Analysis of the Best VPNs for Japan
In order to find the best VPNs for Japan, we tested the speed and reliability of 65 VPNs with servers in Japan.
During our tests we also assessed their ability to unblock geo-restricted Japanese streaming services, specifically the Netflix Japan catalog.
And after testing which VPNs work with which Netflix library, we can also affirm that most popular VPNs can’t unblock Netflix Japan.
Following our tests, here are the three best VPNs for getting a Japanese IP address and unblocking Japanese streaming services from abroad.
1. ExpressVPN: Best Japan VPN Overall
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Fast speeds connecting into Japan | Not all Japan servers unblock Netflix Japan |
Tokyo, Shibuya & Yokohama servers | Above-average subscription cost |
Unblocks almost all Japanese streaming services | Unable to access DAZN Japan from overseas |
User-friendly Firestick, Apple TV & router apps | |
Seven-day free trial & 30-day money-back guarantee | |
This overall rating is calculated using the following category ratings. To learn more, read our testing methodology.
Japan Server Locations: 9.7/10
Unblocks Japan Video Content: 9.5/10
Unblocks Netflix Japan: 9.6/10
Speed: 9.7/10
Device Compatibility: 9.3/10
ExpressVPN is the overall best VPN for Japan we’ve tested, and our top-rated VPN for unblocking streaming services around the world.
The VPN’s three server locations in Japan continue to deliver extremely fast download speeds, connecting from nearby and faraway countries.
In fact, ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs connecting into Japan, with an average download speed of 83Mbps – only 17% slower than our usual internet speed.
Throughout our tests, these servers unblocked the vast majority of Japanese streaming services we tested including the Japanese versions of Prime Video and Hulu, AbemaTV, TVer, U-Next, and TV Tokyo.
ExpressVPN also unblocked the Japanese Netflix library in all our tests, although we found NordVPN’s servers to be more reliable at unblocking that specific catalog.
ExpressVPN offers the widest device compatibility, especially with streaming devices, in addition to expected native apps for computers and smartphones.
For instance, we used ExpressVPN’s Fire TV Stick and Apple TV user-friendly apps with our TV to easily watch geo-restricted content on Netflix Japan.
Moreover, ExpressVPN has also developed an extremely rare app for routers. This allows you to get a Japanese IP address on devices that don’t support VPN software
The downside to using ExpressVPN is its subscription cost: the best price you can currently get is $6.67 per month on a 15-month plan, which is higher than many other VPNs.
At least you can use ExpressVPN’s free trial to test the VPN for free. This is available to iOS and Android users, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for other platforms, too.
2. NordVPN: Fastest VPN for Japan
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Fastest speeds connecting into Japan | Servers in Tokyo only |
Over 80 Japan VPN servers | Smart DNS doesn’t work for Japan |
Most reliable at unblocking Netflix Japan | Doesn’t unblock DAZN Japan |
Good Fire TV Stick & Android TV app | No dedicated router app |
Very good value for money | Renews at a much higher price |
Access to Fuji TV, TV Tokyo, Prime Video Japan |
This overall rating is calculated using the following category ratings. To learn more, read our testing methodology.
Japan Server Locations: 9.4/10
Unblocks Japan Video Content: 9.5/10
Unblocks Netflix Japan: 9.9/10
Speed: 9.7/10
Device Compatibility: 8.9/10
NordVPN recorded the fastest download speeds connecting to Japanese server locations.
During our tests, NordVPN recorded an average speed loss of just 11% compared to ExpressVPN’s 17%. Thanks to these impressive speeds, we easily loaded and streamed geo-restricted Japanese content.
NordVPN was especially consistent at unblocking Netflix’s Japanese library. The default Japan server worked every single time, which didn’t surprise us since NordVPN is a very good Netflix VPN in general.
The VPN also unblocks other popular Japanese streaming services and catalogs, including those of Prime Video and Hulu. However, NordVPN didn’t work with DAZN Japan.
NordVPN’s apps are well-designed and intuitive to use. You can use NordVPN on a wide range of devices, and its Fire TV Stick app is particularly great if you want to stream on your TV.
Sadly, NordVPN doesn’t have a dedicated router app like ExpressVPN does, which makes it harder to use on games consoles and Roku devices.
NordVPN is a very close contender to ExpressVPN as the best VPN for Japan. It’s also more affordable, costing $3.29 per month on a two-year subscription plan.
Before purchasing it, you can use the VPN for free by taking advantage of NordVPN’s free trial offer via Android. Or, you can make the most of its 30-day refund guarantee.
3. Proton VPN Free: Best Free VPN for Japan
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
15 free Japan servers in Tokyo & Osaka | Free app doesn’t unblock Netflix Japan |
Fire TV Stick & Android TV apps available | No browser extensions |
Fast speeds into Japan | Blocked by many Japanese streaming platforms |
Completely free & no data cap |
This overall rating is calculated using the following category ratings. To learn more, read our testing methodology.
Japan Server Locations: 8.5/10
Unblocks Japan Video Content: 0.0/10
Unblocks Netflix Japan: 0.0/10
Speed: 9.4/10
Device Compatibility: 7.0/10
The free version of Proton VPN is one of the only free VPNs that offers an unlimited data allowance and multiple servers in Japan.
These servers worked reliably to assign us a free Japanese IP address and access some Japanese websites, like AbemaTV, although they couldn’t beat the majority of geo-restrictions.
Sadly, Proton VPN Free has never worked with Netflix Japan, or any other Netflix library. It didn’t unblock the India catalog in our India VPN tests.
This is not unusual: we have yet to find a free VPN that can access Netflix Japan from overseas. Most free VPNs don’t even operate servers in Japan.
And apart from AbemaTV, Proton VPN Free couldn’t unblock any other Japanese TV or streaming service.
However, if you were to upgrade to the paid version of Proton VPN, then you would be able to unblock Japanese content on its 28 servers in Tokyo and Osaka.
On the plus side, the speeds of Proton VPN’s free software into Japan were exceptional. We recorded speeds of 87Mbps – only marginally slower than our fastest Japan VPN, NordVPN.
If you don’t need to unblock geo-restricted Japanese streaming content, then it’s absolutely worth giving Proton VPN a try before buying a VPN subscription.