The Best VPN Services for Japan in 2024

Among all the other Virtual Private Networks in the industry, ExpressVPN easily comes out as the best. Many of its users believe this to be the truth because it has practically every feature you would want to see and have in a Virtual Private Network.

In terms of security, ExpressVPN uses an Advanced Encryption System (AES) with 256-bit keys. This is exactly the same amount of encryption that the US military applies to their online data. This heavy encryption mechanism helps to ensure that you do not have to worry about mediocre security online. However, it is worthy of note that practically every other VPN on this list offers this military-grade encryption system.

Among some of its other qualities comes the ability to bypass geo-restrictions owing to its numerous servers worldwide. To make things particularly interesting, it does so at optimal speeds. It is one of the fastest VPN services out there. Not only when you are using it but also when connecting to its servers. As such, your streaming quality does not lag. To help you see how fast you are going online, ExpressVPN has a speedometer.

Besides that, it has an excellent customer service that is available 24/7 if you need to iron out any issues. Another noteworthy thing about ExpressVPN is its strategic location at the British Virgin Islands, which is outside European or American jurisdiction, and not mandated by law to keep data logs.

Perhaps, the only downside to the service is that it is a bit costlier than others. However, they have a thirty-day money-back guarantee that saves you from having to rush into a decision you might not like.

NordVPN is one of the top-ranking and most popular services out there today. For us, it is the only VPN that comes relatively close to ExpressVPN’s quality and standard.

One of its primary features is its incredibly high standards when it comes to encryption and security. Much like ExpressVPN, it uses military-grade encryption systems to protect you. However, unlike many other VPNs in the industry, it doubly encrypts your internet traffic. Additionally, while guiding you across the treacherous waters of the web, it passes you through two servers instead of one. This, combined with the double encryption, makes it nearly impossible for any internet “assailants” to get to you online.

It is strategically located in Panama. This part of the world has no data logging regulations. As such, you don’t have to worry about the higher authorities snooping around your information, either. More privacy for you.

Its platform is simple and straight to the point, which makes it much easier to use than some others. With NordVPN, you can bypass geo-blocks and stay connected to Hulu, AbemaTV, etc. Additionally, with multiple servers located in Japan, you can easily access Japanese platforms when you are abroad.

Considering the quality of service you get from this VPN, its prices are some of the most affordable in the industry. To save you a bit of cost, you can opt-in for longer durations. That way you’ll get discounts. They also have a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you need some time to be sure first.

This Virtual Private Network is comparatively new in the industry. Nevertheless, it has somehow grown so big that it is not able to compete with the major VPN services like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, NordVPN, etc. It covers all the checklists a VPN should have, including zero-logs policy, the kill switch, and others. However, its advantages do not end there.

Among some other VPNs in the internet privacy industry today, SurfShark is quite easy to use. You don’t have to be a tech wizard to understand its basics and connect to the internet here.

With over a thousand servers across about 61 countries in the world, SurfShark gives you a wide range of choices in locations you can connect to. With Surfhark, you don’t have to worry about speed. You can stream movies, shows, anime, and whatever catches your fancy without having to wait those annoying few seconds/minutes while your show buffers. This is mainly possible because SurfShark does not throttle your connection no matter how much time you spend on the internet.

One more thing you get to enjoy with SurfShark is incredibly pocket-friendly discounts. As you progress higher on the duration you want to use the VPN for, you get more discounts, and you can save money. So much so that you can spend as low as $3 per month. This makes it the least expensive to use in Japan. Nevertheless, it still allows for a thirty-day money-back guarantee period. This VPN is a particularly excellent choice if you would like to stream your best shows on Netflix Japan or Netflix Hulu from outside the country.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a US-based VPN service provider that was recently acquired by Kape Technologies. It is an affordable VPN service with over 2000 servers in 48 countries, including India. The company has a strict no-logs policy and does not record any details about its users’ activities. This VPN is a good option for users who want to stream HD content on your favorite platforms.

PIA uses the AES-256 encryption standard as well as the OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP/IPsec protocols. Additionally, the PIA Mace feature blocks ads, malware, and tracking, which significantly improves the streaming process. It includes other outstanding features like split tunneling, Shadowsocks proxy, and auto-connect. It also has a kill switch feature that blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops. For added security, there is IP leak protection and obfuscation. PIA’s strong security features give you the peace of mind you need when using all your streaming sites.

The app is available on Windows, Linux, iOS, macOS, and can be configured on supported routers. Users can use a single subscription on up to ten devices at the same time. Subscription plans can be purchased with credit cards, PayPal, and other online payment systems, including gift cards. For users who want to try it out first, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.

With over fifteen years of experience in the internet privacy industry, CyberGhost is easily one of the oldest Virtual Private Networks out there. Today, it is one of the fastest-growing VPNs in the industry. Hence, its presence on our list.

It has more than 5900 servers in about 89 different countries in the world. This sheer number of servers is more than enough if you want choices to work with inside Japan. With most VPNs, you can only connect as much as five devices per subscription. While a lot of people consider this relatively sufficient, CyberGhost goes a step further by offering seven simultaneous connections on their platform. Yes, this includes gaming consoles, PCs, and mobile phones.

Due to the impressively high level of security on CyberGhost, you don’t have to constantly log out of one terminal and move to another, assuming the terminal changes. It makes use of the same military-grade 256-bit encryption that we spoke of earlier. For your protection, it has a kill-switch that ensures that you are logged off the internet if you have connection issues. This is largely so because, during those times when your VPN goes down, you are vulnerable.

Apart from its zero-logs policy, CyberGhost is a Romania-based VPN. This place doesn’t emphasize data retention laws. As such, your privacy is guaranteed on the web. Its platform is generally very convenient and simple to use.

It functions with virtually all Japan-based internet televisions. As such, streaming on platforms such as Tver shouldn’t be much of a problem whether or not you’re in Japan.

This VPN is another excellent companion to have in Japan if you are looking to protect yourself on the internet. While it is coming in at number seven on our list, in some ways, its qualities still rival that of VPNs like NordVPN, etc.

It has about 170 servers in 91 different zones across the world. Admittedly, this isn’t quite as much as the thousands that some other VPNs offer. However, when you really think about it, this number is sufficient. For example, if you’d like to connect to the US from Japan, you really don’t need a million servers to do so.

In addition to the effectiveness of its servers, however few, it also provides military-grade security in its 256-bit encryption system. As addendums, it has OpenVPN, the kill-switch, L2TP, etc. All of these function to protect you online in one way or the other. While its customer service is pretty good, it is not exactly available every day of every week.

One of the major reasons it is on our list today is that it is excellent for long term commitments. At the top of the list is its one-year plan that goes as low as $3.33 per month and $39.95 annual subscription fee. Apart from this is that this VPN gives you a free trial period of three days. During those days, you don’t have to make financial commitments unless you want to exceed the 1gb data cap.

While the VPN’s servers are indeed not as much as some others, it does have its redeeming qualities. Its long-term savings is one of them.

With upwards of fifteen thousand terabytes of encrypted data and excellent VPN qualities, this VPN deserves its mention in our list.

It is relatively new. As such, there are just around a hundred servers in its archives. However, those servers reach about 60 different countries across the world today. They are small but just enough to work with if you are looking for a great VPN for Japan.

Like every other VPN service above, this one too does not log your internet activities on its system. It has excellent security capabilities. For your encryption, it uses a 2048-bit encryption system along the 256-bit Advanced Encryption System used by the military. It also has a kill-switch so that you can log out immediately your VPN goes down. That way, your IP address and other important details would be kept safe.

In terms of speed, this VPN also proves its mettle during various tests. It can help you stream quality content online with little to no lag.

Their customer service is another great reason you can make them your companion online. They promise to help you remotely solve issues with your VPN if the need ever arises.

To make things even better, despite their newness to the industry, they offer a 100% thirty-day money-back guarantee. That is, if you find out, in your first thirty days of subscription, that they are not all that they seem or promise to be, you can ask for a refund. Upon making that request, you will get refunded of every last penny you spent on a subscription to their platform.

Founded back in the year 2014, ProtonVPN has seen major growth in its quality of service over the years. With ProtonVPN, you get access to 785+ servers in forty-eight different countries around the world. Excellent figures. Its speeds are incredible, and it has a capacity of more than 900gbps. This means that it has speed as well as stability in its portfolio.

As expected, it offers great encryption and privacy services. It doesn’t keep logs of your internet activities, and its encryption system is military-grade. These two things, combined with its stable internet connection, helps you to prevent your data from leaking into the wrong hands, or any hands at all. It has incredible speeds that can rival and beat several other Virtual Private Networks in the industry. As such, your comfort while streaming and surfing is guaranteed.

While it does come with a free version, there is an option to upgrade to premium. However, you should keep in mind that the premium version gives you full, unrestricted access to all their features. Unfortunately, with the free version, you have some limitations.

Interestingly, ProtonVPN beats the standard of several VPNs in the industry as regards simultaneous connections. It allows its users to connect up to ten different devices at a time. This is perfect for you if you are the type of person who multitasks with activities like playing video games on your console and replying to texts on your mobile. Apart from coming along with a free version, there is a thirty-day money-back guarantee. Dissatisfied? You’ll get your money back.

The final Virtual Private Network on our list is ZenMate. It is a very affordable VPN service provided by a company named Kape Technologies. For several reasons, it has appeared on our list. However, one of them is how customer-oriented they are. For example, at the time of this article, they are offering an incredible 6-month free promo to users.

The company is based in Germany and has more than seventy-four different places in the world where you can find its servers. This, however, is not the only reason it is a great VPN service for Japan. Apart from that, it has extensions for Chrome and Firefox in addition to being available on different platforms for use.

It follows the standard and uses a 256-bit encryption system. However, in addition to that, it promises not to keep logs of your activities on the internet. This is besides the fact that they have protections for you against DNS leaks, and they also have a kill-switch.

There is a seven-day free trial. Now, when you are travelling outside Japan for about a week or so, you can easily use this to your advantage. If you are looking to save a bit of cash, sign up for the free trial, use it to stream Japanese restricted sites and have a great time. However, upgrading to a paid customer is always better than looking for the next free thing. Its speeds are super fast, and it allows for a connection to an infinite amount of devices at a time.