Japan is one of the most developed countries in the world, and the country boasts an eye-watering 92% internet connectivity. In terms of internet censorship, Japan is an extremely free nation.
However, Japan is one of the most strict countries when it comes to copyright infringement. The government takes a hard stance on the issue, and violation may lead to a two-year prison sentence, a hefty fine, or even both!
If you think the country is too limiting on whatever free content on the Internet can be consumed, then the option youâve got is to use of a VPN for Japan.
What Is A VPN For Japan?
A VPN, short for Virtual Private Network, is a handy piece of software with an online subscription that lets you encrypt all your traffic and then tunnel it to a server located anywhere in the world. Once you connect to the VPN, it hides your real identity and gives you a new one.
Through a VPN for Japan, you can pretend to be from another country.
Why Do I Need A VPN For Japan?
Depending on your needs, there are many factors that may need to acquire a VPN. However, the major one for Japan users revolves around staying away from getting a copyright infringement notice from your ISP and consequently facing legal action.
Government Surveillance
To curb copyright infringement, the government requires ISPs to track and keep user activities. This dramatically eats into user privacy, knowing that someone is watching whatever you are doing.
If you try torrenting, your ISP will know and then track you down. Your information and logs are then forwarded to the government for legal action.
To stay away from the governmentâs peeking eyes, you need to use a VPN. A VPN lets you remain anonymous, and your ISP canât even make sense of what you are doing online. This way, your privacy, and safety are solid.
Tight Grip On Freedom Of Speech
After the accident at Fukushima nuclear plant, the Japanese activities sought to take control of the freedom of speech. This was after news about radiation levels spread fast, drawing a lot of attention to the government.
To curb such, the government in 2012 implemented the Computer Network Monitoring Law, which is also known as the harmful rumors war. This law allows Japanese authorities to monitor all internet activity in Japan without limits.
US Interference
Japan and the US have a history of working closely ever since the Second World War. The US government is known for its surveillance operations inside and outside the US. The US further uses Japan as a strategic partner to wage espionage on countries in the Far East.
The US government takes every opportunity available to monitor internet usage and therefore your activities may be available to them. This can only be countered by encrypting your traffic through a VPN and remaining anonymous.
Access Japanese Content
Japan is widely known for its popular animations and TV shows. Japanese citizens going out of the country definitely want to keep track of their favorite shows. A good Japan VPN should be able to evade geo-restrictions and avail the content to you wherever you are.
Best VPN For Japan
| Provider | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Best All-Round
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| 2 |
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| 3 |
Best Value VPN
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â Starting from $2.45 |
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Offer 1-Year + 6 Months Free |
| 4 |
Best User-Friendly
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â Free Trial available |
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Limited Offer |
| 5 |
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â Starting from $3.29 |
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Black Friday Deal $1.32 |
To get the best Japanese VPNs, we have considered various factors. These include;
- strong encryption
- transparent privacy policies
- top speeds
- vast network of servers.
We have not included any free VPNs, as they do not guarantee total security in Japan.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN comes out on top in this best VPN for Japan guide. The VPN has a huge worldwide network with 1700+ servers in 136 cities distributed across 94 Countries in 5 continents.
The VPN has a number of servers in Tokyo, Japan, and lots of others in the neighboring Asia Pacific countries. ExpressVPN even has stealth servers in Hong Kong to help make your traffic look as normal as possible. However, you can still connect to servers in the other 90+ countries.
Their servers are known for lightning high speeds, and you can, therefore, stream your HD content comfortably.
ExpressVPN is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, which is an independent county and is not within the UKâs jurisdiction. This greatly helps them in delivering their zero-logs policy. Further, it uses AES-256 encryption to secure your traffic and keep it safe from any third parties.
ExpressVPN also has a user-friendly client with some advanced features like Kill Switch, DNS leak protection, and auto-connect. Even without a technical background, you can enjoy ExpressVPNâs advanced features due to the simplicity incorporated.
ExpressVPN may however not be the cheapest VPN option around, but the service is worth every coin. For any inquiries, they have a 24/7 chat support, unlike most Japanese VPNs, and a sure-fire 30-day money back guarantee.
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most reliable VPNs for Japan in 2018. This VPN is meant for people who value their security and privacy above all other things. That said, NordVPN doesnât sacrifice on other features just to offer you its military grade security.
The VPN is flying high with an incredible 2380 servers located in 56 different countries across the world. Among these, 28 are located in Japan, and most of them are torrent friendly to allow you P2P safely. There are 14 others in Hong Kong and various other neighboring countries.
Its top-grade security is implemented using various features such as the;
- VPN into Tor
- Double encryption
- Kill Switch
- Stealth Mode
- DNS Leak protection.
The VPN has superfast servers, though using the double-hop feature (multiple servers) significantly reduces your speed due to double encryption.
NordVPN is headquartered in pro-privacy Panama, which is a big plus. It also promises to keep a Zero-log policy, and therefore no court order can demand your data. NordVPN manages their server network, and this greatly boosts reliability. Their prices are quite fair for what they offer, and you can maximize their 30-day money back guarantee.
Special Offer For Anonymster’s Readers
CyberGhost VPN
With 1300 servers across the world, offering top-notch security and superfast speeds, CyberGhost is one of the best VPN for Japan. The VPN has a total of 8 high-speed servers based in Tokyo. This is quite a good number in comparison to other Japanese VPNs.
CyberGhost VPN is based in Romania, a factor that plays well in boosting trust among users worldwide. This is because Romania is a friendly country regarding data retention rules. The VPN also employs a no usage logs policy to maintain total privacy for its users.
CyberGhost VPN is full-featured and offers a complete package with some of the most amazing features in the market. The VPN provides an anti-virus/ malware protection system that keeps you safe from such attacks.
It also has an ad-blocker that slabs ads by removing part of the code which tries to pull an ad from a dedicated server. This is alongside a DNS leak protection and Kill Switch that immediately cuts off your internet in case your connection drops.
CyberGhost VPN uses 256-bit AES encryption on the OpenVPN protocol by default, along with 2,048-bit RSA keys and MD5 HMAC authentication. The VPN is sure to give you total security and privacy in and outside Japan.
Itâs also quite affordable, giving you the highest value by a Japanese VPN.
45-Day Risk Free Guarantee
HideMyAss!
HideMyAss is one of the oldest VPNs we have, and it commands quite a huge user base. It is famous for its large network all over the world, so its popular with people who want to unblock content in whatever area of the world.
The VPN has 860+ VPN servers in 280+ locations covering 190+ countries around the world. These servers offer fast connections and wider access to restricted sites around the world than most Japanese VPNs.
HMA uses 256-bit encryption to ensure total security and great performance. It enhances your safety by offering IP binding and IP address changing features that automatically replace your IP address with a fake one in case of any security threat or potential hack.
The VPN is run by AVG Technologies which is a security company based in the Czech Republic. The VPN is however based in the UK, meaning that it is part of the Five Eyes. Their privacy is somehow compromised by this fact, and so you may consider the other options if you are really focused on privacy.
However, it is a very reliable VPN if you want to unblock content all over the world with ultra fast servers. With HMA, youâll even get access to some exotic places like the Falkland Islands and Papua New Guinea!
The VPN is fairly priced and has a 30-day money back guarantee.
30-day Money Back Guarantee
PureVPN
PureVPN is the other dependable VPN for Japan. The VPN features 750 servers in 140+ countries, with a number of them being in Japan. It has been in the industry for over 10 years, and it has managed to capture huge user base due to its great features and awesome balance in features, security, privacy, speeds, and prices.
Among its features is an Anti-Malware program that always protects your device. There is also an Intrusion detection and prevention system, Ad-blocking and URL filtering to block spammy websites.
Regarding security, PureVPN can be trusted to keep you secure from the prying eyes of the Japanese government and ISPs. They secure data using 256-bit encryption, and they donât keep any usage logs.
PureVPN delivers on its promise and can be acquired at a pocket-friendly price. It also has a 7-day money back guarantee that lets you fully test out its service.
7-day Money Back Guarantee
Can I Get A Free Japanese VPN?
Yes, it is possible to get a VPN without paying a penny. However, in countries like Japan, a free VPN may end up costing you more than you could use to pay up for it.
This is because most free VPNs are incredibly risky. Setting up and maintaining a secure and private VPN is expensive, and so these VPNs tend to poorly implement weak encryption. Some of their privacy policies are also not strict or user-centered, and they may allow them even to sell your data.
While in Japan, try as much possible to avoid free VPNs.
Also, remember to activate the Kill Switch of your Japanese VPN at all times. It will keep you safe on the chance that your VPN connection drops.
