Can I Still Get Connected with Japan Prepaid SIM/Pocket WiFi? / Case 7: Shiratani Unsuikyo Valley (Kagoshima)


Checking map, contacting with people, searching for something, etc. etc.
Internetting is essential, especially when you travel abroad.
 

But, even at famous tourist spots, Japan sometimes has no connectivity with the internet.
How do you know that beforehand?

 
Japanese 3 major mobile phone companies NTT DoCoMo, au (KDDI), and SoftBank provide the maps, showing how far each company’s frequency reach.
 

But unfortunately, these are available only in Japanese.
So, in this page, I checked it on behalf of you.

 

Case 7: Shiratani Unsuikyo Valley (Kagoshima)

Shiratani Unsuikyo is one of the most famous hiking routes in all of Yakushima where has a rich flora, including ancient specimens of the sugi (Japanese cedar).
 

Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki used to visit there for many times for grabbing the image of the forest in the anime masterpiece, “Princess Mononke.” In the movie, you can make sure how the atmosphere of Shiratani Unsuikyo Miyazaki reflected for “Princess Mononke.”

 

 

Shiratani Unsuikyo Valley is placed at the most popular tourist spot in Yakushima at TripAdvisor. You can read over 100 feedback in English over Shiratani Unsuikyo Valley at TripAdvisor website.

 

As for connectivity in the area, you need to pay much attention as Shiratani Unsuikyo Valley is located in the middle of island.

According to my research today, NTT DoCoMo is the best. Their network’s LTE area somehow covers Shiratani Unsuikyo itself.
It would probably be more accurate to say that the other two — SoftBank and au (KDDI) — do not cover the valley.

Although you can get connected with the internet around coastal areas of the island with all the three providers, if you want the internet around the valley, you are better off to rent a data SIM card or a pocket WiFi router with the NTT DoCoMo’s network.
*Please note that even NTT DoCoMo may not cover Shiratani Unsuikyo due to unseasonable weather.

 

Although they are available only in Japanese,
I just put links to network compatibility maps offered by them in one place.
If you want to check it through the links below by yourself, put Japanese word “白谷雲水峡” into their search windows.
 
NTT DoCoMo
SoftBank *Hard to search by yourself alone
au (KDDI)

 

If they can not help you at all, or if you have a specific area to be checked,
feel free to send me an inquiry through the link below or just comment here.
 

LightPocket Website Contact Form

 

Good trip starts from good preparation.
Hope your travel in Japan will be memorable.
 
 

Source:
UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Yakushima

 

Official certified guide of Yakushima:Yakushima Geograpihc Tour

 

 

[Disclaimer]
The contents of this article are from the data taken as of September 19th, 2018, and each company’s connectivity is changing (mostly improving) monthly.