Best Overseas VPNs for Japanese People

Traveling outside of Japan means that you automatically lose access to Japanese content that was formerly accessible to you. This is because once your IP address no longer shows that you are in Japan, you will be blocked from accessing content meant strictly for those living in Japan.

This is not a problem if you have an effective Virtual Private Network (VPN) to get around the geo-blocks. A VPN not only evades geo-blocked content but also preserves your identity in the process. With this location by-pass, you can be in the United States and enjoy Japanese TV shows, games, social media, and any website that requires a Japanese IP address.

Below, you will find some of the best VPNs for accessing Japanese content overseas.                                                       

Quick Guide

A quick look at these will give you a fair idea of what to expect with these VPNs.

  1. ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN is easily the best VPN based on its global coverage, fantastic download speed, and excellent customer support.
  2. NordVPN – NordVPN offers excellent services at affordable prices. With NordVPN, the quality of service exceeds the cost.
  3. SurfShark – SurfShark is a great provider with exceptional unblocking ability and impressive attention to security.
  4. UltraVPN – UltraVPN’s one-click connect makes it easy to locate the fastest servers around, making the process exceptionally stress-free.
  5. CyberGhost – CyberGhost is fantastic for new users. It is also an excellent choice for users looking for premium internet security on a budget.
  6. ProtonVPN – Offers a free mode, coupled with excellent unblocking abilities. With more than 800 servers, ProtonVPN is a trusted VPN option.
  7. Trust.Zone – You can trust Trust.Zone to unblock Japanese content and give you speedy access to your favorite shows and movies from wherever you are.

7 Best Overseas VPNs for Japanese People

These VPNs have been expertly tested and have come out top among the array of VPNs on the market. Each of these VPNs will deftly unblock your devices for unrestricted streaming and give you 24/7 security on the web as long as you stay connected.

ExpressVPN

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Key features

  • No logging of personal data
  • Excellent customer support
  • Over 3000 servers
  • Fast and reliable speeds

ExpressVPN is located in the Virgin Islands and has one of the highest numbers of extremely fast servers with about 3,000 servers currently located in over 194 countries of the world, including Japan. Thus, for shows like Sumo wrestling or NPB Baseball, you can stream comfortably at your own pace from anywhere in the world. It is also reliable for sharing large files online.

For security, ExpressVPN is rated highly too. In the first place, it makes use of virtual servers, which further limits the possibility of hacks. When there is no physical server, the likelihood of data leaks becomes way less. Also, ExpressVPN has a standard military-grade encryption, is equipped with a kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection.

Unfortunately, ExpressVPN does not provide a free trial version. However, it allows you to have a risk-free, paid 30-day trial period. You can decide to ask for a refund if you aren’t satisfied. Getting the refund is pretty easy and straightforward, so you do not need to worry that your funds may disappear forever.

ExpressVPN is a great choice for watching Japanese television outside Japan, such as shows like GYAO or AbemaTV.

NordVPN

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Key features

  • Super-affordable
  • Cryptocurrency payments allowed
  • Compatible with all devices
  • Optimized servers with AES 256-bit encryption

NordVPN is an excellent choice for users on a budget. It has an impressive number of servers – 5300+ across 59 countries, guaranteeing fast download speed. With more than 50 servers located in Japan alone, access to Japanese content from anywhere in the world will not be challenging at all.

Furthermore, with NordVPN, you hardly need to worry about device compatibility. It has native apps that are compatible with Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and macOS. You can also make use of the browser extensions which are available for both Chrome and Firefox.

Again, the VPN can be set up on any router model, for further device protection of your device. Routers will also allow you to connect more than the 6 devices you are allowed to connect on NordVPN. Privacy is extremely important to NordVPN, so it does not keep information logs of users.

It also provides banking-level encryption, a kill switch as well as malware and ad blockers. NordVPN gives you the option of making payments with Bitcoins if you prefer an even safer payment option.

NordVPN is a great choice for watching shows such as the Japanese Netflix version or Amazon Prime Japan.

Surfshark

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Key features

  • Ads and tracking blocker
  • Connects unlimited devices simultaneously
  • Excellent speed
  • 24/7 customer support

SurfShark is an excellent VPN choice. It has 1,000+ servers located on 5 continents. It has some unique features that makes it stand out from among the rest. An example is its Whitelister feature. It helps to prevent some apps from being covered by the VPN. This is incredibly helpful if you want to make use of your real IP and stream Japanese content with the VPN at the same time. Furthermore, it has the CleanWeb feature that routinely blocks ads and other malware from interfering with your browsing.

Surfshark is also a great choice for accessing gaming plattforms such as DMM or radio shows such as Radiko overseas of Japan.

SurfShark is arguably the only VPN that grants you unlimited simultaneous connections. You can exploit this option, pool resources together with friends and family, and hop on to a single subscription plan. With that one plan, you can get as many people as you fancy connected at the same time. Despite the numerous connections on one plan, your speed will not dwindle.

UltraVPN

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Key features

  • 256-bit AES encryption.
  • App compatibility with most devices.
  • Unlimited bandwidth.
  • One-click connect.

As a show of its commitment to protecting the privacy of its users, UltraVPN does not keep user-logs even though it is located in the United Kingdom. Even with the threat of a faceoff with the government, UltraVPN manages to prioritize its users’ privacy above everything else.

UltraVPN has more than 1000 servers in more than 100 countries. Speed is one of its mainstays. Your internet browsing speed, streaming, or downloading speed does not significantly reduce when you make use of UltraVPN. This is important, especially since you will be accessing Japan servers from outside of Japan.

UltraVPN unblocks geo-restrictions easily too. Whether the content you want is on Netflix or Hulu, or you simply want to watch a football game, UltraVPN meets all of those needs. It is compatible with platforms such as Android, Windows, and Chrome. For security, it is equipped with AES-256 bit encryption, OpenVPN, and a kill switch.

CyberGhost

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Key features

  • Been around for a long time
  • Robust and fast servers
  • Many servers in Japan

CyberGhost is located in Romania and thus has no governmental stipulation to keep logs of its users. It is a fantastic choice if you’re new to VPNs. Its interface is easy to access and navigate. It offers top-notch protection and reliable access to Japanese content from anywhere in the world. It provides a reliable download speed, and up to 7 simultaneous device connections as part of its subscription package.

CyberGhost has global coverage with over 5700 servers in 90 countries, including 32 in Japan. It is compatible with Android and iOS. If you want the desktop version, it’s also compatible with Windows, Linux and macOS.

CyberGhost makes use of 256-bit AES encryption, OpenVPN and MD5 HMAC authentication. It also blocks ads and other malware and makes it mandatory for websites to serve HTTPS versions of their pages. CyberGhost offers 24/7 customer support if you run into any challenges setting up the VPN.

ProtonVPN

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Key features

  • Best free VPN on the market
  • Easy to use Android app
  • Superb security features

Unlike many of the other new providers, ProtonVPN comes with a track record in security. It founded the secure email service, ProtonMail and has established itself as a company dedicated to ensuring the privacy of its users. Another area of uniqueness is its offer of free trials. It is one of the few VPNs that allows you to try out its features without having to make any payment. After the trial phase, you can upgrade to the premium version to have access to the full range of features.

It is located in Switzerland, which is not a member of the ‘five eyes’ network and also is outside of the EU jurisdiction, so your data is super secure. It has servers located all over the world with some of its fastest servers in Japan, to your advantage. Also, it offers unlimited bandwidth so you don’t have to worry about any daily cap. It blocks ads and keeps zero logs of its users’ information. With its AES-256 encryption backed by Swiss laws, ProtonVPN fares well in the security department.

Trust.Zone

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Key features

  • Offers complete anonymity
  • Unblocks all kind of websites
  • 164 Servers in 80+ Zones
  • Free trial period

Trust.Zone has more than 180 servers in over 100 countries, with more being added frequently. Its speed is decent for streaming on platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and others. It gets around geoblocks reasonably easily and grants you access to Japanese content overseas. Trust.Zone comes with a 3-day free trial period, within which you can access and download content up to 1 GB. Additionally, even for the paid subscription plans, it offers you a 10-day money-back guarantee period.

Trust.Zone does not keep user logs and only requires your email address upon subscription. It is one of the few providers that have never been subpoenaed by the government. When you add the fact that it is located in Seychelles, a non-member of the ‘five-eye’ countries, and its AES-256 bit encryption, OpenVPN and L2TP protocols, Trust.Zone is definitely a great option.

One drawback to Trust. Zone’s effectiveness is that it does not offer 24/7 customer support. The process is a tad complicated if you want to get a complaint resolved. It is also not compatible with a router, although it allows you to connect up to 3 devices, at least.

How Does VPN Help Beat Geo-Restrictions?

Geo-restrictions (also known as geoblocks) are restrictions set up to prevent individuals from accessing content outside of a specific location. In some instances, the website you are trying to access will direct you to some other part of the web where you can access that content. However, in most cases, the geo-restriction will block your IP address, informing you that the content is simply not available in your area.

Websites are geo-restricted for several reasons. It might be as a result of government’s restriction policies or it could be because of copyright agreement between the content providers and the content owners. For instance, streaming platforms like Netflix do not own the content put up on their site. Thus, they have to respect the decisions of the content owners when it relates to streaming locations.

The easiest way for geoblocks to detect your location is through your IP address. Your IP (Internet Protocol) is a set of numbers that indicate your exact location. Your IP address changes when you move from one place to the other. Furthermore, your location can be discovered through the WiFi address, GPS, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), etc.

A VPN can bypass any geo-restrictions by masking your IP address. Since your IP address is the primary means through which your location can be discovered, it follows then that you will be undetectable once it is masked. For instance, to access Japanese content from wherever you are located, the IP address will mask your address and instead show a Japanese IP address. That way, you will be able to access whatever content you want very easily.

Conclusion

You may need to be away from Japan for a while or for a long time even. However, there’s no reason you shouldn’t have access to your favorite Japan shows and movies while away. Above, you will find an impressive list of fast and reliable VPNs to meet your needs, simply install your preferred VPN on your device and enjoy!