Whether or not you’re a big fan of anime like me, you will want to be able to tap into the sweet collection of shows and movies they have for Netflix Japan. Unfortunately, if you’re in Japan, you cannot access all of it. That’s because Netflix restricts the content you have access to based on where you’re streaming from.
Therefore, even if you wanted to stream The Office like I did last year, you cannot access USA Netflix while traveling. This led me to seek out other options. I was able to bypass these restrictions by using a VPN that I already had for privacy-related reasons.
This allowed me to tap into the content I was already paying for while I was in Thailand as a tourist. If you are looking how to watch Netflix Japan wherever you are, you can use a VPN.
How Does a VPN Allow Me To Watch Netflix Japan?
Netflix uses your originating IP address to dictate what region you are watching from. Thus, if your IP address is originating from a USA IP address, you’ll be sent to the USA Netflix site.
Whereas, if your IP address was originating from a Japanese IP address, you would be able to watch Netflix Japan.
What Do You Need From The VPN To Watch Japanese Netflix?
Bypassing the Netflix Geo-restrictions is very simple with a VPN. Nowadays, VPNs are easier than ever to install and set up. With the click of a button, you can re-route your traffic through a Japanese IP address that will allow you to appear as if you are watching from Japan.
All you need is a VPN provider that has servers in Japan. As long as they have servers that you can access that are in Japan, you can watch it.
While you do need to find a VPN server that you get a good connection with, you can generally get by with having as little as a 10Mbps connection speed for HD Netflix.
If you want to watch in 4K with HDR, you’re going to want to find one that can offer you speeds above 25-30Mbps.
How To Watch Netflix Japan and Why Would You Want To?
The main reason you would want to use a VPN for this is to access content that is only available in Japan. Even if you are from Japan, you cannot access Japanese Netflix without the use of a VPN while traveling. Because a VPN can solve this issue relatively easily, it’s worth doing for everyone who wants to expand the content they have access to.
You’ll find a lot of regions get access to content that certain regions never get. Whether you want to access anime shows that aren’t on your region’s Netflix or you want to watch content that you’re already paying for, a VPN makes it a simple process.
Perhaps best of all, it anonymizes your traffic which can provide you with enhanced privacy to keep your ISP from seeing what you’re doing or even for using on public WiFi networks where your browsing and activity would be exposed.
Best VPN Options for Watching Netflix in Other Countries
I’ve tried just about every VPN service under the sun and this is the list of the best options that I’ve been able to test to watch Netflix in other countries. Keep in mind I’ve tested most of these in various locations across the globe, but not necessarily every single one in every possible country out there. That being said, here is your list!
NordVPN
NordVPN is probably the most well-known VPN service out there. Well-known for being able to unblock Netflix (and it freed up The Office for me!!) and perfect for maintaining top-level speeds even while streaming.
NordVPN is also one of the top rated when it comes to privacy. So if that’s high on your priority list you may have found your match.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is another very similar to NordVPN that I have tried. I loved the experience and I’ve used it frequently since. IT wasn’t as effective in South American countries, but Mexico worked fine for me. Express VPN is known for unblocking content in European countries.