A few years ago, Netflix expanded its service to offer on demand entertainment to a wider audience. Viewers from around the world got the chance to subscribe to Netflix to watch movies, TV shows and specials online. While the United States is a huge market, Netflix understood that in order to take the lead in the world of home entertainment, it had to make its platform available globally. Take for instance the case of Japan, one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of technology. Netflix would miss a big opportunity if it didn’t offer its service in Japan, given that the country offers an impressive infrastructure with ultra fast internet, as well as other conditions that make it a perfect market for Netflix.
However, there are also some things that made things difficult for Netflix when it decided to launch its service in Japan. One of the challenges that Netflix faced was the fact that many people in Japan are not that interested in paying for online entertainment because there are many high quality options available for free. In addition, in Japan, it is still common to rent DVDs and Blue-Ray discs. In the end, Netflix launched its service in Japan in 2015 and it has worked since then to add new content. Apart from popular TV shows and movies from all over the world, Netflix Japan offers as you would expect, a wide selection of Japanese productions. Of course, the anime section is impressive and there are many options that offer subtitles in English.
Japanese content is not only popular in Japan. Movies, TV shows and anime series have captured the attention of viewers from around the world. This is why many people outside Japan would love to have the chance to watch the Japanese version of Netflix. The problem is that even if you have a subscription to Netflix, there are some restrictions in terms of the content that you can watch. If you are in the United Kingdom, you will only be able to access the content that Netflix offers there. However, there is a solution that will allow you to watch Japanese Netflix, from any country. You don’t need to be in Japan, all you need is a VPN. This is a technology that will allow you to find out what is available in Netflix Japan, even if you don’t live there.
How can a VPN help?
Netflix has implemented geographical restrictions to prevent subscribers from accessing the library from a different location. The idea is that only those in Japan can access the content that Netflix offers there. This is due to licensing agreements that Netflix signs with production companies. In order to comply with the limits established by the agreements, Netflix places geographical blocks. However, since people want to be able to watch a wider variety of options, solutions like VPN services have become very popular. Netflix is aware of the fact that subscribers are turning to VPN services in order to defeat the blocks. This is why it is regularly working to detect and block VPNs. As a result, not all VPN services are effective when it comes to getting around the geographical restrictions.
While not all the VPN services work, if you choose well, you will be able to bypass the restrictions and enjoy Japanese Netflix from other countries. What you need is a VPN that is fast, efficient and that has servers in Japan. When you connect to a VPN server in Japan, you get a Japanese IP address. Once you try to access Netflix, your IP address is checked and once it is detected that you have a Japanese IP, you won’t have issues to access Netflix’s library in Japan. Before we go through a list of VPN services that will allow you to unblock Netflix Japan from anywhere, it is worth mentioning that there are other alternatives such as smart DNS proxy services. They also allow you to overcome online restrictions, but the advantage of VPNs is that they also protect your traffic with encryption. Smart DNS proxy only works to bypass restrictions, but VPNs prevent third parties from monitoring your activities.
Best VPN to unblock Netflix Japan
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a high quality VPN service that offers all the features needed to ensure that you enjoy online security and flexibility. They have servers in over 90 countries, including Japan. ExpressVPN is known for its fast performance, which makes it ideal for streaming. In addition, it is one of the few providers that is able to keep up with Netflix’s blocks. ExpressVPN regularly adds new servers to give its customers the chance to overcome restrictions. They don’t keep logs of your online activities.
NordVPN
NordVPN is based in Panama and it is committed to help people to keep their privacy protected. It offers advanced features such as double encryption and onion over VPN. They have servers in over 60 countries, including Japan of course, where they have more than 50 servers. NordVPN doesn’t keep any logs so you can use the service with peace of mind. It is another provider that can overcome Netflix’s restrictions and it delivers high quality customer support, as well as strong protection for your privacy.
VyprVPN
VyprVPN can also overcome Netflix’s restrictions and it has servers in Japan. In addition, it offers great speeds for streaming, as well as strong protection for your internet traffic. No logs of your activities are kept and thanks to the unique Chameleon technology, you will be able to defeat firewalls and Deep Packet Inspection. VyprVPN has servers in over 70 locations around the world so apart from being able to access Netflix Japan, you will also have the chance to enjoy content from many other countries.
Best SmartDNS to access Netflix Japan
OverPlay
If you decide to try a smartDNS solution, we recommend Overplay. This service is fast and it allows you to overcome restrictions easily. There are set up guides available and you can get great support to get the service running. Although they keep some connection logs are kept, the privacy policy states that your online activities are not tracked. The main downside is that OverPlay doesn’t protect your privacy, like a VPN does.
