Want to watch HBO Max in Japan? We don’t blame you. HBO offers some of the best content out there. You go the likes of Chernobyl, Ford VS Ferrari, Tiger, The Undoing, not to mention classics like Game of Thrones. HBO Max for sure doesn’t pack as much content as Netflix, but the quality is undeniable. Unfortunately, HBO Max in Japan is not a thing.
That’s why in this guide, we’ll show you both how to unblock HBO Max in Japan but secondly also how to create an HBO account as it’s not quite as simple as one might think.
...But first...
HBO? It creates most of its content.
...But it also sells rights to a lot of it.
That way, HBO makes a profit while allowing other platforms to view its content.
...HBO doesn’t fully own all of its content though.
The results of both = HBO Max in Japan is not a thing.
And that’s why you are here searching for how to watch HBO Max in Japan.
There are primarily 2 steps to watching HBO Max in Japan.
Step 2?
It’s harder but we do have a straightforward solution for it.
HBO needs to see you as someone that is in the US.
That’s it. If HBO thinks you are not in the US just for a few seconds at any time you are using it, it won’t work.
So what’s needed to make HBO Max think you are in the US?
A VPN.
VPN services allow you to switch your location to be somewhere else than you actually are. In this case, you need to look like you are in the US.
Is it as simple as that, though? Not quite.
HBO, just like many other streaming services, has to make efforts against VPN services.
That means quite a lot of them don’t work with entertainment services.
...And that’s where PrivateVPN comes in as a service with a focus on entertainment meaning fewer servers than on many other services, but instead, servers that work with entertainment platforms like HBO.
Oh, and PrivateVPN has just recently been accepted into Tom Sparks’ reputable VPN program.
How do you unblock HBO Max with PrivateVPN?
This step is hard because it requires an American issued card.
...There is, however, a relatively simple solution for this problem.
To sign up for HBO Max via your mobile phone.
Why?
As while HBO Max has their own payment platform on its website, on Apple and Android devices, it’s both Apple and Google that take care of payments.
...You will, however, first need to download the HBO Max app. And that won’t be available for you if you don’t first change the region of your app store.
Yes, but it is a bit harder.
That’s because most smart TVs and smart TV platforms, whether it be Apple TV, Roku, or Chromecast don’t support VPN services.
Two solutions?
If you just ordered a Fire TV Stick, simply create a US-based account, and HBO Max will be available for download.
...Otherwise, if you already have an Amazon Fire TV Stick:
...But also how to watch many other streaming services that are not currently available in Japan.
Simply connect to the right PrivateVPN server and apply the steps mentioned in this guide.
Written by Michael Smolski.
Disclaimer: While PrivateVPN works with HBO Max, due to the nature of services like HBO Max making efforts against VPN services, it is not able to guarantee non-stop 100% of the time support at all given times.