Best Free Apps to See Japanese TV Abroad
Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, is full of technological advancements and amazing television content. Therefore, it is understandable when Japanese people that are far from home start to miss their favourite TV shows. It is also possible that you are non-Japanese but you also love all things Japanese, including their TV shows. These days, you don’t have to visit Japan to enjoy Japanese content. With technology, via the internet, you can now visit Japan virtually.
Through brilliant innovations such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and several other apps, you can watch your most loved Japanese TV channels from anywhere you are. With these apps, you get access to Japanese content on sites like Netflix Japan, Fuji TV, Nippon TV, U-Next, Animax, AbemaTV, etc., wherever you are, at your own time and convenience.
Quick Guide
- ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN is one of the best VPN services to watch Japanese TV abroad. Its mobile app provides features such as protection, anonymity and unrestricted access to blocked content.
- NordVPN – This VPN has a fantastic, risk-free app that keeps your device secure while on the go and also unblocks all the Japanese content you need online. Its military-grade encryption ensures you are kept away from hackers and malware.
- SurfShark – SurfShark delivers swift and safe connections to its users. It operates a zero-logs policy that keeps you away from prying eyes. It also has a kill switch that ensures your data is protected, even when your connection drops. Most importantly, it gives you access to Japanese TV from outside the country.
- Crunchyroll – Crunchyroll is the home of anime. It streams anime and other Japanese shows for free. If you would love to have the premium experience the app offers, you only have to pay a relatively low price.
- ProtonVPN – ProtonVPN provides you with unlimited bandwidth as you stream your favourite Japanese TVs from anywhere you are in the world. It concerns itself with your privacy and safety. The app supports P2P file sharing and torrenting without hassle.
- TV Japan Live – TV Japan Live is an online platform that allows you to watch and stream Japanese TV for free. It lets you use its services without you having to watch ads or pay for the ads to go away.
Free Apps to See Japanese TV Abroad
Watching Japanese TV abroad might have seemed like an unattainable feat 20 years ago, but with the invention of devices such as smartphones and smart TVs, coupled with the power of VPNs, this seemingly impossible feat has become very possible with just a few taps here and a few clicks there. We have provided a list of 6 free apps you can use to see Japanese TV from anywhere you are. These apps would:
- Offer you Japanese content on major devices.
- Keep your devices protected from external cyber-attacks.
You will also get:
- Several amazing features apart from streaming.
- Easy to install and launch services.
ExpressVPN
Key features
- No logging of personal data
- Excellent customer support
- Over 3000 servers
- Fast and reliable speeds
ExpressVPN is one of the topmost risk-free apps to see Japanese TV abroad. This provider has a solid app for most devices that keeps your personal information protected while watching your beloved Japanese shows. It also makes certain that you enjoy unlimited bandwidth as you download and stream. ExpressVPN gives you over 3,000 servers to choose from to watch any content all over the world. These servers which are located across 94 countries, including Japan, help you to access your favourite Japanese movies and television shows.
With ExpressVPN, there are no restrictions. You can watch whatever you want. The service unblocks websites that are geo-blocked by the government or ISPs. ExpressVPN offers rock-solid privacy to its customers by keeping your real location hidden from prying eyes. Its no-logs policy allows you to browse and download anonymously, without the VPN service keeping a record of your activities.
ExpressVPN allows three devices connected simultaneously so you can stream Japanese TV on any device you like. Although ExpressVPN is not entirely free, its 30-day money-back guarantee makes it possible for you to use its services for free within the first 30 days. All you need to do is request for a refund before the duration elapses, and voila, you get your money back.
NordVPN
Key features
- Super-affordable
- Cryptocurrency payments allowed
- Compatible with all devices
- Optimized servers with AES 256-bit encryption
NordVPN is another risk-free app that allows you to watch Japanese TV abroad without interruptions, via the ultra-fast connections that it provides. NordVPN gives you an IP address from Japan, changing your virtual location so you can watch Japanese TV unrestrictedly wherever you are.
With the NordVPN app, you have assured privacy on the go. It is available on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android devices, so no matter the operating system you have, NordVPN has got you covered. The service realizes how much of a buzzkill slow connections and buffering is, because of this, it has over 5,300 servers that bring you the swiftest VPN experience. Its servers also support peer-to-peer sharing and torrenting.
NordVPN allows you to secure up to six devices at the same time on a single account so family members can connect to it and also enjoy Japanese TV whenever they like. And like ExpressVPN, this provider is also not completely free, but through its 30-day money-back guarantee, you can use its services essentially for free. To do this, be sure to cancel your subscription at any time during these 30 days, and you will get your money back! All you have to do is make a request via its customer support service.
Surfshark
Key features
- Ads and tracking blocker
- Connects unlimited devices simultaneously
- Excellent speed
- 24/7 customer support
Like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, SurfShark also offers a risk-free option to see Japanese TV abroad. The provider gives you unrestricted access to geo-blocked content by hiding your IP address and giving you a different one. To access Japanese TV from outside Japan, all you need to do is download the SurfShark app on your preferred device and follow the prompts.
You don’t have to bother about whether you can access your TV shows on the go because this VPN has apps for major operating systems including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux. These apps can all be downloaded for free, but to access Japanese TV, you need to make a payment. However, as mentioned earlier, this is completely risk-free because the provider allows you to request for your money back within a 30-day period.
In addition to Surfshark’s unblocking service, it also keeps your device safe from malware, phishing, annoying ads and trackers with its CleanWeb feature. SurfShark’s kill-switch is another very important feature that keeps your information private. It ensures that your data remains secure even when your VPN connection drops, for whatever reason.
In comparison to other VPN services, SurfShark stands out by allowing unlimited simultaneous connections. With a single subscription, there is no limit to the number of devices you can connect. It’s simply amazing.
ProtonVPN
Key features
- Best free VPN on the market
- Easy to use Android app
- Superb security features
ProtonVPN has over 800 servers in about 50 countries of the world, including Japan. No matter where you are, all you have to do is connect to a Japanese server through this VPN service, and you would get unrestricted access to your favourite Japanese TV shows, movies and anime.
The ProtonVPN app is very easy to install and even easier to use. This makes it very suitable for both VPN beginners and experts. It is available on all devices and operating systems like Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and others. ProtonVPN has a free version, so to use this service you don’t have to pay any subscription fees. It’s free forever until you decide to upgrade your plan. No matter what plan you are on, you get unlimited bandwidth connection to stream Japanese TV for as long as you like.
It operates a strict no-logging policy that ensures your data and activities while watching your Japanese TV stays safe from third parties. With ProtonVPN’s DNS leak protection, your internet activities can never be traced back to you. Its customer support is available 24/7, if you happen to hit a snag while watching Japanese TV abroad, you are sure to get a solution in a short while of contacting them.
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is a great website that is well-known for being the main source of web anime for several years. It offers a wide range of anime content, and also some non-anime content. The Crunchyroll app allows you to stream your favourite shows in high definition. Even though the bulk of Crunchyroll’s content is anime, it also presents shows in other genres like action, comedy, adventure, fantasy, romance, and several others. It provides English or Japanese subtitles for some of the shows it offers.
Crunchyroll is free, but if you would love to access some specific content, you would need a premium account. Crunchyroll Premium has a strong simulcast support, that is, you can watch the same shows that those in Japan are watching at almost the same time; it has more than 40 simulcast shows in its library. In addition to this feature, Crunchyroll offers a simulcast calendar to help you keep track of all your favourite episode releases.
One downside to watching Japanese TV with the free version of Crunchyroll is that it is riddled with ads and it does not support offline downloads on mobile devices. Crunchyroll’s amazing features, however, would make you forgive this snag.
TV Japan Live
TV Japan Live is an independent platform that allows you to watch Japanese TV channels online and in high-definition absolutely free of charge. You can watch whatever Japanese show you want without disturbances and interruptions such as ads or delays. The idea behind TV Japan Live is to let you watch your favourite television shows from the comfort of your home; all you need is an Internet connection and you are good to go.
TV Japan Live offers more than a thousand HD TV channels on its platform. Using the app is very simple and stress-free, just choose which of the TV channels you would like to play, then sit back and enjoy. TV Japan Live has its channels running without interference 24/7; you do not have to be bothered by scheduled maintenance. In addition to being ad-free, you also do not have to worry about geoblocks or restrictions; the service is open to all, so you’re in the clear from location barriers.
Furthermore, TV Japan is available and supported on most devices; Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS.
Benefits of Watching Japanese TV
Watching Japanese TV has various benefits that are great for both Japanese and non-Japanese. If you’re a newbie to Japan’s great TV content and still unsure why you should jump on the train, perhaps these would convince you:
- Entertainment – Japan is known to offer jaw-dropping and attention-grabbing shows that keep their audience wanting more. If you are in a new location and you are looking for how to keep boredom away, you should consider streaming some Japanese shows.
- Culture and Lifestyle – Immersing yourself in Japanese TV shows and movies is a sure-fire way to learn more about the rich culture and lifestyle of the Japanese people.
- Language – If you want to learn the Japanese language or you want to brush up on the knowledge you already have, watching Japanese TV shows could help with that. When you hear a new word on a show, you could research to learn more about it. Also, making use of subtitles goes a long way to help with your learning process.
- Eliminates nostalgia – Moving to a new country could leave you missing and craving the lifestyle and TV shows back home. If you’re a Japanese person living abroad, getting apps and streaming services that feature shows peculiar to your home country could satisfy your cravings for home.
Conclusion
Most TV shows, channels and websites restrict their content to certain regions; however, the apps mentioned in this article will help you to bypass these restrictions easily and almost without charge. Additionally, the VPNs listed will also provide you with security, anonymity and unlimited internet access to further improve your online TV experience.