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The Best VPNs for Japan

Updated Apr 25, 2025

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

Fact-checked by Simon Migliano

The Short Answer

The best VPN for Japan is ExpressVPN, with an exceptional test rating of 9.6/10. Its easy-to-use apps and fast servers in Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama provide unrestricted access to popular geo-restricted Japanese websites and apps on the widest range of devices.

Japan VPN

With the right VPN, you can connect to a server in Japan, get a Japanese IP address and access geo-blocked content platforms such as Netflix Japan, AbemaTV, TVer, and Prime Video Japan from overseas.

Sadly, not all VPNs have servers in Japan and even those that have are often unable to bypass Japanese geo-restrictions.

Summary: The Best VPNs for Japan

Of the 61 we tested, there are only three VPNs we recommend for getting a Japanese IP address from overseas:

ExpressVPN: Best VPN for Japan Overall
NordVPN: Fastest VPN for Japan
TunnelBear: 100% Free VPN for Japan

Why Trust Us?

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.

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 VPNs for Japan 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.

1. ExpressVPN: Best Japan VPN Overall

Ranked #1 out of 61 VPNs for Japan

ExpressVPN

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Overall Japan VPN Rating: 9.6/10

Japan Server Locations
9.7/10
Netflix Japan
9.6/10
Japanese Streaming Sites
9.5/10
Speed
9.7/10
Streaming Device Compatibility
9.3/10

To learn more, read our VPN testing methodology.

Fast speeds connecting into Japan
Tokyo, Shibuya, Osaka & Yokohama servers
Unblocks most Japanese streaming services
Fire TV Stick, Apple TV & router apps
7-day free trial & 30-day money-back guarantee

Not all Japan servers unblock Netflix Japan
Above-average subscription cost
Unable to access DAZN Japan from overseas

Pricing Plans	$12.95/mo $6.25/mo over 16 months $4.99/mo over 28 months
Servers	3,000
Countries with Servers	106
Simultaneous Connections	8

Support	24/7 Live Chat
Compatible with	Windows Mac iOS Android Linux Amazon Fire TV Android TV Apple TV Router Chrome

ExpressVPN is the overall best VPN for Japan we’ve tested, and our top-rated VPN for unblocking streaming services around the world.

It has 4 server locations in Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Shibuya, and Yokohama. Throughout our tests, these servers reliably unblocked the vast majority of Japanese streaming services we tested.

Take a look at our streaming results:

Japanese Streaming Service	Unblocked by ExpressVPN
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 also unblocked the Japanese Netflix library, but not every server worked all the time. We found NordVPN’s servers to be more reliable.

ExpressVPN with Netflix Japan on macOS

ExpressVPN unblocks Netflix Japan and other streaming services.

It was one of the fastest VPNs connecting into Japan, with an average download speed of 83Mbps — only 17% slower than our usual internet speed.

Importantly, ExpressVPN offers the widest device compatibility of any VPN service.

It’s particularly great for using on streaming devices, in addition to the expected native applications for computers and smartphones.

For instance, we used ExpressVPN’s Fire TV Stick and Apple TV apps to easily watch geo-restricted content on Netflix Japan.

The 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.

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

NordVPN's app for iOS

NordVPN

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Overall Japan VPN Rating: 9.5/10

Japan Server Locations
9.4/10
Netflix Japan
9.9/10
Japanese Streaming Sites
9.5/10
Speed
9.7/10
Streaming Device Compatibility
8.9/10

To learn more, read our VPN testing methodology.

Fastest speeds connecting into Japan
Over 179 servers in Japan
Most reliable at unblocking Netflix Japan
Access to AbemaTV, TV Tokyo, TVer
Fire TV Stick, Apple TV & Android TV apps
Good value for money

Smart DNS doesn’t work for Japan
Doesn’t unblock DAZN Japan
Fewer Japanese cities than ExpressVPN
Renews at a much higher price
No dedicated router app

Pricing Plans	$12.99/mo $4.59/mo over 15 months $2.99/mo over 27 months
Servers	7,150
Countries with Servers	118
Simultaneous Connections	10

Support	24/7 Live Chat
Compatible with	Windows Mac iOS Android Linux Amazon Fire TV Android TV Apple TV Router Chrome

NordVPN delivered the fastest download speeds connecting to Japanese server locations.

During our tests, NordVPN delivered 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, it didn’t work with DAZN Japan. Here are the full results of NordVPN’s Japanese streaming tests:

Japanese Streaming Service	Unblocked by NordVPN
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

Like ExpressVPN, NordVPN’s apps are well-designed and intuitive to use. It’s compatible with a wide range of devices, and its Fire TV Stick app is particularly great if you want to stream on your TV.

NordVPN Netflix Japan Streaming

NordVPN is able to reliably access Netflix Japan and stream popular Japanese 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.

Although it’s not quite as versatile, NordVPN is a very close contender to ExpressVPN. It’s also more affordable, costing $2.99/mo over 27 months.

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.

The Best Free VPN for Japan

1. TunnelBear: 100% Free VPN for Japan

Ranked #1 Free VPN for Japan

TunnelBear's free app for iOS

TunnelBear Free

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Visit TunnelBear

Overall Japan VPN Rating: 2.1/10

Japan Server Locations
5.0/10
Netflix Japan
1.0/10
Japanese Streaming Sites
1.0/10
Speed
8.8/10
Streaming Device Compatibility
0.1/10

To learn more, read our VPN testing methodology.

Free servers in Japan
100% safe to use
Private logging policy
Fast connection speeds into Japan

Won't work with Japanese Netflix
Doesn't unblock most Japanese streaming sites
No apps for streaming devices
Not compatible with router
Monthly data cap

Data Cap	2GB per month
Servers	5,000
Countries with Servers	47
Simultaneous Connections	5

Support	Email & Online Resources Only
Compatible with	Windows Mac iOS Android Linux Amazon Fire TV Android TV Apple TV Router Chrome

TunnelBear is the only free and secure VPN with servers in Japan. As such, it’s clearly best choice for getting a free Japanese IP address from overseas.

However, the VPN has several limitations. Firstly, it has a monthly data cap of 2GB, which is a lot less generous than other free VPNs like Windscribe or Proton VPN.

TunnelBear Free Japan Server

TunnelBear has free Japanese IP addresses based in Tokyo.

Secondly, we were disappointed that it can’t unblock geo-restricted Japanese streaming services, so you can only use it to access Japanese content with much weaker geo-blocks in place.

Finally, TunnelBear doesn’t have any apps for streaming devices like Fire TV or Apple TV. It’s only useful if you want a VPN for your portable devices.

Given the severe limitations of TunnelBear’s free VPN, we suggest using a paid VPN with a money-back guarantee or a free trial.

Visit TunnelBear

How to Watch Netflix Japan with a VPN

Netflix displays different content in different countries. It uses your IP address location to block you from streaming libraries outside your physical location.

To change your Netflix region you’ll need an effective VPN, which not only spoofs your IP address but is specifically-designed to evade Netflix’s VPN blocks.

Japanese Netflix has one of the best content libraries available, but many VPNs fail to unblock it. The video below shows you how to do it using ExpressVPN.

Unblocking Japanese Netflix from the UK using ExpressVPN.

Below are simple step-by-step instructions on how to unblock Japanese Netflix with a VPN:

How to Stream Netflix Japan with a VPN

Subscribe to a VPN with fast international speeds and consistent access to Netflix Japan, like NordVPN.
Download and install the VPN on your chosen device. Keep in mind that not all VPNs are compatible with Smart TVs, routers, or Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Launch the VPN and log in with your usual account credentials.
Connect to a VPN server in Japan.
Head to netflix.com/jp/ and sign in.
You should see that the content library has changed, and you can now stream Japanese Netflix content.

Many of our readers use a Fire TV Stick to access their favorite streaming services, including Netflix.

The video below shows how to use a VPN, in this case NordVPN, to unblock Japanese Netflix on Firestick:

You can stream Japanese Netflix via your Fire TV Stick when using a VPN.

How to Unblock Netflix Japan on Fire TV Stick with a VPN:

Launch your Fire TV Stick and head to the Appstore.
Search for your VPN and install its Firestick app. We recommend NordVPN’s Fire TV Stick app Fire TV Stick, which works reliably in our testing.
Login to your VPN account and connect to a Japanese server.
Open Netflix while connected to the Japanese server.
You can now stream Japanese Netflix content on your Fire TV Stick.

If you encounter issues following any of the instructions above, there are a number of solutions to fix your VPN not working with Netflix.

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.

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:

VPNs with a data cap receive a reduction to their overall rating.

Proton VPN Free Speed Tests

Testing Proton VPN Free’s speed.

1. Japan Server Locations: 30%

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

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.

Netflix Japan English Subtitles

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.