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The Best VPNs for Japan
Simon Migliano
Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He's tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more. Read full bio
The best VPN to change your IP location to Japan is ExpressVPN. Its extremely easy-to-use apps and fast Japanese servers provided us with unrestricted access to geo-restricted content on the widest range of devices. NordVPN came a close second in our tests by delivering the fastest internet speeds from overseas, while TunnelBear is one of the very few secure VPNs to offer free Japanese IP addresses.
Finding a genuinely secure and reliable VPN for Japan is more challenging than it needs to be.
As we researched VPNs for this guide, we came across dozens of free apps called either ‘VPN Japan’ or ‘Japan VPN’ that missed our selection criteria by a huge margin.
Never in a million years would we ever recommend you use one of these slow, shady and ineffective VPNs.
Instead, the VPNs that excelled in our tests will assign you functioning Japanese IP addresses via secure servers that can also unblock geo-restricted services such as Netflix Japan, AbemaTV, TVer, and Prime Video Japan from overseas.
Summary: The Best VPNs for Japan
Of the 61 we tested for Japan, only these three VPNs exceeded our high expectations:
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
Not only will these VPNs help you unlock Japanese Internet as if you were in the country, they’ll also secure your free public WiFi connections while you’re visiting the country.
VPN Comparison Table
You can use the table below to compare our chosen VPNs based on server locations in Japan, access to Japanese content platforms, speed, and price.
The Best Japan VPNs Reviewed
We tested 61 VPNs to find the services that offer servers in Japan, deliver fast speeds, and reliably assign a Japanese IP address.
We also assessed their ability to unblock geo-restricted Japanese streaming services, specifically the Netflix Japan catalog.
Following our tests, here are the three best VPNs for getting a Japanese IP address and accessing Japanese streaming services from abroad.
The service’s all-roundness is quite simply unmatched, and if want to access the best server coverage in Japan through the most user-friendly VPN apps on the market, then ExpressVPN is the VPN or you.
ExpressVPN’s Japanese server locations.
Our #1 Choice for Japanese Streaming
Throughout our tests, ExpressVPN’s servers in Japan reliably unblocked the vast majority of Japanese streaming services we tested. See our streaming results below:
Streaming Service
Unblocked?
AbemaTV
Yes
DAZN Japan
No
dTV
Yes
Hulu Japan
Yes
Netflix Japan
Yes
Prime Video Japan
Yes
TVer
Yes
TV Tokyo
Yes
U-Next
Yes
WOWOW TV
Yes
ExpressVPN and NordVPN performed very similarly in our streaming tests. For Japanese Netflix in particular, NordVPN was actually more reliable since not every ExpressVPN server worked all the time.
ExpressVPN unblocks Netflix Japan and other streaming services.
But ExpressVPN is simply unbeatable when it comes to its usability and device compatibility. Not even NordVPN can compete.
In addition to very well-designed and beginner-friendly apps on computers and smartphones, ExpressVPN is especially great on streaming devices, like Fire TV Stick and Apple TV.
All these native apps use the same user interface which makes switching from one device to another child’s play.
Plus, you also have the option to use ExpressVPN’s dedicated VPN app for routers to cover all your household’s devices. No other VPN currently offers this.
More Expensive Than NordVPN
The main downside to using ExpressVPN is its subscription cost: the cheapest price you can currently get is $4.99/mo over 28 months, which is higher than most other VPNs.
The service’s 7-day free trial is available to new iOS and Android users, and you can then use your newly-created account details on your other devices.
There’s also a no-hassle 30-day money-back guarantee on all subscription plans that you can take advantage of.
NordVPN came very close to pipping ExpressVPN to the post, with its Japanese servers registering an average speed loss of just 11% compared to ExpressVPN’s 17%.
Thanks to NordVPN’s impressive speeds, we easily loaded and streamed geo-restricted Japanese content, such as Netflix’s Japanese library. All servers worked flawlessly, including the default Japan server which worked every single time.
NordVPN’s Japanese server locations.
Great Streaming Alternative to ExpressVPN
Just like ExpressVPN, NordVPN can access most geo-restricted Japanese streaming services. Here are the full results of our streaming tests:
Streaming Service
Unblocked?
AbemaTV
Yes
DAZN Japan
No
dTV
Yes
Hulu Japan
Yes
Netflix Japan
Yes
Prime Video Japan
Yes
TVer
Yes
TV Tokyo
Yes
U-Next
Yes
WOWOW TV
Yes
Just like ExpressVPN, the only geo-locked library NordVPN couldn’t access was DAZN Japan (our DAZN VPN of choice for VPN is Windscribe).
NordVPN’s native apps are well-designed and intuitive to use on a wide range of devices, including Fire TV Stick and Apple TV.
NordVPN unblocks the Netflix Japan library and also stream popular Japanese TV.
That said, NordVPN isn’t as compatible as ExpressVPN since it doesn’t have a native router app, therefore making it much harder to use on gaming systems and Roku devices.
Before purchasing it, you can give the NordVPN’s 7-day free trial a go through the Play Store, or take advantage of the service’s 30-day refund guarantee.
TunnelBear is the only secure VPN that lets you manually select free servers in Japan, and therefore is the best choice to get a free Japanese IP address from overseas.
TunnelBear offers free Tokyo-based IP addresses.
Our previous top choice was Proton VPN, but sadly you can no longer manually select its free Japanese server location.
Despite being a safe product, with good speeds, TunnelBear has several limitations that won’t satisfy everyone’s needs.
Firstly, it has a monthly bandwidth cap of 2GB, which is a lot less generous than other free VPNs, like Windscribe or Proton VPN.
Secondly, we were disappointed that it can’t unblock geo-restricted Japanese streaming services. Basically, you can only use TunnelBear to access Japanese websites with much weaker IP-based restrictions in place.
Finally, there are no apps for streaming devices like Fire TV or Apple TV, let alone for routers. This severely handicaps your ability to use TunnelBear on devices other than smartphones and computers.
Given the severe limitations of TunnelBear’s free VPN, we suggest using a subscription-based VPN with a money-back guarantee or a free trial offer to get a free Japanese IP address for a limited period of time.
There are surprisingly many VPN providers that operated servers in Japan. Mostly are subscription-based VPN services, and in all honesty, many disappointed in our battery of tests.
Out of the 61 VPNs we examined, these are all the VPNs that offer access to Japanese IP addresses:
AirVPN
Astrill
Avast
AVG Secure VPN
Avira Phantom VPN
Bitdefender VPN
CyberGhost
ExpressVPN
FastestVPN
Free VPN by FreeVPN.org
Hide.me
HideMyAss
Hotspot Shield
IPVanish
IVPN
Kaspersky VPN
McAfee Safe Connect
Mullvad VPN
NordVPN
Norton Secure VPN
Perfect Privacy
PrivadoVPN
Private Internet Access
PrivateVPN
Proton VPN
Proton VPN (free version)
Psiphon
PureVPN
StrongVPN
SuperVPN Free VPN Client
Surfshark
TorGuard
TunnelBear
TunnelBear (free version)
VPN Unlimited
VPN.AC
VyprVPN
Windscribe
X-VPN
ZoogVPN
How to Watch Japanese TV & Netflix with a VPN
As we’ve already explained, using one of our recommended VPNs will allow you to access geo-blocked Japanese content from outside the country.
The process involved is incredibly simple. Below we’ll show you how to access the Japanese Netflix library, but the instructions to unblock other Japanese content platforms is almost identical.
As we’ve said already, the process to access content platforms that block non-Japanese IP addresses is essentially the same.
All you need to do is connect to a Japanese server location and then launch the streaming service you want to unblock.
ExpressVPN working with Abema TV.
Popular VPNs That Didn't Make Our Selection
We tested 61 VPNs and discovered that many were slow, didn’t have Japanese servers, or couldn’t bypass Japanese geo-blocks.
Even some very big industry names failed to deliver optimal results in our tests. We’ve listed below popular VPNs that we don’t recommend for Japan, and why.
VPN Service
Why We Don’t Recommend It for Japan
Private Internet Access
PIA VPN is a good VPN for Japan, but it struggles to unblock a number of Japanese video platforms.
Surfshark
While Surfshark maintains servers in Japan, none of them worked with the Japanese streaming services we tested.
IPVanish
Unlike Surfshark and PIA, IPVanish did unblock some Japanese streaming services, however it couldn’t bypass Prime Video Japan geo-blocks.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost has servers in Tokyo that worked with Netflix Japan, but its speeds from abroad were much slower than ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
Proton VPN (Free)
Sadly, you can’t manually connect to Proton VPN’s free servers in Japan. Unless you’re located in a nearby country, the app will automatically connect to the closest free server location.
Urban VPN
Urban VPN is not a VPN you can trust. It logs your IP address, it leaks DNS requests, and it struggles to unblock most geo-restricted content platforms, including Japanese ones.
The table below summarizes some of the test results from a selection of the 61 VPNs we tested for Japan:
How We Test VPNs for Japan
In order to find the best VPNs for Japan, we tested the speed and reliability of 61 VPNs with servers in Japan.
During our tests we assessed each VPN’s ability to unblock geo-restricted Japanese streaming services, including the Netflix Japan catalog. We also tested connection speeds into Japan. Fast speeds ensure high picture quality with no buffering.
Similarly, we consider device compatibility a key factor, especially having a native Fire TV Stick application that successfully unblocks Japanese streaming apps.
See how the best Japan VPNs performed in our key testing categories using the table below:
What We Did: Counted the number of Japan servers in each VPN’s network, including how many city locations it offers, followed by the use of IP address checker to confirm a successful Japan connection.
Why It’s Important: A Japanese IP address will enable you to unblock geo-restricted content. Furthermore, the more Japan servers a VPN offers, the better its performance is.
Optimal Result: 100s of Japan servers spread across multiple Japanese cities.
2. Access to Netflix Japan: 20%
What We Did: Tested each VPN a number of times with the Japanese Netflix library.
Why It’s Important: Netflix Japan is a desirable library that many looking for a Japan VPN want to access.
Optimal Result: Unblocks Netflix Japan each time with no buffering or bugs.
3. Access to Other Japanese Streaming Services: 20%
What We Did: Tested each VPN with a number of popular Japanese streaming sites, including AbemaTV, TVer, DAZN Japan, dTV, TV Tokyo, U-Next, Hulu Japan, Prime Video Japan, and WOWOW TV.
Why It’s Important: These tests show which VPNs unblock the most Japanese streaming services and offer the best performance.
Optimal Result: Unblocks every streaming service we test.
4. Speed: 15%
What We Did: Performed in-house speed tests to assess each VPN’s download speed when connecting into Japan from various global locations.
Why It’s Important: Fast speeds enable smooth browsing and buffer-free streaming in high quality resolution.
Optimal Result: Less than 15% download speed loss connecting to the VPN’s Japan servers.
5. Streaming Device Compatibility: 15%
What We Did: Inspected how many apps are compatible with streaming devices and tested their performance, including for Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, and Android TV.
Why It’s Important: The more streaming devices a VPN has the more ways you can stream Japanese content.
Optimal Result: Has custom-built, easy-to-use apps available for all major streaming devices, as well as a Smart DNS and router app.
FAQs
Is It Legal to Use a VPN in Japan?
VPNs are entirely legal in Japan and it’s completely okay to get a Japanese IP address from overseas, as long as you don’t use it for illegal activities.
How Do I See English Subtitles on Japanese Netflix?
Many Japanese Netflix titles include English subtitles, but not all. If they’re available, you’ll find them in the Audio and Subtitles section (bottom right corner) of the options panel.
Most Netflix Japan titles come with English subtitles, but not all do.
Do I Need a VPN to Watch Fuji TV?
No, you do not need a VPN to access Fuji TV from abroad. You can access the TV channel’s website and stream its video content from anywhere in the world.