Best VPN for Japan: Here Are Our Top 5 Providers

Whether you’re living in or outside of Japan, you most likely know the importance of a quality VPN. This tool will let you protect your privacy and prevent your ISP from spying on your online activities, which is essential for a country like this.

And while Japan’s laws aren’t very privacy-intrusive, if you live in this country, you’ll be able to use a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions. Besides, it allows you to change your online location, which benefits both people in and outside of the country.

With a great VPN, you can watch Netflix Japan abroad or enjoy BBC iPlayer, Hulu, or Disney+ in this country. Given its security benefits and the luxury of anonymous torrenting and saving money on online purchases, getting a dependable provider is a must.

But what is the best VPN in Japan for Japanese residents and those willing to get an IP from this country? Well, we rounded up 5 providers today, so I’d say you want to stick with us.

Best VPN for Japan: Our Top 5 Favorite Choices

As you get a full glimpse at our list, I just want to clarify a few things. Namely, it’s impossible to find a good free VPN for Japan, and free providers are generally not that good. Therefore, to provide you with the best choices, I’ll talk about 5 premium providers.

Before you ask, I made sure to choose the one with the most affordable prices. This way, you can get some awesome providers that won’t break the bank, but they’ll surely break geo-restrictions – here they are:

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is the most reliable VPN you can use in Japan (or elsewhere) with a stringent focus on security and privacy. It’s useful for people in and out of the country, especially given its huge server fleet. To be precise, it packs 6,300+ servers in 111+ counties, with more than 130 servers in Tokyo and Osaka.

These servers offer exceptional speeds, which makes NordVPN faster than ExpressVPN and the other VPNs below. Additionally, P2P servers are included, too, and NordVPN even works with Netflix Japan, which I found pretty useful for watching anime.

NordVPN’s Double VPN feature allows you to double your encryption but its Threat Protection bundle is even better. It includes an ad blocker (Web Protection) and malware protection, which enhances your security in conjunction with 256-bit encryption and its NordLynx protocol.

Based in Panama, NordVPN is a well-known player in log-less providers. Thus, with several audits from PwC, this provider will store pretty much nothing regarding your IP or browsing history. If you live in the neighboring country – China – you’ll be satisfied as well.

That’s because it has obfuscated servers that work in this country, allowing you to bypass censorship in the blink of an eye. As if it wasn’t enough – NordVPN is great for torrenting and it’s going to work with channels like Nippon TV or NHK.

Furthermore, its modern-looking apps are a sight for a sore eye and they’re available on any platform under the sun. NordVPN’s 10 simultaneous connections will blow you away and its customer support is more than decent, being available 24/7.

Overall, NordVPN has no critical issues except for expensive short-term plans and occasional connectivity issues on Windows. If that’s not a problem, its 2-year plan is the cheapest deal followed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. And being cheaper than ExpressVPN, I think it’s fair to call it the numero uno.

Want to know more? Read our comprehensive NordVPN review.

Get the best VPN for Japan: NordVPN

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2. ExpressVPN

My #2 VPN for Japan is ExpressVPN. I mean, you can’t go wrong with 3,000+ servers in 160 worldwide locations, which include this country as well. ExpressVPN has tons of servers in the land of the rising sun, benefiting those wanting a Japanese IP.

Needless to say, those living in the country will benefit as well. With servers in the US, the UK, Canada, and many other countries, bypassing geo-blocks will be a piece of cake. Moreover, ExpressVPN is one of the speediest options, giving you an enjoyable internet experience.

In fact, it’s awesome for streaming, and in my tests, it worked with every streaming platform I threw at it. Not to mention its P2P-friendliness, which allows you to download torrents anonymously even in the harshest conditions of censorship.

The provider sports a huge selection of security features. You get its RAM-based servers coupled with bank-grade encryption, a kill switch, and Lightway – a proprietary VPN protocol. But does ExpressVPN store any logs?

I’m happy to say it doesn’t. Plus, its zero-logs policy received an audit from KPMG recently, which further proves its bold claims. Those needing a great Japan VPN will be happy with ExpressVPN’s ability to unblock anime on Netflix or Crunchyroll abroad.

And thanks to great device compatibility, you can use it on all of your devices. Be it Windows, iOS, Android, or Mac – ExpressVPN supports them all! It’s the best Mac VPN I’ve had the opportunity to try. With 8 simultaneous connections and its solid 24/7 support through live chat, I think this is easily THE best provider out there.

Truth be told, I found no particular downsides during the years I spent with this provider. Besides, it offers a big 49% discount for the annual plan, which gives you 3 months free on top of the package.

Its 30-day money-back guarantee is here, too, and it makes getting a refund fairly easy. Although, why would you do that when this is the absolute best choice you can get?

Check out our full ExpressVPN review for more details.

Try ExpressVPN Today

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3. CyberGhost

Now, what about a more affordable choice like CyberGhost? For me, this is also the best VPN for Japan with 100+ servers in Tokyo and around 12,000 servers globally. Arguably, this isn’t the largest number of servers in the country but it’s still enough given their quality.

CyberGhost relies on impeccable security, affordable prices, and solid performance. This makes it an extremely popular choice for people living in Japan but also those abroad. After all, it offers dedicated streaming and torrenting servers that many users praise.

With them, you can not only torrent safely but also unblock Netflix Japan or watch Japanese TV abroad. Although, CyberGhost won’t work with Netflix Japan often, which is why NordVPN is a better choice overall.

Nevertheless, I found this provider very useful on numerous occasions. It comes with 256-bit AES encryption and WireGuard/OpenVPN support for added variety. Even an ad-blocker is here, making sure you remove the annoying ads and pop-ups in an instant.

CyberGhost also comes with NoSpy servers. They’re based in Romania and connecting to them grants you 100% anonymity. This can be said about its no-logging policy, too, which is amplified by transparency reports that CyberGhost publishes a few times a year.

Despite being a very cheap provider, it developed apps for all platforms and devices. And compared to NordVPN, it has only 7 simultaneous connections but on the flip side, you have 24/7 live chat support in 3 languages.

On the flip side, it’s not as intuitive and it won’t work in China due to the lack of obfuscation. The good news is that its 2-year plan is the cheapest on this list and comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

So, if you find yourself yearning for a better provider, CyberGhost will issue you a refund and you can use that money to get NordVPN instead.

Learn more about this provider in our detailed CyberGhost VPN review.

Find out more about CyberGhost

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4. Proton VPN

Who thought that a Swiss provider could be a good VPN service for Japan? Well, as crazy as it sounds, Proton VPN is one of the best options for security and privacy. And while not the fastest or the most capable by any means, this provider is a proper all-arounder.

It has a certified no-logging policy and is a well-known online freedom advocate, making it even more trustworthy. Not only that but Proton VPN actually has 79 servers in 2 cities in Japan, which isn’t a bad offer for a #4 VPN on this list.

Besides, Proton VPN is extremely capable of streaming and in my review, I managed to unblock even Netflix Japan with it. Most notably, it’s a solid option if you’re into torrenting, thanks to P2P servers that enhance your privacy and performance.

Proton VPN offers a few useful features such as an ad-blocker called NetShield, as well as Secure Core servers for tripling your encryption. In addition, there’s a VPN Accelerator for boosting your speeds by up to 400%, which works well in conjunction with WireGuard.

As it stores no logs, you can rely on it to browse the web anonymously in Japan or far away. To that, I should add its very intuitive apps that work on both mobile and desktop platforms. And to make things better, Proton VPN offers 10 simultaneous connections.

Not to mention a 100% free subscription plan with unlimited bandwidth and great security that very few providers will offer. However, compared to other providers on the list, it lacks better router compatibility, 24/7 live chat support in the free plan, and more affordable prices.

Indeed, Proton VPN is a bit more expensive and even its cheapest 2-year plan is pricier than the 2-year plan of NordVPN or CyberGhost. At least you get a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans, as well as a guarantee of impeccable security and privacy.

Read more about this VPN in our detailed Proton VPN review.

Try Proton VPN today

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5. Surfshark

Surfshark is a dream come true for those needing an affordable, yet quality Japan VPN. It has everything you need, from unlimited bandwidth and rock-solid security to unlimited simultaneous connections and easy-to-use apps.

As we speak, this provider has 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, with a few dozen servers in Tokyo. These are highly secure servers for people needing a Japanese IP, making the provider suitable for enjoying a great deal of security and anonymity.

Even if you live in Japan, you can utilize Surfshark for many purposes. With its streaming-capable servers, you can watch Netflix US or BBC iPlayer, and with MultiHop servers, you can effectively double your encryption for added safety.

Surfshark comes with a plethora of security features as well. Most notably it has bank-grade encryption, WIreGuard support, and an ad-blocker that works flawlessly. As of recently, Surfshark offers its Surfshark One plan with bonus features for a bit more money.

It comes with antivirus, Alert, and true incognito mode. Additionally, this provider is based in the Netherlands, so you can expect it to respect your privacy and store zero logs. In fact, its audits from Cure53 and Deloitte will eliminate any doubts about that, if there are any.

Much like CyberGhost, Surfshark relies on its affordable prices and a great price-to-performance ratio. Aside from slower speeds and seldom kill switch issues, Surfshark is pretty much perfect. It’s great for streaming, allows for torrenting, and is security-oriented.

Whether or not you live in this country, this really good VPN for Japan will cost you less than three dollars a month, which is pretty cheap. That is if we talk about its 2-year plan that boasts a 30-day refund period along with other plans.

Visit our Surfshark review to learn more. Or see how it differs from the best choice in our Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison.

Enjoy SurfShark in and out of Japan

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Free VPN for Japan: Are There Any Good Free Providers?

I think you already know this, but let’s repeat it once again. Free products will always be inferior to their paid counterparts and the same especially applies to VPNs you can use in or outside Japan. If you’re not willing to pay for a subscription, you shouldn’t expect great performance.

Free VPNs are, therefore, known for their numerous limits in terms of speeds, bandwidth, security, and even privacy, as many of them store logs. In 100% of the cases, free providers won’t work for streaming and they forbid torrenting.

Everything I mentioned makes them far less usable than NordVPN or ExpressVPN, for example. In addition, you should know that free VPNs rarely have Japanese servers, except for Proton VPN and a few non-recommended providers.

As such, they won’t be convenient if you want to get a Japanese IP abroad or stream Netflix Japan. In short, getting a good free VPN for Japan isn’t possible unless you’re willing to settle for more than a few compromises.

In that case, we can recommend only two options, such as:

Proton VPN

As mentioned, Proton VPN has a great free version I used many times without problems. It offers unlimited bandwidth, almost all security features, and easy-to-use apps. While this is great, pretty much anything else is disappointing.

With Proton VPN Free, you’ll get no simultaneous connections, just 5 server locations (one in Japan!), slow speeds, and no streaming/P2P support. In this case, Proton VPN won’t work with Netflix or uTorrent, so it’ll be good just for Google searching or browsing.

If you’re in dire need of a VPN and you currently don’t have any money to get it, this one is a good temporary solution. Don’t expect it to satisfy you in the long run due to the obvious limitations that many users will find extremely annoying.

Hide.me

Hide.me is a provider I haven’t mentioned today. It’s a highly secure VPN with lots of security features and a certified no-logging policy akin to Proton VPN. It also comes with 24/7 support and apps for all platforms, so it’s compatible with any system.

The bad thing(s) is what makes this free provider problematic. A glaring issue is its inability to unblock Netflix and no Japanese servers, making Hide.me unsuitable for users abroad. Of course, its P2P support is also non-existent and you get no simultaneous connections, as you most likely expected.

At least you’ll get unlimited bandwidth, so there are no restrictions as to how much you can browse and go online privately. To digress, pretty much all free VPNs for Japan will come with at least one or two limits but in all cases, it’s significantly more. Proton VPN and Hide.me will be solid short-term solutions if you want to stay safe online and enjoy anonymity.

In the long run, the top 5 VPNs for Japan that we presented are going to do a much better job.

In Conclusion

With so many providers on the market, finding the best VPN for Japan isn’t so hard after all. When compiling my list, I made sure to include VPNs that are fast, secure, and capable of streaming and torrenting.

My favorite VPN in Japan is NordVPN and I recommend it because it has no particular flaws, except for a slightly higher monthly plan price. However, if your budget is more “elastic” an option like ExpressVPN is excellent because it’s fast and offers Japanese servers.

While CyberGhost, Proton VPN, and Surfshark are very affordable, they’re still impressive for Japanese users who want exceptional privacy. Besides, all providers come with at least a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose by testing them out.

Just a quick reminder – CyberGhost has a 45-day money-back guarantee, making it the most flexible out of all services on the list. Therefore, if you’re interested in testing it, you can do so risk-free, although we still deem NordVPN the safest and most reliable choice on this list.

Try NordVPN Today

What’s it gonna be, now? Which VPN are you going to choose? Let us know.

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FAQ

Let’s finish everything up by answering a few important questions regarding this topic.

How to get a VPN usable in Japan for free?

If you want to get a VPN for Japan for free, there are two options. You can go for free providers like Proton VPN or Hide.me and enjoy their limited offerings. However, I recommend another solution that you might not have considered.

Having in mind that premium providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee (or 45, like CyberGhost), you can use this to your advantage. This means that you can get a premium VPN, use it for 30 or 45 days, and get a refund before that period expires.

By doing this, you actually got a refund, you didn’t lose any money, yet, you managed to experience a premium VPN. Believe me – the second option is much better and it’ll give you a much better experience.

How to watch Netflix Japan with a VPN?

To watch Netflix Japan, you need to trick Netflix into believing that you’re located in this country. This can be done through the Japanese IP that you can get with the VPNs I presented above. Another important thing is that a VPN works with Netflix.

For instance, CyberGhost isn’t going to work with Netflix Japan in most cases, so I recommend NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Using them, just connect to a server in this country, visit Netflix, and you’ll be able to enjoy this library.

Is VPN legal in Japan?

Yes, it absolutely is. Many people confuse Japan with China where censorship and surveillance are at their peak. Even in this country, you can freely use any provider as long as you can bypass the Great Firewall of China.

In Japan, though, VPNs are fully allowed and it isn’t a so-called “grey area.” This means that you can get whichever provider you want, subscribe to it, and use it limitlessly. Of course, make sure you stay on the right side of the law.

If you use a VPN for criminal activities or distributing copyrighted content, you’ll be in big trouble.

How to watch Netflix Japan without a VPN?

The only way to do that is to connect to a network in Japan. And to do that, you’ll need to buy a flight ticket to Japan, pack your bags, and travel to this country. Seriously – you can’t watch Netflix Japan without a VPN! It’s the #1 solution to change location on Netflix without leaving home.

After all, a VPN will cost you a few dollars a month, so you won’t pay that much to access all the movies and shows you want.

Can I watch Amazon Prime Japan with a VPN?

Yes, but only with a provider that works with Amazon Prime Video and has Japanese servers. For this purpose, I recommend using NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or CyberGhost.

These three providers are proven and tested solutions for unblocking streaming platforms like these. Simply connect to a server in this country using any of them, visit Amazon Prime, and enjoy the content you want.

Can I use a VPN to watch Japanese anime?

Yes, you can. You can get a Japanese IP to access Netflix Japan and enjoy shows like Naruto Shippuden, Death Note, One Piece, and many others abroad. Alternatively, you can watch live Japanese TV channels where anime shows are often broadcast.