Can I rely on public Wi‑Fi in Japan in winter?

Public Wi‑Fi in Japan is useful as a backup, but it’s not reliable enough to depend on in winter. Many networks are time‑limited, require registration, or become very slow when crowded, such as during festivals or rush hour in major stations. Standing outside a convenience store in freezing temperatures just to reconnect every 60 minutes gets old quickly. For navigation, translations, and checking train disruptions, a personal data connection via eSIM or SIM card is far more dependable and comfortable in cold weather.