No Japanese address proof yet: where to start
A passport-only pickup route may be an option. It does not mean every plan accepts a passport or that a voice eSIM can be delivered instantly online. Separate your current location from the documents you expect to obtain after arrival.
Match your documents to a pickup route
These are routes for monthly plans with a Japanese voice number, not data-only travel eSIMs. The comparison is limited to Sakura and Mobal. Requirements checked 9 September 2026; follow the current instructions for your exact product.
| Product and situation | Payment | Documents and receipt | Before relying on the number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sakura monthly Voice + Data eSIM: applying from outside Japan | Credit or debit card | Follow the overseas application route and collect the physical envelope at a partner counter for identity checking. | Check the provider's activation instructions. Ordering an eSIM does not mean an active number is delivered by email. |
| Sakura monthly Voice + Data eSIM: in Japan, using a passport without accepted Japanese address proof | Card, or the separate Smart Pit cash route | Card: airport, Shinjuku and other listed counters. Cash: the guide directs this route to Shinjuku. Match your documents and payment to its current table. | Check collection and activation separately. The cash route also has an upfront deposit; see the cost guide. |
| Mobal physical Voice + Data SIM: pickup in Japan | New orders: credit/debit card or PayPal. Cash is not currently accepted. | Bring your valid original passport and order confirmation; the passport name must match the order. Use the collection point and date in your confirmation. | After collection, request activation in MyAccount using the SIM serial number. Choose your plan/start date and wait for confirmation. |
Sources: Sakura receipt routes · Mobal new-order payment FAQ · Mobal ID requirements · Mobal collection instructions.
A late pickup does not guarantee a working number that night
For Mobal physical Voice + Data SIM orders placed after 21 July 2026, the processing guide lists activation processing from 10:00 to 18:30 JST. Requests after 18:30 are processed from 10:00 the next morning. An open pickup counter is not an open activation desk.
The activation guide also warns that activation can take up to 24 hours in some cases. Follow the confirmation for your order, rather than planning around a guaranteed 90-minute or same-night connection. These hours are not a rule for every Mobal product or for Sakura.
A newly issued number also does not guarantee that every bank, ticketing service or other app will accept it for SMS verification. Check the service you intend to use. Keep a temporary internet option for maps and messaging while you wait.
If you are still outside Japan
Sakura's monthly Voice + Data eSIM guide describes an overseas application route using a credit or debit card and collection of a physical envelope at a partner counter. That is why choosing eSIM does not remove the collection step in this case. Official receipt guide.
Plan around the documents you have now. A future address or appointment to register it is not the same thing as a document the provider has accepted.
If you are already in Japan
For Sakura's domestic passport-only route, the same guide lists airport, Shinjuku and other counters for card payment, and Shinjuku for Smart Pit cash payment. Email receipt is conditional on a different document route. Check the guide's current table rather than applying an overseas instruction to a domestic order.
Mobal's physical SIM collection instructions ask for an order confirmation and passport. The product, collection location and opening hours still need to match your order. Mobal product and collection information.
Three things to settle before paying
1. The document route. Open the application instructions for the exact product, then identify the row that matches your documents and payment method. Send identity documents only through the provider's official process.
2. The collection route. Write down the counter, terminal or city location and collection date. Allow time after landing for immigration and baggage; a flight arrival time is not a pickup time.
3. Your fallback. If the number is not ready, decide how you will reach your accommodation. A temporary internet connection may solve maps and messaging, but it does not substitute for a Japanese number when a service specifically requires one.
Once your resident documents are ready
Revisit the shortlist. IIJmio's foreign-resident guidance identifies residence-card and credit-card requirements for voice service. Eligibility is an application decision, not something this site can approve. Do not treat a newcomer-friendly collection route as proof that a plan is the best long-term value.
Next: compare setup costs or make an arrival-day plan.
Document-based guidance updated 9 September 2026. No personal-use claims or affiliate links.