How to watch Japanese TV shows for free from outside of Japan

The best way to watch Japanese TV shows for free from outside of Japan is to access services which stream television programs using a VPN service.

How to watch Japanese TV shows from outside of Japan

1. Register with a VPN (We highly recommend ExpressVPN)
2. Download and launch the app and connect to a server in Japan
3. Access a Japanese streaming website

The best services for watching Japanese TV shows for free

Here are some services you can use to watch Japanese TV shows. The content on these services is not available outside of Japan, but you can watch them by using a VPN.

• TVer
• TBS FREE
• NTV for free! (TADA）
• The Online TX
• NHK+

There are advertisements of about 30 seconds to 2 minutes at the beginning and middle of videos on these services.

TVer

TVer is a Japanese streaming website and simultaneous online streaming service jointly operated by 10 commercial broadcasters including NTV, EX, TBS, TX, NHK and CX. You can watch the latest TV shows produced by these 10 commercial broadcasters real-time in Japan or until about seven days after the program ends. In addition, you can also watch comedies, newscasts, anime, sports, and other past programs, as well as documentaries. TVer is ideal for those who want to watch programs produced by various commercial broadcasting companies.

Price	Free
Membership Registration	Not needed
Availability period	From broadcast until about 7 days after the program ends (depending on the program)
Japanese subtitles/CC	Yes

Before you start watching programs on TVer, you may be requested to answer a questionnaire with your information such as birth, gender, and postal code. In this case, you should fill the questionnaire in with a postal code in Japan. After you enter this information and click the “回答する (Respond)” button, you can watch TV programs on TVer.
Example Japanese postal code: [130-0001]

TBS FREE

TBS FREE is a Japanese streaming service operated for free by TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System). So it is a service which specializes in TBS programs. You can watch the latest TBS shows from the time they are broadcast until about seven days after they end. In addition, you can also watch older TBS original contents, newscasts, masterpieces of the past, comedies, and documentaries. TBS FREE is ideal for those who want to watch programs produced by TBS.

Price	Free
Membership Registration	Not needed
Availability period	From broadcast until about 7 days after the program ends (depending on the program)
Japanese subtitles/CC	Yes

NTV for free!(TADA）

NTV for free!(TADA) is a Japanese streaming service operated for free by NTV (Nippon Television). You can watch the latest NTV programs from broadcast until about seven days after they end. There are fewer programs than on other services, but they have some short programs lasting around 10 minutes. So, it may be a great way to pass the time if you are interested in shorter, easy to watch programs.

They also provide masterpieces of the past, including comedy shows, anime, and sports. NTV for free!(TADA) is ideal for those who want to watch programs produced by NTV commercial broadcasting.

Price	Free
Membership Registration	Not needed
Availability period	From broadcast until about 7 days after the program ends (depending on the program)
Japanese subtitles/CC	No

The Online TX

The Online TX is a Japanese streaming service operated for free by TX (TV TOKYO). You can watch the latest TX series from the time of broadcast until about seven days after they end. TX mainly broadcasts in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo. So, some programs are provided only in the Kanto region. They also provide some unique programs that others don’t provide.

You can also watch old comedy shows, newscasts, anime, documentaries and sports. The Online TX is ideal for those who want to watch programs produced by TX.

Price	Free
Membership Registration	Not needed
Availability period	From broadcast until about 7 days after the program ends (depending on the program)
Japanese subtitles/CC	No

NHK+

NHK+ is a Japanese streaming website and simultaneous online streaming service operated for free by NHK (The Japanese Broadcasting Cooperative). On NHK, you can also watch the latest historical dramas which others services don’t provide. NHK also provides newscasts, anime, documentaries and sports. NHK+ is ideal for those who want to watch programs produced by NHK.

Price	Free
Membership Registration	Not needed (live online streaming only for free accounts)
Availability period	From broadcast until about 7 days after the program ends (depending on the program)
Japanese subtitles/CC	Yes

If you watch NHK+ content at the same time as it is broadcast on Japanese TV, you can do so without registration. But annotations will appear at the bottom right of your screen. If you want to watch using other than real-time viewing, you have to register, but it will be difficult to register from outside of Japan. You should carefully note the broadcast times. For example, shown below is the broadcast time of NHK’s historical drama series.

Japan Standard Time (JST)	from 8:00 pm to 8:45 pm
Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)	from 11:00 am to 11:45 pm

What are VPNs?

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a secure connection method between your device and the internet. Using a VPN enables you to mask your location, and access Japanese websites as if you were in Japan.

Using a VPN changes your IP address. Japanese websites determine screen content based on IP address.

So, if you access Japanese websites from outside of Japan, Japanese screen content will not be displayed.

However, if you access Japanese websites via an internet provider in Japan, screen content for Japan will be shown. This includes language, pricing, and so on.

If you access Japanese websites via VPN servers in Japan, your IP address will actually appear like this.

By using a VPN, the website will treat you as if you are browsing from Japan, regardless of where you are.

Pros and Cons of using a VPN for personal use

How to watch Japanese TV shows for free from outside of Japan

Let’s take a step by step look at how you can watch Japanese TV shows if you are outside of Japan using ExpressVPN, one of our recommended VPN services.

ExpressVPN has some of the fastest internet speeds of the VPNs we have used. All VPNs may slow down your internet connection, but ExpressVPN is one of the fastest, and you rarely notice the difference. So, you can enjoy movies you want without a noticeable difference in speed. After you’ve registered with ExpressVPN, you can easily browse the internet using ExpressVPN just by downloading their app.

There are free VPNs. But we recommend paid services in terms of privacy and security because we don’t know how free VPNs manage our log traffic data. It is also said that free VPNs are more likely to track our data.
Many paid services have a money-back guarantee. If you aren’t satisfied with the service, you can receive a refund. For example, ExpressVPN offers a full refund within 30 days.
And, ExpressVPN keeps no activity or connection logs. They do not log traffic data, or anything that could be used to identify you. However, these policies may change in the future, so please remember to keep yourself informed about the risks associated with web browsing.

STEP1. Resister with ExpressVPN

To register with ExpressVPN, click the “Get ExpressVPN” button as shown below. After the price plan is shown, follow the instructions.

STEP2. Download and launch the app and connect to a server in Japan

After registering with ExpressVPN, download and launch the app. Next, click “…” in the app and type “Japan” in the search box. Now, you can find a server in Japan.

Select a server and click the power icon in the middle. Now, you can connect to a server in Japan.

STEP3. Access a Japanese streaming website

You will need to be connected to a VPN server in Japan when you access a Japanese streaming website, so that it will treat you as if you are accessing it from Japan.

For example, if you access TVer via a VPN server in Japan, you will see the screen shown below. Select the TV program you want to watch, and enjoy!

The best VPN services for watching Japanese TV shows from outside of Japan

Here are what we think are some excellent VPN services.

ExpressVPN: Ultra-fast Internet Speeds

ExpressVPN has some of the fastest internet speeds of the VPNs we have used. ExpressVPN is consistently found by review sites to be one of the fastest VPNs. Furthermore, they have more than 5,200 servers in 94 countries, so you have a lot of choices for which country to change your IP address to. We have confirmed that you can even connect to servers in China, where restrictions are strong. As discussed earlier in this article, ExpressVPN has servers in Japan, so you can use it to watch Japanese TV shows.

After you’ve registered with ExpressVPN, you can use it to easily browse the internet just by downloading their app.

Prices	1-Month: ＄12.95 6-Months: ＄9.99/month 12-Months: ＄8.32/month
Money-back Guarantee	30 days
Countries	60
Servers	5,200
Devices	5

▼Official Site▼

\30 day Money-Back Guarantee/

NordVPN: The Ultimate Balance of Price and Internet Speed

NordVPN’s excellent service, and balance of price, internet speed, servers, and countries, has allowed it to gain the greatest market share in the world. Overall, NordVPN consistently receives great reviews from leading experts. NordVPN  has more than 5,400 servers in 59 countries, so you also have a lot of choices for which country to change your IP address to. NordVPN also has servers in Japan, so it’s great for those who are looking to watch for Japanese TV programs.

After you’ve registered, you can easily browse the internet using NordVPN just by downloading their app.

Prices (standard plan)	1-Month: ＄11.99 12-Months: ＄4.99/month 24-Months: ＄3.99/month
Money-back Guarantee	30 days
Countries	59
Servers	5,400+
Devices	6

▼Official Site▼

\30 day Money-Back Guarantee/

Surfshark: Impressive Performance with a Lower Price

Surfshark offers impressive performance with a lower price. You can get Surfshark much cheaper than other services if you apply for the 24-month plan. Furthermore, Surfshark has no connection limits. So, you and your family can connect and use all your devices simultaneously. Surfshark has more than 3,200 servers in 99 countries. Just like the other VPNs, Surfshark also has servers in Japan.

After you’ve registered, you can easily browse the internet using Surfshark by downloading their app.

Prices (standard plan)	1-Month: ＄12.95 12-Months: ＄3.99/month 24-Months: ＄2.30/month
Money-back Guarantee	30 days
Countries	99
Servers	3,200+
Devices	Unlimited

▼Official Site▼

\30 day Money-Back Guarantee/

FAQ

Is it legal to watch Japanese TV shows from outside of Japan?

Using VPNs to watch Japanese TV shows from outside of Japan is legal. VPNs are widely used by individuals to protect their private information and other online activity.

Are there other benefits of using a VPN any other than streaming?

Yes, you can also protect your online privacy and save money by using a VPN.

Save Money with a VPN – 6 of the Best Subscription Services
Pros and Cons of using a VPN for personal use

Conclusion