How to watch iQIYI, Tencent Video, Bilibili and Chinese live TV in Japan

Japan is one hour ahead of Beijing, all year round 简体中文繁體中文English

In short: Japan is only one hour ahead of Beijing, so evening broadcasts from China are evening broadcasts in Japan too, with no late nights. When the China versions of iQIYI, Tencent Video or Bilibili show a region restriction in Japan, install Homeway and light the moon gate, and they’ll play. Sony and many Sharp AQUOS TVs run Google TV or Android TV and can install the TV app directly; for other TVs, plug in a Google TV box.

Time difference: one hour ahead, all year

Japan is on UTC+9 all year with no daylight saving, and Beijing is on UTC+8, so Japan time is always Beijing time plus one hour, with no seasonal changes to remember. The CCTV evening news at 7 p.m. in China is on at 8 p.m. in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, just after dinner.

Lunar New Year’s Eve 2027 falls on Friday, February 5. Japan doesn’t take a holiday for it, but the Gala starts at 9 p.m., so you’ll be home from work in time; the countdown is at 1 a.m. Japan time, a late night that won’t hurt on a Friday. See watching the Spring Festival Gala abroad for the details.

International versions vs. China versions

In Japan, some Chinese video apps come in an international or overseas edition. These work in Japan without any help, but their content differs from the China versions, and many dramas, variety shows and live channels simply aren’t in them. The China versions have the full catalogue, but open them in Japan and you’ll often see “only available in mainland China”. Bilibili is the same: plenty of anime and documentaries show only a description outside China.

Homeway works with the China versions: iQIYI and its TV app, Tencent Video and its TV app, Bilibili and its TV app, Mango TV, plus Yangshipin, Youku, Migu Video, and QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music. The full list is on supported apps. With Homeway on, the China versions show the same catalogue you’d see in China. The international versions already work in Japan, so they don’t need Homeway.

Memberships work the same way: to watch members-only content in a China version, sign in to your own membership account in that app. Homeway only deals with region restrictions; it doesn’t sell memberships.

Which TVs and boxes to use in Japan

• Sony BRAVIA: recent models run Google TV (older ones Android TV), so the Homeway TV app installs directly.
• Sharp AQUOS: many models run Android TV or Google TV and can install it. If you’re not sure, check whether the TV’s settings have a Google account and Google Play.
• Panasonic and other TVs with their own system: the built-in system can’t install it; plug in a Google TV box. The same goes for Samsung, LG and Hisense VIDAA. See watching on Samsung and LG TVs.
• Chromecast with Google TV and other Google TV boxes: plug one into any TV with an HDMI port; the simplest option.
• Amazon Fire TV Stick: common in Japan, but Fire TV runs Amazon’s own Fire OS. Homeway hasn’t been tested on it and we can’t promise it works. If you’re buying a new device, choose Google TV or Android TV.

Speed: check whether your building shares the line

For reference, 1080p needs a steady 5 Mbps or more and 4K needs 15–25 Mbps. Home fibre in Japan usually has plenty of bandwidth, and Homeway only relays the playback authorization requests; the video downloads from the server nearest to you, with no detour.

The catch is apartment buildings (mansions): in many older ones the fibre stops at the building and reaches each flat over phone wiring (VDSL), so the whole building shares the bandwidth and things slow down most between 9 and 11 p.m. If playback is smooth by day and stutters at night, ask your provider about switching to an IPv6 (IPoE) connection, which usually helps a lot. Connect the TV or box by Ethernet where you can; more fixes are in what to do about buffering.

Prices shown in yen

New users get a free 7-day trial on first sign-in, on every device, with no card required. After the trial you move to the free plan, which you can keep using on one phone. TVs, tablets and computers need Standard (2 devices) or Family (5 devices), billed monthly. Open the pricing page from Japan and prices are shown in JPY.

Getting started on TV, phone and computer

TV (Sony or Sharp Google TV, or a Google TV box)

1. Search for “Homeway” on Google Play and install it. On devices without Google Play, open homeway.tv/tv in a browser or downloader app, or install from a USB drive; all the methods are in the TV install guide.
2. Scan the QR code on the TV with your phone to sign in, then light the moon gate.
3. Open the China TV apps of iQIYI, Tencent Video or Bilibili for dramas, or CCTV’s TV app for live channels; see watching CCTV live abroad.

Phone

1. On Android, see the Android install guide; on iPhone, download it from the App Store.
2. Sign in with an email code and light the moon gate.
3. Open the China versions of iQIYI, Tencent Video or Bilibili, and the shows that were region-blocked will play.

Computer

1. On Windows, install the Windows app; on a Mac, use the browser extension for Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
2. Light the moon gate and watch on the iQIYI, Tencent Video or Bilibili websites in your browser.

Related: fixing “only available in mainland China”, watching CCTV live abroad, Homeway vs. a VPN back to China, guides for other countries.

Try Homeway

Free for 7 days for new users, no card required, on your TV, phone and computer in Japan.