Our Methodology
Exactly how we verify, every day, whether these services actually work over VPN — all of it, published.
Most VPN articles just say "NordVPN works with X" — with no indication of when that was true or whether it was actually tested. Streaming services change their VPN detection constantly, so we back our claims with an automated test that runs every day, and we publish the results — successes and failures alike. This page is the full procedure.
1. Test daily, from outside Japan
A test server (cron job) located outside Japan connects to the relevant NordVPN server for each service (Japan servers for Japanese content, US servers for US services, and so on). This reproduces the situation of a real user abroad connecting via VPN. It runs automatically at a fixed time each day.
2. Verify the egress IP (this is the crucial part)
A successful "connect" command does not guarantee traffic is actually leaving through the tunnel. So after connecting, we fetch our externally-visible IP address (egress IP) and its country, and confirm:
- the egress IP is not the test server's own IP (i.e. traffic really exits via the VPN), and
- the egress IP's country matches the intended country (e.g. a Japan connection resolves to JP).
On any day this check fails, that server's result is recorded as an "error" (not measurable) — never counted as a success. The "NordVPN connection verified" note on our live panels means this check passed.
3. Test each service for access
Because services block differently, we detect differently:
| Service (examples) | Detection method |
|---|---|
| ABEMA | Returns a region-block page ("error") from non-Japan IPs, so we check whether a normal page is served. |
| radiko | Its area API (radiko.jp/area) returns "OUT" abroad and a prefecture code (JPxx) inside Japan — we read that value. |
| Netflix (JP / US) | Whether a licensed (non-original) title page is served = whether that region's library is unlocked. We also capture the detected region. |
| Prime Video | The territory returned by the page. |
| Disney+ / Max / Globoplay | Homepage doesn't expose region status, so connection-only (see tier ③ below). |
4. Report honestly in three tiers
We don't lump everything into "it works." We grade by how much we could actually confirm — a deliberate guard against overclaiming:
- ① Unblock verified: clearly blocked abroad, and confirmed unblocked via VPN (e.g. ABEMA, radiko). The strongest evidence.
- ② Library confirmed: the region's library (licensed titles) is served (e.g. Netflix, Prime) — but we do not test actual video playback.
- ③ Connection only: only that we could connect on that country's IP. The homepage doesn't reveal unblock status (e.g. Disney+, Max).
5. Publish everything — 30 days, successes and failures
Every result, pass or fail, is recorded, and the last 30 days of history are published on our live status page. The success rates shown on each article are computed from this raw data. We do not hide bad days.
/data/streaming_results.json (latest results + 30-day history — anyone can inspect and verify it).
6. What this can and cannot prove
- ✅ Can: show, with egress-IP verification, whether "today, via a NordVPN server in country X, the service is reachable at the IP/catalog level."
- ⚠️ Cannot: guarantee your connection speed/experience, actual video playback for tier ②/③ services, or that the same state will persist in the future.
Also, we only test NordVPN daily. Other VPNs may work too, but we have no verification data for them, so we don't claim they do. That's a limitation — and our honest position.
7. Cite or embed this data
Our measurement data is free to reference and cite. To show "today's status" on your own site, paste the snippet below (it reads our public JSON and displays the latest ABEMA / radiko / Japan-Netflix status):
<div id="vpnb-badge"></div>
<script>
fetch('https://vpnbeyond.com/data/streaming_results.json')
.then(function(r){return r.json()}).then(function(d){
var m={abema:'ABEMA',radiko:'radiko',netflix_jp:'Netflix JP'},o=[];
for(var k in m){var x=d.latest.results[k];if(x)o.push(
(x.status==='pass'?'✅':x.status==='blocked'?'❌':'🔄')+' '+m[k]);}
document.getElementById('vpnb-badge').innerHTML=
'Japanese streaming from abroad ('+d.latest.tested_at.slice(0,10)+'): '+o.join(' / ')+
' — VPN Beyond (tested daily)';
});
</script>※ Please credit VPN Beyond — Streaming Status with a link.
8. Who runs this
VPN Beyond is an independent, data-driven VPN resource. Unlike review sites owned by VPN companies (whose interests align with what they review), we operate independently and publish successes and failures as they happen. See our author and About.