How to Watch Japanese Hulu Outside Japan

Hulu is an American-based platform that allows you to stream a wide variety of movies and series at the touch of a button. It was founded in the year 2007. However, it was launched and officially made available in the United States of America in the year 2008. 

Over the years, it has grown so large and can now rival several other huge streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. So much so that it has been able to spread across the entire world, including Japan.

Now, one thing Japan is known for is being able to create outstanding video content. From their movies to their anime, they have a wide appeal all over the world. As such, there is always something to watch on Hulu Japan. Unfortunately, if you are not within the country, you cannot view the content on Japanese Hulu.

Why is Hulu Japan blocked abroad?

For a lot of content providers like Hulu Japan, they protect their intellectual property and legal rights by employing geo-restriction. This geo-restriction is the main reason you can’t view Japanese Hulu outside Japan.

When you try to access the platform abroad, their server identifies your IP address and determines your location. Unfortunately, after seeing that you’re not in Japan, you get blocked immediately. However, the problem can be easily solved with a good Virtual Private Network. 

A VPN routes your internet traffic through a tunnel and gives you a Japanese IP address. Additionally, it encrypts your IP address, making it nearly impossible for Hulu Japan to see that you’re outside Japan and block you.

Best VPNs for watching Hulu Japan outside the country

There are myriads of VPN services in the market today. However, we have listed the top five for unblocking Japanese Hulu. They are:

ExpressVPN

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Key features

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

When it comes to unblocking geo-restricted sites, especially the likes of Hulu Japan, there really could not be a better fit than ExpressVPN. It has had a cumulative eleven years of existence. In that time, it has been able to bypass the Great Firewall of China and surmount internet restrictions in countries like Russia with relative ease. There are few others like ExpressVPN that are a great choice for streaming Japanese Hulu abroad.

Firstly, this Virtual Private Network has multiple servers, three thousand to be precise, across several different countries in the world. As someone who is just trying to access Japan, this might not faze you. However, it might interest you to know that of all those servers, roughly three different locations, including Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama.

These servers have hundreds of internet protocol addresses they can assign to users to protect their privacy and security on the web. The fact that ExpressVPN has Japanese servers in as many locations as we stated earlier means that you have access to more options. Alongside that perk comes more IP addresses for you to choose from as well as alternatives in the unlikely event that one server goes down.

The mere presence of these servers alone makes ExpressVPN a great choice for streaming Hulu Japan, and also other TV shows abroad such as GYAO or TVer. However, its goodies don’t end there. One of the things that have set ExpressVPN apart from others in the internet privacy industry is its speed. This speed demon can clock more than 100mb/s without breaking a sweat. With that much speed, you don’t have to worry about buffering when streaming your favorite shows.

A lot of people might think that ExpressVPN has prices on the high side. However, keep in mind that they give you thirty whole days to test out their services. In that period, you have nothing to lose.

NordVPN

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Key features

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

A very close runner up to ExpressVPN is the Panama-based NordVPN. It has moral and ethical standards so high that it once stood up against the Russian government when they asked for a reveal of customers’ information. That enough should let you know that your safety while streaming Hulu Japan is guaranteed with them.

Their competence and usefulness in viewing Hulu Japan are shown in their ability to improve themselves constantly. Less than three months ago, this VPN had just over 5600 in fifty-nine countries around the world. Now, they’ve upped those numbers to 5860+ servers.

To help you watch your favorite shows on Japanese Hulu, this VPN has 72 different servers in Japan. That is, by all means, a lot. However, apart from the sheer number of its servers worldwide, and in Japan particularly, it has a few other impressive qualities. This makes NordVPN a great choice for accessing others Japanese plattforms overseas, such as the gaming plattform DMM Games, or the radio service Radiko.

One of such qualities that sets it apart is its ability to assign one IP address that’s dedicated to just you.

You might not get the need for this, but with every passing day, machines and websites are getting smarter and smarter. It only takes so long for a site to realize you’re using a VPN when your IP address is constantly changing. To solve this problem, they assign you one IP that you’ll use continually to access your Japanese content. Afterward, to boost your safety, they’ll then route your internet connection not once, but twice. This makes it ridiculously difficult for Hulu Japan to catch on and block you.

In terms of speed, NordVPN isn’t a babe in the woods either as it has what it takes to get you streaming with no pauses between. Alongside that is a strict no-logs policy that’s aimed at keeping your business strictly yours. A thirty-day money-back guarantee? Yeah, they’ve got that too.

Surfshark

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Key features

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

For several reasons, this Virtual Private Network is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself in your quest for uncensored internet freedom. Speed, reliability, and the ability to help you stream your favorites on Japanese Hulu are part of the reasons it is even on our list at all.

All over the world, SurfShark has about 1040 servers in total. However, these don’t serve you if there aren’t enough of them in Japan that you can use to stream Hulu Japan movies, series, and comedies. Thankfully, SurfShark can conveniently boast of multiple servers located within the country to assign you IP addresses for streaming.

One of the unfortunate things about Internet Service Providers is that they sometimes throttle your download speed. This can make your internet usage slower than it should be and lead to frustration while watching Hulu Japan. However. SurfShark eliminates this problem and ensures that you can surf the Japanese web as quickly as you want to. In their exact words, it “works like a charm.”

While helping you stream video content on Japanese Hulu, SurfShark remains dedicated to protecting you online. Its CleanWeb feature helps you to remove all those annoying online adverts that tend to interrupt you when you’re doing your thing online. Alongside that, it also protects you from phishing attempts and malware that can really damage your internet-enabled device.

Another one of its outstanding features is the WhiteLister feature. Put simply; it helps you choose which apps/software to tunnel on your device. This provides a comfortable level of flexibility and control.

If you want to access shows such as Japanese Netflix or Amazon Prime Japan, Surfshark will be a great choice for this also.

By paying just a few bucks, you can gain access to all it has to offer for as much as three years. Nevertheless, you still get thirty days in which you can test them out with no risks whatsoever.

UltraVPN

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Key features

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

Coming in at number four on this list is UltraVPN. As far as the internet privacy industry is concerned, this is another formidable force. It can bypass internet restrictions and provide easy access to the most tightly secured platforms with convenience. A VPN of that quality definitely deserves its spot on our list.

For starters, UltraVPN has more than 1000 high-speed servers in the world today. The numbers don’t go quite as high as some others in the field. However, they are distributed so effectively. They manage to reach virtually all continents in the world, including Asia, such that there are two servers available for use in Japan.

While the numbers in Japan are just a mere fraction of the one thousand across the world, they are very efficient in carrying out their jobs. With these two servers, you have unrestricted access to Hulu Japan’s video content. One of the best parts about this is that you won’t have to worry about bandwidth limits. With UltraVPN, it’s really not a problem.

As soon as you subscribe to this, you’ll get to connect five different devices simultaneously. This is a great feature if you’re not the only one in your circle who enjoys consuming Japanese Hulu content. It could be a couple of friends or even your family. Regardless, you know that with this VPN, you have that luxury.

Additionally, UltraVPN has a strict zero-logs policy. On the slight chance that you don’t know this, we’ll come out and say it. It’s not all VPNs that promise to keep your secrets that actually do so. Some of them are pretty well known for selling out their customers. However, UltraVPN, as well as every other VPN on this list, does no such thing. A zero-logs policy means they will absolutely not store your data.

CyberGhost

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Key features

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

The final VPN on our list is by no means a pushover just because it’s coming in at number five. As a matter of fact, with over fifteen years in the internet privacy industry, CyberGhost qualifies as a VPN giant. Several million people across the world use it for different reasons, including streaming on Japanese Hulu. If it can serve them as well as it does, it can do the same for you.

Now, being a giant does not just come with the number of years you’ve been alive. There are a couple of other things involved in the use of that adjective. The first for CyberGhost is its servers. With 5900 servers across eighty-nine different countries across the globe, it’s safe to say that it has one of the largest server banks in the industry.

On their website, they list out each country and how many servers it has. Right next to Japan, you’ll see the number forty-four. That’s how many choices of servers you have to choose from if you want to stream Japanese Hulu videos.

One thing that’s worthy of note about this VPN is how much they put their customers at heart. This is evident in their customer service, which is consistently available to solve any issues you might have. Finally, they have an amazing option where they give you full access to all their services for an entire day. You don’t have to pay to get this. Just request, and it shall be given unto you.

In addition to these, while you’re busy streaming your favorite content on Hulu Japan, they are busy keeping you secure. Their 256-bit keys Advanced Encryption system takes care of this. It is so effective that military bodies, governments in the world, and even banks use it to secure their data.

Are free VPNs a viable alternative to those above?

In the most straightforward way possible, no. No, they are not. Now, it is entirely understandable if you want to get a free Virtual Private Network. For one, they cost nothing literally and do not affect your pocket, a quality that still costs lower than “cheap.” Secondly, a lot of them promise that they can do these amazing things that we’ve mentioned under our choice of VPNs. 

Unfortunately, these promises aren’t entirely true, and that’s just being nice. VPNs make most of their money through their sales of subscriptions. Because free VPNs don’t do that, they have a limited source of income. As such, many of them can barely afford to keep up their quality of service over extended periods.

To make matters worse, sometimes, these free VPNs are not entirely discreet about your internet activities. A few of them keep logs, and a couple of others give your information out to third parties. A paid VPN will definitely cost more than a free one. However, it is still the best option for you.

In conclusion

A lot of people marketing and throwing their products in our faces can make the decision-making process tedious. We’ve simplified that for you by cutting out the blubber and showing you which VPNs are the best choices for streaming Hulu Japan.