How to Watch Netflix in Japan

NOTE: Yes, I know that Netflix is now available in Japan.  However, the services I explain below have proven extremely valuable to me for viewing streaming services from other countries, such as the USA.  Since Netflix Japan doesn't have nearly the content library that Netflix USA has, I am most definitely keeping my Smart DNS subscription.

Living abroad in Japan I often miss out on cool stuff that my home country comes up with.  Netflix USA and Pandora are prime examples.  On one trip back to the States, my friends demonstrated the infinite advantages of an all-you-can-watch flat-rate streaming service.  I wiped the drool from my lips.  I too wanted this magic boom stick; however, for various legal reasons various streaming services do not work in various countries.  My next home IT project was clear...

Step 1: Use a Selective DNS Proxy or VPN Service
Here's the technical part.  Basically, these are services that will make it look like your Internet traffic from Japan is in fact coming from inside the USA (or other location).  I found 2 approaches that would accomplish this--a selective DNS proxy and a VPN.

Selective DNS Proxy
Also known as "Smart DNS," this service will only trigger on certain sites (e.g. Netflix, Pandora, etc.), keeping other traffic routing normally.  The advantage here is that your Internet connection will not slow down.  Japan has famously fast Internet service, so this is a key brownie-point advantage in my opinion.

VPN
A VPN is a more aggressive solution.  This service will typically route all of your Internet traffic through a "tunnel," making it look like you are totally and completely located in the USA (or other country).  While it is possible to configure a VPN to be selective, I didn't see the need to bother since the selective proxy solution would save me the trouble.

However, a VPN could offer certain advantages over the selective proxy since it really looks like you're in another country.  Sites not covered by a selective proxy would probably work with a VPN.  Additionally, you wouldn't have to deal with sometimes-frustrating geo-location.  For example, have you ever wanted to view the English / USA version of a website, but the site's overzealous geo-location continuously redirects you to the Japanese version?  Yeah, that can be annoying, huh?  A VPN would likely fix that.  Albeit more aggressive, a VPN is a more versatile and configurable option.  But in my case I didn't need such a multipurpose solution, so...

What I Use
Personally, I went with the selective proxy service because I only really wanted Netflix and Pandora, and I did not want to sacrifice my blazing Internet speed.  Here's my recommendation:

Getflix
This is the one I use now.  I originally used one called "Unblock-Us," but ended up switching to Getflix.  Why did I switch?  I switched simply because I'm a cheapskate, and Getflix is a tad bit cheaper.  They offer a free trial, have a friendly responsive helpdesk, and support a ton of overseas streaming services.  Oh, and best of all is that Getflix also includes optional free VPN service, so you can get the best of both worlds for no additional cost.  The VPN comes in handy when I absolutely need to view the USA version of a website to check on my "American stuff."  For example, I use it when logging into my USA Paypal account or obtaining free yearly credit reports.

After signing up with the service, all I had to do was modify the DNS settings on my home router, and I was good to go.  The services above also allow you to set whichever Netflix region you prefer (Japan, USA, UK, etc).  Now I can watch not only Netflix USA, but Netflix from a diverse mix of countries with sundry content libraries.  Mission accomplished!

NOTE: Unfortunately, Netflix has been stepping up their campaign against Smart DNS services.  While Getflix does still support Netflix unblocking, it currently only supports the USA region.  Getflix does support unblocking for lots of other media services, though.  Pandora and Amazon Prime Video USA work swimmingly!

Step 2: Sign Up for a Netflix Account (Duh!)
Now that Netflix is available in Japan, this is easier than ever.  You can approach this in one of two ways:
1) Set the Netflix region to "Turn Off" and sign up at Netflix's Japan site.  This is the better choice if you prefer to pay in yen and/or have a supported Japan payment method.
2) Set the Netflix region to your home country and sign up.  This is the better choice if you prefer to pay in your home country's currency and/or maintain a payment method (e.g. a credit card from your home country).

I originally signed up for a Netflix USA account, but since Netflix arrived in Japan, I have since re-created my Netflix account here so that I can pay in yen.

NOTE: If you found this article helpful and you do plan on using one of the Smart DNS services mentioned above, please show your appreciation by using the links provided in the article.  This tells them where the referral came from.  Thank you!