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Is there a SIM card in Japan that provides slow (128 kb/s or so) but cheap Internet service?

I will go to Osaka soon. I am looking for a SIM card that can provide slow but cheap Internet (elsewhere in Asia you can usually get a card like that for a few dollars).

Is such a SIM card available, pre-paid or otherwise?

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Is there a SIM card in Japan that provides slow (128 kb/s or so) but cheap Internet service?

Currently DoCoMo provides a ~10 USD (1080 JPY) SIM with 128 kbps data (for 20 days from first use), called the "Japan Welcome SIM": https://wow-j.com/en/sim_wifi/

You can use your smartphone at a communication speed of 128 kbps regardless of your data volume.

You can watch (tourism?) videos/ads to "earn" high-speed data. The limited-speed data is always available and unmetered. You can also pay for extra high-speed data, though the prices are a bit higher than other providers per-GB.

This has been available since late 2017 and will likely be available through 2020 at a minimum.

There's also a completely free variant, but it must be picked up in specific (less-popular?) regions. They appear to be sponsored by local companies, probably to attract tourists: https://wow-j.com/en/sim_wifi/plan0/

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From my quite extensive experience in Japan, you won't find much below 20 USD - 2,000 JPY. There's no market for slow internet, especially in Japan. I used to buy bmobile SIM cards, but I've switched to China Unicom cards, which I can buy in HK before leaving. They cost, for Japan, 90 HKD - 11 USD right now, when bought online.

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  • Do the China Unicom cards provide free slow Internet in Japan?
    – Vesa
    Jul 11, 2018 at 0:44
  • These cards have a fixed amount of high-speed internet and will only be valid for a limited number of days. They cannot be topped up or extended, but you can bring more than one. These are ideal for short-term visitors but cannot be bought in the country itself.
    – averell
    Oct 23, 2018 at 16:56

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