I believe many website owners often encounter a common question when expanding their business: How to choose between cloud servers/VPS located in different countries?
I am frequently asked about the choice between US servers and Japanese servers. In fact, the answer is quite simple:
Generally speaking, without considering factors such as price, bandwidth, and legal regulations, if your primary user base is concentrated in the United States, then choose US servers; if your user base is primarily in Japan, then choose Japanese servers.
For example, if you are running a website for Japanese or Korean games or short videos, it is advisable to use Japanese or Korean servers.
Of course, to help you make a better decision, I will briefly introduce the differences between servers in these two countries from four aspects.
After reading, you should have a clearer idea of how to make your choice.
Geographical Location and Network Routes
The United States is located in North America, while Japan is located in Asia. Therefore, the choice of server location depends on your target audience and the requirements of your applications.
If your main users are in North America or Europe, US servers may be more suitable. If your main users are in Asia or Oceania, Japanese servers may be more appropriate.
Bandwidth and Network Connectivity
The United States is one of the largest internet exchange centers in the world, with leading bandwidth and network infrastructure.
This means that US servers generally have better network connectivity and higher bandwidth availability.
As one of Asia’s technological centers, Japan also has relatively good network infrastructure, but it may not be as mature as the United States.
Bandwidth can be guaranteed when serving users within Japan. However, if your service is used by users from countries other than Japan, their connection speeds may not be guaranteed.
Regulations and Privacy
There are differences between the United States and Japan in terms of data protection regulations and privacy.
The United States has more flexible regulations regarding data collection and usage, while Japan places greater emphasis on privacy protection and data security.
If you handle sensitive data or have high privacy requirements, you need to consider local regulations and policies.
Price and Cost-effectiveness
The US server market is highly competitive, usually offering more choices and competitive prices.
The Japanese server market is relatively smaller, and prices may be higher. Therefore, when making a choice, you need to consider your budget and cost-effectiveness.
US server providers offer a wider range of packages, while Japanese server providers may be more exclusive and only allow local users to choose.
That’s it. The above are the differences between Japanese servers and US servers. After reading this, you should have a better understanding of how to make your choice!
