Lemino grew out of Japanese carrier NTT Docomo, which in 2023 replaced the ageing dTV product with a modern hybrid service. Today it carries more than 180,000 titles: anime, Japanese drama, live WOWOW concerts and, since autumn 2025, NBA games and select Champions League football. Watching Lemino outside Japan runs into a strict geo-wall, though, because the rights only cover the Japanese market and the catalogue stays shut beyond the border.
The fix is a VPN with a server inside Japan. Connect through ExpressVPN, pick up a Japanese IP, and the catalogue opens up as if you were sitting in Tokyo. Lemino is one of the tougher nuts to crack because it actively filters datacenter IPs, so the quality of your provider really matters. It works on phone, laptop and smart TV, and takes minutes to set up. With a strong VPN the stream holds up to 1080p, and the menus, subtitles and dubs stay in Japanese.
Lemino actively blocks VPNs. Only certain providers reliably bypass the detection.
| VPN Service | Price | Lemino | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 ExpressVPNBEST | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | August 24 | Try it |
 NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | August 22 | Open |
 Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | August 24 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ✓ Works | August 20 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | August 24 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | August 19 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ~ Partial | August 24 | Open |
✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works~ Partial~ Partial~ PartialTakes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
Lemino is only available in Japan. To access it from anywhere else, use a premium VPN.
Lemino is blocked in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in New Zealand, plus in 188 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like ExpressVPN.
Lemino is the streaming service of Japanese mobile operator NTT Docomo, launched in April 2023 as a replacement for the older dTV product. The catalogue holds more than 180,000 titles and splits into an ad-supported free tier and paid Lemino Premium, which rose to 1,540 yen per month in February 2026. The mix leans heavily on anime, Japanese drama, cinema and live concert and sports broadcasts. The service is limited to Japan and billing is in yen.
5 tips from our Lemino testing team · Updated July 14, 2026
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