Nuro Mobile is a Japanese MVNO launched by So-net (run by Sony). Nuro Mobile provides long-term cellular contracts, either on the SoftBank or NTT DoCoMo network—depending on which you want, your pricing will differ. They also supply rechargeable prepaid tourist SIM cards, which can be purchased at select airports and major train stations in Japan. Read more about prepaid SIM cards in Japan.
Note: Nuro Mobile do not, as far as we can tell, offer English-language support for their long-term options. Intermediate or advanced Japanese-language ability is recommended.
Nuro Mobile offer a range of different data-only and voice+data plans on 12-month contracts (with penalties if you cancel early). These include 2GB, 7GB and 13GB plans. Data-only is the cheapest option. If you need a new device with your contract SIM, you can purchase a phone from Nuro Mobile—as of March, 2019, these included various models of the ZenFone and moto series, as well as the Aquos sense plus.
Whether you take out a contract with Nuro Mobile or purchase a prepaid SIM card, you’ll need to configure the APN before you can use any data—you’ll be given instructions on how to do this. With the prepaid SIM, it is a simple process.
See how Nuro Mobile plans compare to other long-term cellular options in Japan.