How to Get a Japanese IP for Anime Shows
Anime is Japan's export to the world, and it's taking the world by storm, with more than 27% of US citizens enjoying anime according to some statistics. An issue to consider is that some of the popular streaming services such as Netflix limit the number of anime shows you can watch. However, that isn't the case all over the world, as the licensing rights are typically bought separately, this means using a Japanese IP can be beneficial for you.
Some statistics show that in Japan approximately 60% of users watch anime, this makes it obvious why the library of streaming services in Japan would be richer in anime content, relative to their western counterparts.
In addition streaming services in Japan release some Anime ahead of time for the local population that might not be available for the rest of the world, ahead of time, such as the situation with Violet Evergarden.
How to get a Japanese IP
When attempting to get an IP address of a country you're not currently residing in, two main methods exist these are using a VPN service and using a proxy server.
1. Using a VPN service for a Japanese IP
Using a VPN is the best method to get access to a Japanese IP, it is superior to using a proxy because it provides better security and a higher number of servers.
That being said, not all VPNs are equal in their efficiency, as some VPNs such as the free ones can have slow speeds, a limited number of servers, and can often be detected by streaming services that attempt to prevent users from viewing their content using proxies.
Premium VPNs on the other hand, provide much higher speeds, and typically have a higher number of servers spread around. Most importantly a premium VPN should have the ability to bypass geo-restriction and go undetected.
If you still experience proxy errors while attempting to stream on platforms such as Netflix go through our solution to proxy errors.
2. Using a proxy server for a Japanese IP
Proxy servers are the vanilla version of a VPN, they don't provide any of the protection and encryption you would get with a VPN. Depending on how stacked the servers are, it could be slower.
Moreover, in terms of device compatibility, using a proxy server isn't always available, and while a VPN can't be installed on all devices, a VPN can be installed on a router, and by extension to the devices connected thereby granting you access to a Japanese IP.
Recommended VPNs
Different VPN services will differ in quality, some may be more optimized for certain functionalities more than others.
Among VPN providers we tested, we made a list of the ones which were most capable of bypassing geo-restriction allowing you to access different streaming services in Japan granting you a Japanese IP. They also had a higher than the average number of servers for users to switch between, in addition to high speeds when streaming.
Our list of VPN recommendations includes:
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the top contender in terms of speed, which is something you will want when streaming online, as it would be senseless to bypass everything while the stream keeps interrupting to buffer.
ExpressVPN doesn't fall short in terms of bypassing geo-restrictions. It has over 3000 servers spread over 160 locations in 94 countries, including Japan.
ExpressVPN works well with streaming services including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, and other streaming services. which was evident with our firsthand testing.
ExpressVPN has a high encryption level (AES 256-bit military-grade encryption) and has a kill switch. Furthermore, some countries like the UAE or China use a firewall (The Great Firewall of China) to prevent locals from using a VPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the few that can bypass this geo-censorship. ExpressVPN provides RAM-based servers.
ExpressVPN is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, VPN out there. This makes it very suitable for torrenting and even streaming. Its price is on the higher end of the VPN price spectrum. Use ExpressVPN if your goal is to change your IP while using Tor, Torrenting, or streaming.
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2. NordVPN
NordVPN is a great choice to stream Netflix. As I tested it, NordVPN was able to bypass all forms of geo-restriction and went undetected as a VPN, allowing access to Netflix and other streaming platforms.
NordVPN has many specialized streaming servers, with high speed making it a great choice overall, and with the huge number of servers they have with over 5,400 servers spread across the world including in Japan, you can rest assured you're getting the best quality out there.
NordVPN provides a high-end encryption level (AES 256-bit military-grade encryption) and has Pricewise NordVPN is relatively lower than ExpressVPN, giving it an edge in this section. Overall, it's very adaptive and useful for many different situations when considering how to hide your IP.
Pricewise NordVPN has the edge over ExpressVPN
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3. Surfshark
Surfshark is based in the British Virgin Islands (not a 5/9/14-Eyes Alliance member) with a no-logs policy. Has over 3200 servers spread over 65+ countries including Japan. It provides 256-bit encryption. A kill switch and many of its servers are optimized for fast torrenting.
Surfshark also has RAM-based servers. However, despite being a fast VPN overall, Surfshark seemed to be relatively slower than the two above, not to say it's a slow VPN but rather, there are faster VPN out there.
Surshark can bypass the geo-restrictions imposed by many streaming services with no problems, making it a great choice to stream Netflix, (including Netflix Japan), Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more.
Surfshark is compatible with all major devices including Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, FireTV, Apple TV. This means your streaming experience will be great.
Price-wise it is cost-efficient.
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