Netflix just launched in Japan and the options for dubbing/subtitles are great. Hulu has two separate videos for English audio + Japanese subs and Japanese audio only versions (no Japanese subs), whereas Netflix has DVD-like options in the player for switching audio or subtitles dynamically (see the image), and seems to have Japanese subs for everything.

I guess this isn't a big deal for people interested in Japanese dramas, but it's great news for people like me who generally watch dubs of quality Western shows.

For Japanese dramas, do they have Japanese subtitles? If they do, I may try signing up through a VPN if possible. Like you said, Hulu has next to nothing with Japanese subs if the program is in the Japanese language.

PotbellyPig Wrote:For Japanese dramas, do they have Japanese subtitles? If they do, I may try signing up through a VPN if possible. Like you said, Hulu has next to nothing with Japanese subs if the program is in the Japanese language.

It looks like it. Everything I've opened so far has had Japanese subtitles available.

jimeux Wrote:

PotbellyPig Wrote:For Japanese dramas, do they have Japanese subtitles? If they do, I may try signing up through a VPN if possible. Like you said, Hulu has next to nothing with Japanese subs if the program is in the Japanese language.

It looks like it. Everything I've opened so far has had Japanese subtitles available.

I just signed up and I don't think you are correct. Programs/Movies that are not native Japanese have the subtitle options. Native shows do not. I tried quite a few of them and it's no go. Can you give some examples that do have the subtitles that are native shows?

Nice, my us Account still works with it, so no more VPN tunneling to access it. And it looks like it has breaking bad, which I've been wanting to watch in Japanese for a while.

PotbellyPig Wrote:I just signed up and I don't think you are correct. Programs/Movies that are not native Japanese have the subtitle options. Native shows do not. I tried quite a few of them and it's no go. Can you give some examples that do have the subtitles that are native shows?

Seems like you're right. I opened GITS: Innocence and something else, but other native stuff doesn't seem to have any audio/sub options at all.

If you've never got into dubbed stuff, then I recommend giving it a try. I was put off at first, but it's kind of like 3D movies, where you forget that it's any different after 10 minutes.

Been looking forward to this for some time.

I'm in the UK, but I have on occasion used a USA proxy and got the Netflix USA lineup, so hopefully I can do the same for the Japanese version. Just need to find a proxy I can get enough bandwidth on to stream without endless buffering.

Apparently a lot of Anime does not have subtitles, it seems.

Are there live action shows that also have no subs?

RandomQuotes Wrote:Nice, my us Account still works with it, so no more VPN tunneling to access it. And it looks like it has breaking bad, which I've been wanting to watch in Japanese for a while.

Could you clarify a bit (I don't have Netflix)? Are you saying that your US account will receive Japanese content by changing a particular setting? Or does it receive the Japanese content when connected through a Japanese IP?

I have a VPN server in Japan, but I'd rather know exactly how you got access to Japanese content before I start a Netflix subscription.

[RawToast]

Quote:I have a VPN server in Japan, but I'd rather know exactly how you got access to Japanese content before I start a Netflix subscription.

You just VPN before logging in. Works for me when I want US Netflix and now Japan

Not sure on the forum rules about posting explicit VPN services, as in a way this is bypassing geo-restrictions/licensing, but I've just tested it with something that describes itself as:

"VPN Gate Academic Experiment Project is an online service as an academic research at Graduate School of University of Tsukuba, Japan. The purpose of this research is to expand the knowledge of "Global Distributed Public VPN Relay Servers"

It's a Japanese University effort, so seemed like a reasonable choice, and it's entirely free, not even advertising.

Like others have said, once you get a VPN connection running you just log into your normal Netflix account and you'll be presented with the Japanese content.

However, it was really slow, as I expected if I'm honest. I could get the lists of available content, but I couldn't get anything to actually play, but at least it shows it works in theory, and I don't mind paying for a professional VPN service if it connects fast enough to stream.

I use ExpressVPN to watch Hulu.jp on occasion. It works well - no noticeable lag for me.

I also tried VPN Gate, but didn't have much success either. It seems like a resource meant mainly to help those on the Chinese mainland puncture a whole in the Great Firewall. Best to leave it available for that noble purpose, and not suck up a crapload of bandwidth attempting to watch 花咲マイが黙っていない.

RawToast Wrote:

Quote:I have a VPN server in Japan, but I'd rather know exactly how you got access to Japanese content before I start a Netflix subscription.

You just VPN before logging in. Works for me when I want US Netflix and now Japan

Thanks!

Just checked my speed through the VPN; I'm assuming that being able to stream 720p YouTube videos without running out of buffer is a good indicator that I can stream Japanese Netflix.

Can confirm this works very well with privateinternetaccess as well.

If your home country offers netflix, sign up locally. Then get a VPN to switch between the different content (Japan, US, UK, Canada, etc). Netflix as a company, up to this point, is totally allowing this and I switch between countries sometimes multiple times per day if I am looking for something specific. I have never had any issue with this in the browser or using KODI on my android box.

So sign up for Netflix locally, sign into VPN, and turn on Netflix and everything should be good? Can others confirm?

I've never had a VPN before but so little per month for all this Japanese stuff seems enticing. Would like to try it out if there are VPN recommendations. Seems like privateinternetaccess and ExpressVPN are options.

sholum Wrote:

RandomQuotes Wrote:Nice, my us Account still works with it, so no more VPN tunneling to access it. And it looks like it has breaking bad, which I've been wanting to watch in Japanese for a while.

Could you clarify a bit (I don't have Netflix)? Are you saying that your US account will receive Japanese content by changing a particular setting? Or does it receive the Japanese content when connected through a Japanese IP?

I have a VPN server in Japan, but I'd rather know exactly how you got access to Japanese content before I start a Netflix subscription.

I live in Japan、so I used a vpn to get american content.

I just tried going to the site without my vpn turned on, and bam, Netflix was giving me the Japanese content.

TheVinster Wrote:So sign up for Netflix locally, sign into VPN, and turn on Netflix and everything should be good? Can others confirm?

I've never had a VPN before but so little per month for all this Japanese stuff seems enticing. Would like to try it out if there are VPN recommendations. Seems like privateinternetaccess and ExpressVPN are options.

I use privateinternetaccess, but they only have one Japanese server. It's quite cheap at $35 a year...

TheVinster Wrote:I've never had a VPN before but so little per month for all this Japanese stuff seems enticing. Would like to try it out if there are VPN recommendations. Seems like privateinternetaccess and ExpressVPN are options.

You can watch a lot of free stuff on Gyao as well. I think it'd be worth the investment. I never got into regularly watching stuff in Japanese until I got Hulu, and Netflix is even better so far.

This is cool. Only downside is that the japanese subs aren't based on the dub.

[RawToast]

cracky Wrote:This is cool. Only downside is that the japanese subs aren't based on the dub.

Yeah that's strange. It's like watching the English dub of an anime with fansubs, a total mismatch!

If you're going to use the subs, accept this and just use them for hints when you cannot follow.

Quote:Not sure on the forum rules about posting explicit VPN services, as in a way this is bypassing geo-restrictions/licensing...

I don't have the final word, but I don't think it is a problem. Netflix still get your money and they don't seem to care -- and it will probably stay that way until the content owners force them. It's not like the BBC iPlayer where using a VPN is actually crippling a free service.

cracky Wrote:This is cool. Only downside is that the japanese subs aren't based on the dub.

Is this a common thing? I don't think the subs I tried using for Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu matched the spoken dialog either (Or not well enough, anyway.) I don't think those were official, but if even official subs don't match the spoken dialog it makes me think there's something up.

Yes, it's common. Dubs are made to match the movement of the lips, which often results in major changes to the original dialogue. Subs are either a transcription of exactly what was said or, as is often the case with official subs, slightly adjusted to make them comfortable to read.

Hmm, I might have to take back my PIA recommendation. Last night and today I can't get netflix japan working properly, even though other countries are working well. My troubleshooting thus far is just turning stuff off and on, and checking my IP, but I will wait a few days to see if it is just Netflix Japan teething problems or if I need to research another option.

SellingTokyo Wrote:Hmm, I might have to take back my PIA recommendation. Last night and today I can't get netflix japan working properly, even though other countries are working well. My troubleshooting thus far is just turning stuff off and on, and checking my IP, but I will wait a few days to see if it is just Netflix Japan teething problems or if I need to research another option.

Owtch. I was just about to renew my netflix and vpn subscriptions based on this news.... I mean, there's still a ton of stuff in Japanese on American Netflix although (when I was last subscribed at least) you often have to get the DVD rather than stream. Hopefully it continues the way it was... I'd hate to have to pay twice for Netflix, and I do need to renew American netflix (with DVDs) sometime 'cause I have to finish Madmen and Game of Thrones. Yeah I know they aren't Japanese shows. I love them anyway. :p

cracky Wrote:This is cool. Only downside is that the japanese subs aren't based on the dub.

It's inconvenient when I can't catch something, but otherwise it's been quite interesting. When two different phrases are used to express the same thing, it's like double exposure.