For licensing purposes, Abema is geographically restricted outside of Japan. If you want to continue viewing Abema while traveling overseas, you will need the assistance of a VPN. We’ll walk you through how to use a VPN to watch Abema from overseas, as well as the best VPN for streaming.
If you’ve ever attempted to stream Abema while away on vacation, you’ve likely seen the following error message:
お住まいの地域ではご視聴できません
This essentially translates to “Impossible to obtain in your area.” These geographical restrictions are infuriating since most of the programming offered on Abema.tv is free to view. Fortunately, you can use a VPN for Abema to watch your favorite programs from anywhere on the globe while on vacation.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) masks your true location. When you connect to a VPN server in Japan, a Japanese IP address is assigned to you. This deceptively convinces AbemaTV that you are in Japan. As a result, you may watch any Japanese service that is geo-restricted.
Additionally, a VPN manages DNS queries and encrypts your internet data. This prohibits anybody from monitoring your internet activity. As a result, if your workplace or school has restricted Abema in Japan, you may use a Japanese VPN server to watch Abema as if you were at home and nobody would know.
TV networks such as Abema have made a concerted effort to prohibit VPNs. This implies that you must use caution while selecting. Fortunately, we’ve scoured the industry and discovered a VPN that really works. In this tutorial, we’ll explain how to use a VPN to watch Abema from abroad, and we’ll suggest the best VPN for Abema.
How to watch Abema from anywhere in the world using a VPN
Once you’ve chosen a VPN with Japanese servers that is compatible with Abema, configuring it is a breeze. Simply follow these instructions to unblock Abema while on vacation, at work, or at school:
- Start by subscribing to a VPN provider. As you can see from this article, we strongly suggest NordVPN because it is the best service for streaming Japanese television.
- On your device, download and install the VPN app. You’ll discover that it includes applications for desktops, mobile devices, and other platforms.
- Launch the VPN application, log in, and connect to a Japanese server. This enables you to stream Abema in locations where it has been prohibited (both in Japan and abroad).
- Navigate to AbemaTV and choose the program or movie you’d like to watch. It should now be able to play freely!
If Abema remains banned, delete the cookies and cache from your browser and reload the website. Alternatively, contact the customer service of your VPN provider to determine which Japanese server is ideal for streaming.
Not all VPNs offer servers in Japan that are compatible with Abema, and those that do may not be fast enough to stream in high definition. Additionally, many VPNs lack the privacy capabilities necessary to browse the internet anonymously.
We exclusively propose the best VPN for every specific work at PrivacyExplore. To do this, we propose a VPN based on the data-driven testing process. The key characteristics we used to propose a VPN for Abema are shown below.
- A worldwide server network, including Japan-based servers.
- Servers that are lightning fast and provide a limitless amount of bandwidth for streaming.
- Reliable programs with complex features like a kill switch and obfuscation.
- Defend against DNS, IP, and WebRTC leakage.
- A strict no-logs policy that safeguards your privacy both now and in the future.
- Applications that are simple to use on desktop computers, mobile devices, and other platforms.
- Excellent value for money.
FAQs about Abema VPN
Is it possible to utilize a free VPN with Abema?
No. While searching for free VPNs in app stores can provide results, we highly advise against utilizing these services.
Free VPNs are significantly oversubscribed, which means that the limited number of servers available is crowded. To combat this, free VPNs often use bandwidth restrictions. This further degrades the speed of already-slow servers, making the VPN unsuitable for streaming.
Apart from the poor connections, we have yet to come across any trustworthy free VPNs with Japanese servers that operate with Abema and other popular services. Thus, even if you were able to locate a free server in Japan, it is extremely improbable that it would function with major streaming sites.
Apart from performance concerns, free VPNs should be viewed with suspicion. Running a VPN is costly due to the continual server expenditures. This implies that the VPN must generate revenue in some way.
By selling your data and monitoring your online behavior, free VPNs generate revenue. As a result of utilizing free VPNs, you will be offered more advertisements and your data will be shared with third parties such as data brokers.
Additionally, it has been shown that free services misrepresent the amount of security they offer, have inadequate (or no) encryption, suffer from serious breaches, and even include malware. As a result, using free VPNs poses a significant danger to your online security and privacy.
Why is Abema unavailable to users outside of Japan?
AbemaTV licenses content from copyright holders and content providers for its streaming services. Abema is expressly prohibited by these license agreements from transmitting its content anywhere other than in Japan.
AbemaTV censors content on its website based on user IP addresses to fulfill its contractual commitments. Unless your IP address is valid in Japan, the service will display an error message informing you that the requested content is unavailable.
Fortunately, either on vacation or on business, it is feasible to utilize a VPN to get a Japanese IP address. This means that, even if you are not in Japan, you may simply visit Abema and watch your favorite programs.
Is it allowed to watch Abema while away on vacation?
In most places, circumventing geo-restrictions is not deemed criminal, since it involves nothing more than streaming content that you would normally be allowed to see at home.
Having said that, piracy is a rather severe offense in Japan when compared to certain other nations. With this in mind, even if you are not involved in file sharing or piracy, you may feel more protected utilizing a highly secure VPN with solid encryption and privacy features, such as the ones mentioned in this tutorial.
A solid VPN protects you from being traced, which means Abema will be unaware you’re streaming while on vacation. Using a reliable VPN to unblock Abema is very safe, and we have never seen any evidence of anybody getting into problems.
What is available on Abema TV?
Abema is a Japanese over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service that offers a plethora of content. It is essentially an internet television network, with various channels broadcasting news, sports, entertainment, anime, documentaries, and feature films, among other things.
We’ve provided a list of some of the most popular channels accessible on Abema below:
- AbemaNews
- AbemaSPECIAL
- AbemaSPECIAL2
- AbemaGOLD
- K WORLD
- Anime LIVE
- Everyone’s Anime
- QUEST by Discovery
- MTV HITS
- HIPHOP
- AbemaRADIO
- Fighting (格闘)
- SPORTS
- Keirin (競輪)
- Fishing (釣り)
- Shogi (将棋)
- Mahjong (麻雀)
- Overseas AbemaNews
What else can a VPN for Abema be used for?
Once connected to a VPN server in Japan, you’ll be able to access any geo-restricted services from anywhere in the world. This includes online banking and other services that may have been banned in the interest of security.
By connecting to a Japanese IP address, you may create the illusion of being at home. This allows you to access your usual television and streaming services, as well as any other content that has been geo-blocked.
Additionally, you may utilize a VPN to create the illusion of being anywhere else in the globe. This enables you to circumvent any Japanese government-mandated censorship or regional blockades enforced by international services.
We’ve provided a list of some of the tasks that a VPN may do below:
- Access to Netflix areas outside of the United States.
- View international television networks such as BBC iPlayer or NBC.
- Observe international sporting events.
- Stream YouTube videos that are geo-restricted.
- Access to international bookmakers and internet casinos.
A VPN’s privacy protection may also be used to unblock any online services that are banned in Japan. If a local network, such as a public hotspot, a rental apartment, an office Wi-Fi network, or a school, has restricted Abema or another service, you may restore access by connecting to a Japanese VPN server.
A VPN may even speed up your connection if your Japanese ISP practices bandwidth limiting. Therefore, if your internet seems to be running slowly, it is recommended to use a VPN from our list that has a money-back guarantee.