The best Japan VPN in 2025

NordVPN excels as a streaming VPN. When we connected to a nearby server, we had no trouble accessing Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, 10Play, 9Now, the BBC iPlayer, and Channel 4.

NordVPN’s speeds are more than enough for any online task, too, be it streaming content or online gaming. With speeds in excess of 950Mbps, we never encountered slow loading times or buffering, even when connecting across different countries. To put this into context, you need a download speed of 30 Mbps to stream 4K content.

When it comes to user security and privacy, NordVPN sets the standard. The provider offers a kill switch and DNS leak protection. On top of this, NordVPN is one of the few providers to provide access to the TOR network through Onion Over VPN and Double VPN, further protecting you by routing your connection through two different VPN servers instead of one.

NordVPN has even earned a certification confirming that its Threat Protection Pro platform can protect users against the most common kinda of phishing attempts. This makes NordVPN the first provider to boast that it has an anti-phishing certification. It’s also one of the few providers to offer cyber insurance, which offers compensation if you’re scammed into handing money over to a fraudster, and will help out with financial and legal expenses in the event of ID theft.

NordVPN also has a no-logs policy, meaning no customer data is logged by its servers, and it’s a claim you can trust as the company was audited by Deloitte at the end of 2024. This was NordVPN's fifth no-logs audit, underscoring its commitment to your privacy and online security.

As with NordVPN, ExpressVPN has apps available in the app store of choice for all the major platforms and devices you might want to use if you’re travelling to Japan. This means you can stay safe online and keep up with your favourite shows while you’re away from home.

We think ExpressVPN’s apps have an edge over NordVPN’s in terms of user friendliness. Steering clear of the busier map-based layout, ExpressVPN has instead chosen to go with the big, power-style connect button that many VPN providers favor. All you need to do is click the button to connect to your nearest server, or choose a specific location from the dropdown menu.

ExpressVPN has always been one of the best providers when it comes to accessing streaming content, and with four different locations in Japan to choose from, you’re sure to find a server close to you. We test all our VPNs by checking how they perform with popular streaming sites, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, the BBC iPlayer, and more, and we can confirm you won’t encounter any issues with streaming from these sites in Japan.

A fast connection is vital for downloading, torrenting, and streaming, but especially full HD and 4K content, and ExpressVPN doesn’t disappoint. Our testing returned connection speeds that are nearly 30 times faster than what you need to smoothly stream 4K movies or binge the latest hit anime series.

A premium VPN stands or falls not just on the quality of its VPN connection, but the additional features it offers to help and protect its users, and ExpressVPN has always been one of the best. Not only has its no-logs claim been audited a staggering 18 times, but you get ad and malware blocking, a built-in password manager called Express Keys, a kill switch, and ExpressVPN’s bespoke VPN protocol – Lightway, all of which make ExpressVPN a great choice for anyone who needs a VPN for Japan.

The app's sidebar offers access to Surfshark's extra goodies, including Alternative ID, which creates an email address and personal details you can use to fill in online forms to avoid spam, Surfshark antivirus, data breach monitoring, and Surfshark’s private search.

When it comes to accessing your favourite streaming content when you’re out and about, be that in Japan or anywhere else, Surfshark is a reliable Netflix VPN.

As with the other VPNs on this list, Surfshark has been tested against a wide number of streaming sites, including Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. Surfshark performed flawlessly during testing. We had no trouble accessing content on any platform we tried, regardless of the location, and that includes region-specific streaming sites like the BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Channel 4 in the UK and 9Now and 10 Play in Australia.

While some VPNs have specific servers for streaming, Surfshark doesn't. All of its servers are capable of accessing region-specific streaming content. This means that you don't have to hunt for a specific server to connect to, making it more accessible for VPN beginners.

Surfshark hasn’t had its apps and no-log claims audited quite as many times as either ExpressVPN or NordVPN, but it recently underwent its second audit by Deloitte, which confirmed it walks the walk as well and talks the talk. It's the kind of transparency we love to see in our top-rated picks.

There’s a Proton VPN app for every platform you might need whether you’re working or traveling in Japan, including Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and even a full GUI client for Linux which many other providers don’t offer.

The install process is straightforward and, once you’re logged in, there’s a guided tour you can follow. We recommend newbies take this tour, as the map-based interface can be a little intimidating at first glance.

With Proton VPN’s focus on security and privacy you might think that it would struggle in other places, such as streaming, but it’s more than capable in this department, which means you don’t need to miss out on your favourite shows and films if you leave Japan on vacation.

We tested Proton VPN against the most popular streaming platforms including Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney Plus as well as region-specific services like BBC iPlayer in the UK and 10Now and 9Play in Australia. In all cases, the Proton VPN servers provided instant access to the services we tested.

While it might not be quite as fast as some of the other offerings on this list, Proton VPN is more than fast enough for any streaming, downloading or online gaming you might want to indulge in, returning download speeds of nearly 700 Mbps in testing, more than 20x faster than you need to stream 4K content.

Proton VPN comes with all the usual tools to protect you while you’re out and about in Japan, from AES-256 bit encryption to the latest WireGuard VPN protocol, but it takes it a step further with its Secure Core architecture.

This routes your internet traffic through multiple servers which makes it harder for someone to intercept or block and, of course, Proton VPN’s no-logs claims are backed up by multiple independent audits, the latest one completed in July of 2024 which means you can browse, stream and game in Japan without any worries.

PIA is available on every device you might want to use while you’re in Japan, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and as an extension in your browser of choice. You could even set PIA up on your internet router to protect every device in your household by default.

Both mobile and desktop apps are compact and easy to use, with the big, friendly, quick connect button front and center. All other features, such as encryption settings, VPN protocol, kill-switch, etc, are tucked away in the settings menu.

One of the reasons for its placement on this list is that while it’s a great choice for torrenting, thanks to its port forwarding feature, there are better choices for streaming.

PIA performed well in testing when it came to the big streaming sites like Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix, but we had more trouble with the smaller region-specific streaming sites, specifically with BBC iPlayer, ITVX, All4, and 10 Play.

This may not be a big consideration for you when you’re looking for a VPN for Japan, but it’s something to keep in mind compared to the other offerings on this list.

PIA also struggles a little when it comes to download speeds. We regularly test the connection speeds of all the VPNs we've reviewed, and PIA comes in somewhere in the middle, with download speeds of 436 Mbps. It’s certainly more than fast enough for 4K and HD streaming, though if you’re downloading a lot of large files, you might notice that performance hit compared to some of the other providers on this list.

PIA is one of the more feature-light VPNs in this list, but it makes sure to do the core requirements right. It’s got a no-logs policy that’s been independently audited, AES-256 bit encryption, a kill-switch, split-tunneling, malware and advert blocking, multi-hop connections, and more. It might not come with as many frills as some providers like NordVPN, but if you want a decently fast VPN for Japan that won’t break your budget, PIA is a great choice.