What streaming works in Japan — 2026 availability list
Updated 2026-04-24
TL;DR
Japan has one of Asia's richest streaming markets. Netflix Japan boasts the largest Asian catalog (~7000 titles incl. tons of JP-exclusive anime and dramas). U-NEXT, Hulu Japan (separate from US), ABEMA, and DMM TV are the local heavyweights. Disney+ Japan includes the Star channel (which lives on Hulu/Star+ in other regions). What's missing: BBC iPlayer (UK-only), Stan (AU-only), Korean SVODs (Tving/Wavve), and US Hulu (completely separate product). AI tools work broadly.
✓ Available
Netflix
Largest Asian catalog ~7000
U-NEXT
JP local #1, 300k+ titles
Hulu (JP)
Nippon TV-owned, separate from US
DMM TV
DMM group, anime + idol content
ABEMA
Cyberagent, free + premium
Disney+
Includes Star channel JP-exclusive
Prime Video
JP cheap pricing ¥600/mo
Apple TV+
Originals with JP dubs
Rakuten TV (JP)
Rakuten-owned, JP local
Crunchyroll
Anime intl, also works in JP
Spotify
Full service, Premium ¥980
Apple Music
Strong JP catalog
YouTube Premium
JP price ¥1280/mo
ChatGPT
Full Plus service
Claude
Anthropic Pro works
DAZN
Strong JP football + baseball rights
✗ Not available / Restricted
Tips
If VPNing into Japan for Netflix or Disney+ JP catalog, pick a Tokyo node with a residential IP — Japanese ISPs (NTT, KDDI, SoftBank) residential ranges are best-trusted by streamers. Note that ABEMA only opens select WSOP + football content overseas — most variety and anime still need a Japan IP + Japan account. U-NEXT and Hulu Japan signup requires Japanese payment (credit card or JP Apple ID); overseas cards usually get rejected. Disney+ JP and Disney+ US accounts are separate; cross-region switching can trigger billing address checks.