J1 is a young league but the level of competition and popular devotion has risen to a level that rivals many European leagues. Recent years have seen J1 making a name for itself internationally: In 2016, the Kashima Antlers became the first Asian club to make the FIFA Club World Cup final, and in the following year, J1 club the Urawa Red Diamonds became AFC champions after defeating Al Hilal. Hence, it is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football.

In Japan, all matches are streamed live on the streaming service, DAZN Japan, available for a monthly fee to those in the country.

Additionally, live streams of select J1 league matches are accessible in other countries where the DAZN service is available: Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada.

So far the DAZN service is limited to these countries, however, the company has plans to expand its service to other regions in coming years.

Elsewhere in Asia, fans in Thailand will find televised matches on the channel Truevisions, but these broadcasts are typically limited to matches featuring clubs with Thai players.

Unfortunately, in the U.S., the U.K., and most of the rest of the world, J1 coverage is limited to occasional recaps and quick clips, as the international broadcast rights to the league are currently tied up in limbo through 2019 with a company that no longer has any intention to take advantage of them.

Hopefully, once the international broadcasting rights expire, DAZN will acquire them and include a full J1 League package with the service as they expand the service into additional countries.

Surely as J1 League football rises in prominence and gains a stronger international following, league matches will become more accessible on television and streaming services.

Until then, the best way for many fans to catch live streams of the league is through the use of a VPN.

A VPN (virtual private network) allows users to route their internet connection through servers across the world, essentially giving them a connection in the country that they choose, which grants them access to streaming services and other content that they are regionally locked out of in their home country.

VPNs also have the bonus of encrypting a user’s data and masking his or her browsing from ISPs and other prying eyes, providing peace of mind and a much-needed layer of security in a world where cybercrime and identity theft are becoming all too common and nobody is completely safe.

By subscribing to a VPN, football fans can connect to a server in Japan in order to establish the Japanese IP address necessary to sign up for DAZN in the country. From there, all J1 League matches will become accessible.

  1. Subscribe to a VPN service known for good speeds and one or more servers in Japan.
  2. Download the VPN client on your computer, or mobile device that you like to stream sports from.
  3. Connect to a server in Japan.
  4. Clear your browser’s cookies and cache.
  5. Head over to dazn.com and purchase a subscription.
  6. Watch J1 League matches live as they happen. (Remember to always log on to the service while connected to a Japanese server)

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