocket WiFi online has never been easier. We help you stay connected throughout your trip in Japan :)

Thanks and Sayonara!