FANZA is Japan’s largest adult store, and some doujin games, comics and videos are sold only there. If you open it from outside Japan, you’ll see a “not available in your region” page instead of the store. This guide walks you through the whole process, from checking whether you need FANZA at all to downloading your purchase.
Quick answer: First check whether the same work is on DLsite — it usually is for doujin, and DLsite sells to international buyers directly. If it’s FANZA-only, you’ll need a Japanese IP address (a VPN), a free DMM account, and a payment method FANZA accepts.
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Step 0: Check DLsite first (no VPN needed)
Many doujin circles publish the same work on both FANZA and DLsite. DLsite has an English storefront and sells to buyers outside Japan, so if the work is there, buy it there — it’s simpler.
- Search the circle name or the Japanese title on DLsite.
- On HenHenta, works we’ve matched to DLsite show a DLsite button.
- See: Finding FANZA Works on DLsite · How to Buy on DLsite
Commercial games, many videos, and some circles’ releases are FANZA-only. For those, read on.
Why FANZA blocks you
FANZA only serves visitors whose connection comes from Japan. From anywhere else, it redirects to a region notice page. It isn’t about your account or your language setting — it’s your IP address.
What you need
| What | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Japanese IP address | A VPN server in Japan. |
| 2 | A DMM account | Free. Email address + password. FANZA uses DMM accounts. |
| 3 | A way to pay | See Paying on FANZA below — this is the hard part. |
Before you start
FANZA is a store for customers in Japan, so whether your account or payment goes through is up to FANZA — we can’t guarantee it. Read FANZA’s terms before you buy, and start with a small purchase.
Step 1: Connect to a Japanese server
Turn on your VPN and choose a server in Japan. Then open a new private/incognito window so the store doesn’t reuse an old “overseas” session.
- Check it worked: FANZA’s top page should load normally instead of the region notice.
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Step 2: Create a DMM account
- On FANZA, choose Log in → Create account (新規登録).
- Enter your email and a password. DMM emails you a six-digit code — enter it to finish.
- That’s it: no date of birth and no ID are required. The age check is the “18 or over” button at the store entrance. You can also sign up with a social account.
Tip: the sign-up pages are in Japanese. Your browser’s translate feature works on them.
Step 3: Paying on FANZA
This is where most overseas buyers get stuck. Here’s what we know, and what we don’t.
FANZA lists five ways to pay for videos: credit card (VISA, JCB, Diners — Mastercard and AMEX aren’t listed), PayPay, Paidy, merpay, and DMM points. PayPay, Paidy and merpay are Japanese domestic services, so from outside Japan the real choice is a card or points.
Credit cards — unreliable from abroad. FANZA’s own pages disagree: the card brand page says overseas-issued VISA, JCB and Diners cards can be used, while a footnote on the payment page says customers from overseas can’t pay by card. We won’t guess which one applies to you. If your card is declined, don’t retry repeatedly — it’s the card issuer’s decision, not the store’s.
DMM points — the reliable route. FANZA lets you pay with DMM points, which you add to your account first and then spend.
- PayPal: DMM’s help says overseas PayPal accounts can’t be used for payments other than DMM point charging — which, read literally, leaves point charging as the one place they aren’t excluded. We haven’t confirmed the charge screen itself, so treat this as what the documentation says, not a guaranteed route.
- DMM point codes (prepaid): DMM sells prepaid point codes at convenience stores in Japan and names official outlets such as kiigo, Amazon.co.jp, Rakuten and Yahoo!. None of them say whether they sell to buyers outside Japan. Unofficial resellers also advertise codes to international buyers; we don’t link to them, because their supply isn’t disclosed and an invalid code can’t be escalated to anyone.
Tip: points are spent in yen. Add a little more than the price, since some works have a separate consumption-tax line.
Step 4: Buy and download
- Stay connected to the Japanese server.
- Open the work’s page, choose Buy (購入), and pay with points or card.
- Your purchase appears in your library (ライブラリー). Games and comics can be downloaded; videos can be streamed or downloaded depending on the title.
- Before you buy a video, check its viewing period on the product page — it ranges from a couple of days to unlimited. DMM’s help doesn’t say whether you need a Japanese connection to play a video after buying it. Playback fetches a licence when you press play, so keeping your VPN available is the safe choice.
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Troubleshooting
I still see “not available in your region.” Make sure the VPN server is in Japan, then close the browser and reopen in a private window. Some browsers keep the old location in cookies.
My card was declined. This is common for overseas cards on FANZA. Switch to DMM points (see Step 3).
Is it the same work as on DLsite? When a circle sells on both stores, it’s normally the same release. HenHenta shows a DLsite button when we’ve matched it.
Do I need the VPN after I’ve bought something? DMM doesn’t say. Videos fetch a playback licence when you press play, so keep the VPN available when watching.