5G and 4G coverage in Japan
The Goodbars Japan eSIM runs on NTT docomo, Japan's largest mobile network. Here is where docomo states 5G, what its own and the regulator's figures say, and where it says the signal thins out.
The short answer
NTT docomo is Japan's largest mobile operator: 32.9% of mobile contracts at 31 March 2026, or 39.5% counting the MVNO lines on its network (MIC, the regulator). docomo puts its 4G at about 100% of the population, and MIC measured its 5G at 89.4% of the population in March 2025. docomo names 5G spots at the main stations of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, Kanazawa, Hiroshima and Fukuoka. It says the signal can fail in tunnels and deep indoors, and that mountains, remote islands and the sea still have gaps.
The network
- Operator
- NTT docomo (NTT DOCOMO, INC.)
- Why this network
- Share of mobile contracts in Japan (MIC): 32.9% (March 31, 2026)
- Next largest
- KDDI group (au): 26.2% (March 31, 2026)
- Technologies
- 5G
- 5G SA
- 4G LTE
- 5G since
- March 25, 2020
- 3G
- FOMA (3G) and i-mode ended on 31 March 2026: 4G and 5G only since.
Coverage maps
- docomo service area map (5G, LTE and sea areas) In Japanese; loads only with JavaScript.
docomo's map exists in Japanese only: its English pages send you to the Japanese ones. It has layers for 5G, LTE (with speed tiers) and sea areas, and no 3G layer since the switch-off. Which 5G areas it draws depends on the phone model you select, and docomo says the areas are computed, so real signal can differ.
The coverage and speed figures on this page are NTT docomo's own, the regulator's or independent measurements of its network, each with its source. Goodbars has not measured them.
5G Where NTT docomo states 5G
These are the places docomo names in a 5G statement, most of them spots on its 5G SA (standalone) list of 31 May 2026. A spot proves 5G at that spot, not across the whole city; for the streets in between, docomo's map is the reference.
Hokkaido
- Sapporo5G SA spot around the south exit of JR Sapporo Stationas of May 31, 2026
Kanto
- Tokyo5G SA spot on the Marunouchi plaza of Tokyo Stationas of May 31, 2026
- Shibuya5G SA spot at Shibuya Scramble Crossingas of May 31, 2026
- Shinjuku5G SA spot at the east exit of Shinjuku Stationas of May 31, 2026
Chubu
- Kanazawa5G SA spots at JR Kanazawa Station (Shinkansen gates, Tsuzumi-mon gate, Motenashi Dome underground plaza) and in the Higashi Chaya districtas of May 31, 2026
- Mt Fuji5G SA at the summit around Kengamine, during the climbing season onlyas of May 31, 2026
- Chubu Centrair Airport5G SA spots in Terminal 1 and the Access Plazaas of May 31, 2026
Kansai
- Kyoto5G SA spots on the plazas at the north central exit and the Hachijo exit of JR Kyoto Stationas of May 31, 2026
- Osaka5G SA spots on the platforms of JR Osaka Station and in the 2F concourse of JR Shin-Osaka Stationas of May 31, 2026
- NaraNara Station area, on docomo's list of city centres due 1.4 times more Sub6 5G base stations by March 2026 (a target; we could not confirm it was met)as of 2025
Chugoku
- Hiroshima5G SA spot around the south exit of JR Hiroshima Stationas of May 31, 2026
Kyushu
- Fukuoka5G SA spot on the forecourt of JR Hakata Stationas of May 31, 2026
Okinawa
- NahaAmong docomo's first 5G spots in 2020: Kokusai-dori (around Matsuo 1-chome) and part of the Naha Airport domestic terminal (2F)as of March 18, 2020
Where NTT docomo states nothing
NTT docomo publishes no coverage statement for these places, so we do not guess one.
- Hakone
- Kamakura
- Nikkō
- Narita Airport
- Haneda Airport
- Kansai Airport
Coverage figures
Published coverage figures for NTT docomo's network: what each one measures, where it applies and when it was stated.
| Measured | Figure | Where | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5G population coverage, docomo's network | 89.4% | Japan, nationwide | March 31, 2025 | MIC: 5G infrastructure status under the new targets, end of FY2024 (published 30 March 2026, PDF, in Japanese) |
| 5G population coverage, all four operators combined (not docomo alone) | 98.6% | Japan, nationwide | March 31, 2026 | MIC: 5G deployment status, end of FY2025 (released 27 July 2026, PDF, in Japanese) |
| 4G (LTE) population coverage, docomo's network (docomo: "about 100%") | ~100% | Japan, nationwide | September 2025 | NTT DOCOMO Group: Sustainability Report 2025, p. 92 (PDF, in Japanese) |
| Population coverage of docomo's ground network | >99% | Japan, nationwide | February 9, 2026 | NTT DOCOMO: press release on its direct-to-satellite service (9 February 2026, in Japanese) |
Speed figures
Independent measurements of NTT docomo's network. Each figure says who measured what, and when.
Stated limits
Where NTT docomo or the regulator says coverage weakens or stops.
- docomo's map is computed, not measured. Even inside the mapped area, service can fail in tunnels and underground, inside buildings and on high floors. NTT DOCOMO: service area map and its notes (in Japanese)
- Inside a 5G area you can still end up on 4G: docomo's Sub6 5G reaches indoors less well than 4G, 5G on 4G frequencies runs at 4G speed, and a 5G icon on standby can switch to 4G once data flows. NTT DOCOMO: service area map and its notes (in Japanese)
- Around New Year, at big events and during disasters, the network can be congested and harder to connect to. NTT DOCOMO: service area map and its notes (in Japanese)
- In February 2026 docomo said that mountains, remote islands and sea areas still include places its ground network does not reach. NTT DOCOMO: press release on its direct-to-satellite service (9 February 2026, in Japanese)
- The regulator MIC reported in November 2020 that mobile coverage was complete on every Shinkansen line in service, tunnels included. That covers all operators, is not a 5G statement, and MIC notes weak spots where a connection can drop. MIC Tohoku Bureau: mobile coverage completed on all Shinkansen lines in service (25 November 2020, in Japanese)
- docomo lists 5G at some Shinkansen stations and set targets for more 5G base stations along the Tokaido and Tohoku lines, but it does not claim 5G the whole way on board. NTT DOCOMO: network improvement pledges for FY2024 (in Japanese)
Which network will I get?
You do not pick a network by hand. Your phone takes the best signal docomo has where you are, 5G or 4G LTE, as long as the phone and your plan support 5G. docomo itself says you can land on 4G even inside a 5G area, most often indoors, so a 4G icon in a station hall is normal.
Coverage questions
Which network does the Goodbars Japan eSIM use?
NTT docomo, Japan's largest mobile operator by contracts: 32.9% at 31 March 2026, or 39.5% counting the MVNO lines that run on its network, according to the regulator MIC. KDDI's au group is next at 26.2%. docomo itself counted 93.07 million mobile contracts at 31 March 2026, a figure that includes MVNO and communication-module lines (docomo IR data). docomo sells no travel SIM of its own: it ended its Japan Welcome SIM in September 2019 (docomo), so visitors reach its network through SIMs and eSIMs sold by other companies.
Is there 5G where I am going?
In the big-city station areas, yes: docomo lists 5G spots at the main stations of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, Kanazawa, Hiroshima and Fukuoka, and on Mt Fuji's summit in the climbing season. Away from those spots, check docomo's map street by street. MIC put docomo's 5G at 89.4% of the population in March 2025, but a 5G area is not the same as time on 5G: Opensignal found docomo users on 5G 9.8% of the time in early 2026.
Is docomo the fastest network in Japan?
Not on download speed. In Opensignal's January to March 2026 data docomo averaged 55.7 Mbps, behind SoftBank (65.1) and au (60.7), and nPerf's 2026 ranking puts it last of the four on its overall score. Where docomo leads is reach: it holds Opensignal's Coverage Experience and 5G Coverage Experience awards, and Ookla measured the highest 5G availability for it (38.4% in Q3 2025).
Does it work on the Shinkansen?
Every Shinkansen line in service has mobile coverage, tunnels included, according to MIC's 2020 report, which covers all operators; MIC also notes weak spots where a connection can drop. docomo lists 5G at some Shinkansen stations and set targets for more 5G along the Tokaido and Tohoku lines, but it does not claim 5G the whole way. Download tickets and maps before a long ride.
Is there 5G at Narita, Haneda or Kansai airport?
docomo does not say so today. All three were on its 5G spot list of May 2020, but none is on its current 5G SA list of 31 May 2026, and we found no newer docomo statement, so we list them as not stated. Chubu Centrair near Nagoya is on the current list.
What about Hakone, Kamakura and Nikkō?
docomo names none of them in a coverage statement. Its 5G SA list has spots elsewhere in Kanagawa and, in Tochigi, only a docomo shop called the Nikkō store, which says nothing about the town. docomo's map, in Japanese, is the place to check before you go.
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