Get the best VPN for Rakuten TV to get the best of Japanese content in the USA!
The streaming service known as Rakuten TV is the brainchild of the Japanese technology company Rakuten. The service is accessible in many different nations throughout the world, and as of 2019, it had 7 million users globally.
Rakuten TV is accessible outside of Japan in the markets of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the Switzerland but unfortunately not in the US.
In order to access Rakuten TV in the US, you will need a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN. A VPN is necessary because Rakuten TV content is geo-restricted and if you try to open it from the US directly, you will get an error message but won’t be able to view anything. However, when you connect to a VPN server in Japan, you will be assigned with a Japanese IP address, thus, allowing you to access all the content that Rukaten TV beholds.
In this guide, we will try to help you decide which is the best VPN for Rakuten TV in US.
Quick Overview – The Best VPN for Rakuten TV in US
Finding the best VPN for Rakuten TV in US was not an easy decision to make due to the plethora of options available. In order to give you the best Rakuten TV streaming experience possible, we evaluated the performance of several VPNs. The three we found to be the best are:
- ExpressVPN – The Best VPN for Rakuten TV: Offers fast, seamless streaming experience, runs light on the device, wide compatibility, 3000 servers across 94 countries, 5 simultaneous connections.
- Surfshark – Budget-friendly VPN for Rakuten TV: Budget-friendly, optimum streaming experience, a wide range of supported devices, 3200 servers across 100 countries, unlimited simultaneous connections.
- NordVPN – Largest Server Network VPN for Rakuten TV: High-quality streaming experience, multiple supported devices, 5500+ servers across 60 countries, 6 simultaneous connections.
Why do I need a VPN for Rakuten TV in US
You need a VPN to watch Rakuten TV in US because the content on Rakuten TV is geo-restricted and unavailable in the United States. As a result, Rakuten TV content isn’t available to users outside of Japan and other specified locations due to its licensing agreements with content producers. Without a VPN, attempting to directly access Rakuten TV from the US will result in the following error message:
“Rakuten TV is not available in your country”
If you try to access Rakuten TV in US, you’ll face this geo-restriction error.
To watch Rakuten TV in the US and access this material, you will need a trustworthy VPN. With the aid of a VPN, you can trick the Rakuten TV servers into thinking you are viewing from Japan and gain access to all of its programming. Continue reading to find out which VPN is best for unblocking Rakuten TV in US.
Best VPNs for Rakuten TV in US – Detailed Analysis
Because there are so many options available, it was a difficult decision to choose the best VPN for Rakuten TV in the US. In order to give you the best streaming experience possible, we evaluated the performance of several VPNs and chose the following three VPNs.
1. ExpressVPN – Best VPN for Rakuten TV in US
Key Features:
- MediaStreamer
- Global Servers: 3000+ servers in 94 countries and 4 server locations in Japan
- Speed: 89.42 Mbps on a base connection of 100 Mbps
- Simultaneous Connections: 5 devices at once
- Money-back Guarantee: 30 days
- Unlimited Bandwidth for Ultra HD streaming
- Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
ExpressVPN the best VPN for Rakuten TV in the US, out of all the VPNs we tested due to its excellent ability to unblock geo-restricted content and fast speed. You can connect to more than 3000 servers located in 94 countries and 4 server locations in Japan.
We put ExpressVPN’s Japan – Tokyo servers to the test and tried to access Rakuten TV and were able to easily connect to the service using a Japanese server. The consistent speed and reliable connection allowed for a pleasant streaming experience.
Unblocking Rakuten TV using ExpressVPN was a piece of cake!
Aside from Rakuten TV, the VPN can also be used to unblock other Japanese-exclusive services like TV Tokyo, or even services from other countries like BBC iPlayer with ExpressVPN, Netflix, Hulu, and Hotstar.
What makes ExpressVPN so good at unblocking geo-restricted content is their MediaStreamer feature which lets you use services from other locations, even on devices that do not support VPN. We tried using ExpressVPN on Roku and it still worked extremely well. Carrying out a speed test of ExpressVPN showed spectacular results: 89.42 download speed and 84.64 upload speed which are really great for any streaming service.
This speed is enough to stream in high resolution.
The best thing is that you can use 5 devices at once on different operating systems including iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. It also offers compatibility with different devices like routers, Smart TVs, Apple TV, TV devices like Firestick with ExpressVPN & Roku, media software like Kodi, and gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5.
ExpressVPN costs just $6.67/mo (Get 49% Off + 3 Months FREE on its 12-Month Plan) and you get safe surfing through military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, DNS/IP Leak Protection, and ExpressVPN’s 7-day free trial for mobile users. Best of all, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee that comes with every package. Head to our detailed ExpressVPN review for more analysis.
- 30-Day money-back guarantee
- 5 simultaneous connections
- Verified “No-Logs” policy
- Reliably unblock Rakuten TV
- MediaStreamer DNS feature
- 7-Day Free Trial for iOS and Android
- More expensive than other providers
- No advanced configuration tools for power users
2. Surfshark – Budget-friendly VPN for Rakuten TV in US
Key Features:
- Whitelister feature
- Worldwide Server network: 3200+ servers in 100 countries and 1 server location in Japan
- Speed: 81.32 Mbps on a 100 Mbps internet connection
- Simultaneous connections: Use unlimited devices at once
- Money-back guarantee: 30-days
- Unlimited bandwidth for Ultra HD streaming
- Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, routers
Surfshark the budget-friendly VPN for Rakuten TV , costing just $2.05/mo (Get 84% + 2 Months FREE on 2-Year Plan), It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and access to 3200+ servers located in 100 different countries and 1 server location in Japan.
We tested its unblocking capability by connecting to a Tokyo server and proceeded to Rakuten TV. We were able to log in easily and watched multiple episodes without any problems.
We had no issues unblocking Rakuten TV using Surfshark’s budget-friendly plans.
Besides Rakuten TV, you can easily unblock other streaming services like Netflix and HBO Max with Surfshark. Surfshark Speed tests proved that our Surfshark connection had a respectable download speed of 81.32 Mbps and a 76.12 Mbps upload speed on a 100 Mbps connection.
We achieved blazing-fast speed results on the US servers.
Another great thing about Surfshark is that it offers unlimited simultaneous connections and is compatible with all major operating systems (iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS) as well as multiple types of devices including phones, computers, routers, TV devices like Roku with Surfshark, media software like Kodi and many others.
Surfshark has a variety of impressive features such as 256-bit AES encryption, IP leak protection, Multi-hop, Camouflage mode, and 24/7 customer service via live chat. You can also avail of Surfshark’s 7-day free trial for iOS and Android.
check out our detailed Surfshark review to know more about this VPN’s features.
- 4K Ultra HD streaming of Rakuten TV
- Anti-virus protection
- Very affordable
- Clean-web enabled
- 24/7 round-the-clock customer care
- Split-tunneling is not compatible with iOS devices
3. NordVPN – Largest Server Network VPN for Rakuten TV in US
Key Features:
- Double VPN
- 5500+ servers in 60 countries with 130+ servers in Japan
- Blazing fast speed: 83.82 Mbps speed on a 100 Mbps internet connection
- Simultaneous connections: 6 devices
- Money-back guarantee: 30-days
NordVPN is the largest server coverage VPN for Rakuten in the US. Boasting a network of 5500 servers in 60 countries, including 130+ servers in Japan.
When connected to one of NordVPN’s Tokyo-based servers, we were able to unlock Rakuten TV with undeniable ease. That, combined with a smooth uninterrupted connection made for a highly satisfying streaming experience.
NordVPN offered a huge network of servers for us to unblock Rakuten TV and stream in HD.
You can also easily unblock other streaming services including Netflix with NordVPN, TV Tokyo, and Paramount Plus. Running a speed test on NordVPN showed satisfying results: 83.82 Mbps download speed and 44.64 upload speed on a 100 Mbps connection.
NordVPN proved to be a true streaming VPN by delivering fast-speed results during our test.
NordVPN allows the use of 6 simultaneous connections and is supported on multiple operating systems including Windows, Android, iOS, MacOS, and Linux. It is compatible with a variety of devices including phones, computers, routers, TV devices, Set-top boxes, and game consoles.
Other prominent features include NordVPN’s kill switch, AES 256-bit encryption, Double VPN feature, and a strict no-logs policy.
NordVPN costs $3.49/mo (Get 57% Off + 3 Months FREE on 2-Year Plan) and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, a NordVPN 7-day free trial for mobile users, and 24/7 customer support. Check out our detailed NordVPN review to know more about this VPN’s features.
- Enormous coverage
- Always ready to unblock the toughest protocols
- Stellar UI
- Dark web protection enabled
- Downtime issues
Testing Methodology – Best VPN for Rakuten TV in US
In order to choose the best VPN for Rakuten TV in US, you need to consider how well a VPN fulfills the following criteria:
- Japanese Servers: Your VPN must-have Japanese servers if you want to access any Japanese geo-restricted content. To ensure that you can continue using your streaming services if one server is down or just not very good, we recommend that you opt for a VPN that has at least 2-3 servers for the same location.
- Best speed: Streaming is a data-intensive activity. The speed of your VPN and internet connection is essential if you want to stream online so that you can watch your video in high definition without experiencing buffering or disconnections.
- Premium features: Since you are paying for a service and deserve to get value for your money, it is crucial that your VPN offers premium features. A high-quality VPN typically provides at least these features: an automatic kill switch, multiple simultaneous connections, and split tunneling.
- No Logs: Maintaining your online privacy, is one of the main reasons for using a VPN. Your VPN is not reliable if it collects your personal information. To guarantee the security of your online activity, always select a VPN that has a No-Logs policy.
- Price: A VPN should not only provide the best value for your money but also at a cost you can readily afford.
The VPNs that should be avoided for accessing Rakuten TV in US
We highly recommend that the following should not be used as VPNs for accessing Rakuten TV in US:
- Hola VPN: This Israel-based VPN sold its users’ bandwidth to third parties, thus infringing upon their rights and exposing them to grave danger from malicious online users. Refer to our Hola VPN review to know more.
- Hotspot Shield: This VPN is known for logging user data and directing e-commerce traffic to partnering domains. Our Hotspot Shield review can guide you better.
- HideMyAss: Is known for storing user data and sharing it with government authorities. Read more about it in our HideMyAss review.
To keep yourself safe, we highly recommend using a reliable premium VPN for your streaming needs. By our estimation, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming Rakuten TV.
FAQs – Best VPN for Rakuten TV in US
Can you watch Rakuten TV in USA with a free VPN?
Yes! While it is technically possible, we strongly advise against using free VPNs for accessing Rakuten TV in US because:
- Free VPNs are the first to be blocked by major streaming services.
- Free VPNs tend to have poor encryption that is easily detected and can cause your account to be blocked.
- Free VPNs often store your data and sell it to third parties.
- Free VPNs have a small amount of randomly assigned serves that switch often and are extremely overloaded, causing disconnections and poor service.
- Free VPNs often lack crucial security features.
- Worst of all, some Free VPNs sell your bandwidth for others to use for their own profit.
Therefore, despite the seemingly great value you may get by using a free VPN, you are losing out in many more ways by utilizing their services. That is why we highly recommend using a trustworthy premium VPN like ExpressVPN because it is a secure VPN for Rakuten TV.
Is it legal to watch Rakuten TV in USA with a VPN?
Yes, it is legal to use VPNs in the USA to watch streaming services such as Rakuten TV. The USA does not restrict the usage of VPNs, but since it is a founding member of the Five Eyes alliance, it requires by law for all VPNs based in the country to share usage data with the government.
It has in the past forced many VPNs within its jurisdiction to share data, which is why we highly recommend using a VPN that is not based in the USA or any of the Five Eyes countries to safeguard your privacy online. A safe bet is ExpressVPN which is based in a territory that does not have any intrusive laws like this and helps keep your privacy safe.
Which VPN has Japanese servers to watch Rakuten TV in US?
ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN all have multiple Japan-based servers that can be used to watch Rakuten TV in US. If you want to watch other versions of Rakuten TV such as the UK version or Australian version, you can also utilize these VPNs to gain access to them as well. The best VPN for Rakuten TV in US is ExpressVPN because it provides the most reliable connection, quality of service, and a great number of Japan-based servers which you can use to access geo-restricted online content through the MediaStreamer feature.
Wrapping UP
Rakuten TV is a Japanese streaming service that is also available internationally in several locations. It can not be directly viewed from the United States due to licensing restrictions.
However, you can use a premium VPN service like ExpressVPN (which we highly recommend as the Best VPN for Rakuten TV in US to watch your favorite streaming services from around the world, even if they’re not available in your country. We would confidently refer to ExpressVPN as the best VPN for Rakuten tv with fast speeds.
