Best VPN for Japan in 2023

NordVPN is the best VPN for Japan and virtually any other country. Its security and privacy are excellent, and the speed is unmatched. Besides, it’s great for streaming and torrenting as well.

As it’s located in Panama, NordVPN does not have to comply with any data retention laws. Not that it would have any data to retain, really, because the VPN employs an independently-audited no-logs policy. NordVPN also uses AES 256-bit encryption, two types of kill switches, and robust leak protection.

This provider has one the biggest fleet of servers on the market: over 5700 in 60 countries, to be precise. 80+ servers are in Japan, but most importantly, the better part is RAM-only. That means all data is wiped out after a restart.

NordVPN’s massive server list basically allows you to access geo-restricted content from just about anywhere. This includes local Netflix libraries, BBC iPlayer, TV Tokyo, and more. NordVPN also protects your torrenting on selected servers and has both split tunneling and SOCKS5 proxy.

All this and more will cost you only $3.29/month. This is a great price for a VPN with such an array of features and six simultaneous connections. You can get a 7-day free trial or exercise the 30-day money-back guarantee.

For a deeper investigation of NordVPN, read our NordVPN review.

Surfshark is another great VPN for Japan. It’s cheap, fast, and secure. Moreover, you’ll be able to avoid geo-blocks and download torrents hassle-free.

Boasting 3200+ servers in 100+ countries, Surfshark also has them RAM-only. This greatly increases security because no data is stored in hard drives that can be seized by law enforcement. Add WireGuard tunneling protocol, and you get guaranteed performance that translates into swift downloads and high-quality streaming.

Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, a privacy-friendly location even though it’s a member of the Nine Eyes alliance. What’s more, it has a strict no-logs policy, so you shouldn’t worry about your data being stored or sold to third parties. Additionally, Surfshark comes with bank-grade encryption, leak protection, and malware blocker.

This provider is one of the best for streaming. It easily unblocks multiple Netflix libraries and other content platforms. Besides, P2P fans will like that torrenting is allowed on all servers.

Surfshark prices start from $2.30/month. That’s a great deal, especially because one account gets an unlimited number of devices. If you’re curious, try Surfshark for 7 days for free. And don’ forget about the 30-day money-back guarantee option.

For a deeper investigation of Surfshark VPN, read our Surfshark VPN review.

Not only PrivateVPN does have a really good price, but this service is also secure, reliable, and great against geo-blocking. Even though it’s located in a Five Eyes country, its no-logs policy more than makes up for that. Besides, you’ll get NASA-grade encryption, leak protection, and anonymous payments.

PrivateVPN has only 200+ servers in 63+ countries. However, this provider focuses on quality, not quantity, buying internet capacity straight from the IP transit provider. At the same time, PrivateVPN owns all of their servers, adding even more security to the mix.

Good speeds make PrivateVPN great for torrenting and streaming. We’re talking about Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and other content platforms. Torrenting is allowed on all servers, plus you can use a SOCKS5 proxy and port forwarding.

Currently, this service costs $2.00/month. This is an excellent price, given how much PrivateVPN offers in exchange. There’s a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

For a deeper investigation of PrivateVPN, read our PrivateVPN review.

If your main interest is accessing geo-restricted content, look no further than the cheapest VPN for Japan. We’re talking about Golden Frog’s VyprVPN. Located in Switzerland – well away from the prying eyes of the Eyes alliances – this VPN is dedicated to unlocking streaming services with ease.

With VyprVPN, you’ll be able to watch Netflix, Hulu + Live TV, HBO Max, and many other content platforms. What’s more, the speeds should be enough for streaming in HD or even 4K video quality without painstakingly slow buffering.

We can’t say anything bad about VyprVPN’s security or privacy. This provider has an independently audited no-logs policy plus solid leak and malware protection. Moreover, its in-house Chameleon protocol works great against any type of censorship, including the Great Firewall of China.

When it comes to torrenting, it’s allowed on all servers. There are 700+ of them in over 64 countries. Furthermore, VyprVPN has split tunneling for Android and macOS devices.

Starting at $5.00/month, VyprVPN is easily the cheapest Japan VPN on this list. Even though you get only 5 devices per account, this can be easily solved with the router app. Those who still have doubts about this service can exercise VyprVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.

For a deeper investigation of VyprVPN, read our VyprVPN review.

Even though the US is not an ideal location to run a VPN from, a strong no-logs policy still makes IPVanish one of the top Japan VPNs in 2023. In fact, it’s also among the best VPNs overall. Besides, this provider has plenty to offer for P2P fans, streamers, gamers, and other local users or those staying abroad.

IPVanish server fleet consists of 2200+ servers in 51+ countries. 20+ servers are in Tokyo, Japan. This provider owns all of them, which reduces the risk of third parties tampering with data.

With WireGuard at its disposal, IPVanish guarantees fast and stable connectivity. Some VPNs are notorious for underperforming in this regard, but it’s a non-issue here. This makes IPVanish a great choice if you want to watch geo-restricted videos in high definition without buffering or lag.

Speaking of torrenting, it’s allowed on all servers. Additionally, P2P fans get a SOCKS5 proxy. IPVanish also unlocks Netflix US, which should be more than enough for having a cozy evening at home. There are also apps for Android TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick, in case you want to watch your favorite shows and movies on the big screen.

From the security standpoint, there’s not much to add. IPVanish already has AES 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection. There’s also Stealth VPN in case you need access data in countries where VPN usage is restricted. This includes the Great Firewall of China as well.

At the moment, IPVanish costs $3.33/month. It’s not the cheapest option, but you get unlimited simultaneous connections per account. There’s no free trial, but you can still try this VPN risk-free, thanks to the 30-day money-back guarantee.

For a deeper investigation of IPVanish, read our IPVanish review.

ExpressVPN is another one of the finest VPN services and has enjoyed an enviable reputation since it opened shop. Although it falls short of the status of best VPN for Japan due to relatively steep pricing, this VPN remains a worthy contender all the same.

This service uses industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption, which is so powerful that all the computers in the world couldn’t crack it by the end of time. Its location on the British Virgin Islands also means data retention laws do not compromise its security levels. Most importantly, ExpressVPN is probably the only provider with both court-proven and independently-audited no-logs policy.

It has no DNS or IP leaks, a great kill switch, and RAM-only servers. This ensures you receive the best protection from Japanese surveillance techniques as well as the NSA.

ExpressVPN has 3000+ servers in 94 which results in a truly global coverage. It’s also one of the few providers that have servers not only in Tokyo but also in Yokohama. If that wasn’t enough, the proprietary Lightway protocol delivers excellent speeds and security.

Streaming with ExpressVPN is a great idea. This service unblocks Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Japanese-only content. P2P is allowed on all servers, plus you can always turn on split tunneling or port forwarding.

ExpressVPN isn’t cheap, starting from $6.67/month. Payments are also accepted in Bitcoin. There’s no free trial, but the 30-day money-back guarantee should be enough to test everything that this service has to offer.

For a deeper investigation of ExpressVPN, read our ExpressVPN review.

Astrill VPN is another one of the more expensive security options, but as with ExpressVPN, we believe Astrill’s customers are paying for what they get. Indeed, what they’re getting is top-notch security and the ability to bypass censorship anywhere.

This company is registered in Seychelles, another country free from data retention laws, ensuring maximum privacy. This is certainly an essential qualification for judging the best VPN for Japan. What’s more, Astrill VPN barely logs anything, so you should feel safe online no matter what you do.

Military-grade encryption is what Astrill uses. It also offers a kill switch, DNS and IP leak protection, plus a malware blocker. There’s also a multi-hop feature that routes your traffic via two VPN servers.

Astrill VPN has 320+ servers in 59+ countries. But just like PrivateVPN, it still manages to provide fast speeds and great connectivity, especially in Asia, where its presence is felt the most. The next-gen WireGuard protocol probably has something to do with this as well.

Streaming fans, rejoice! Astrill VPN unblocks not only Netflix but other content sites too. Expect high video quality and no buffering. Torrenting is allowed on all servers, and there are also split tunneling, SOCKS5 proxy, and port forwarding features.

Astrill pricing starts at $10.00/month and you get only 5 devices per account. Unfortunately, there’s no free trial or money-back guarantee, meaning you’ll have to put trust in this Japan VPN.

For a deeper investigation of Astrill VPN, read our Astrill VPN review.

Windscribe VPN is located in Canada, which is a Five Eyes country, the alliance Japan notoriously collaborates with. Alas, after making dozens of log requests to the Windscribe servers, authorities have received nothing due to “lack of relevant information.” That’s because this provider doesn’t have any identifying logs to speak of.

Furthermore, Windscribe also features DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leak protection, WireGuard protocol, and a malware blocker. This means that it’s possibly the safest, if not the best, VPN for Japan.

Windscribe has 480+ servers in 69+ countries. Just like PrivateVPN or Astrill VPN, it also relies on quality, not quantity. Otherwise, it would be able to offer such speeds for its users.

This Japan VPN unblocks multiple Netflix libraries but not other streaming platforms. Torrenting is available on most servers, excluding South Africa, Russia, India, and Lithuania. P2P aficionados will like SOCKS5 proxy and port forwarding features.

You can get Windscribe for $1.00/month. Knowing that each account has unlimited devices, this sounds like a pretty good deal. Sadly, refunding is complicated, and you get only 1 day for free and a 3-day money-back guarantee.

For a deeper investigation of Windscribe VPN, read our Windscribe VPN review.