Netflix makes Asian debut in Japan, will expand services to New Zealand, Australia next month

Netflix is expanding into Japan this fall, marking the first time that the Internet video service will be available in Asia. The move announced late Wednesday marks another step toward reaching Netflix’s goal to stream video on Internet-connected TVs, phones, tablets and computer throughout the world. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings last month pledged to complete the company’s international push by the end of next year. The service already sells video subscriptions to a mix of original programming, movies and TV series in more than 50 countries. New Zealand and Australia are scheduled to join that list next month. Netflix will open an office in Tokyo as part of its entry into Japan. The Los Gatos, California, company didn’t specify what date in autumn that the Japanese service will debut. Earlier **reports** suggest that Netflix received blockbuster growth in Q4 and plans to complete global expansion by 2017. Netflix Inc added 13 million worldwide subscribers last year, including 4.3 million during the final three months, according to figures released in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report. It marked Netflix’s biggest quarter of subscriber gains ever, eclipsing the 4.07 million added in the final three months of 2013. With inputs from Associated Press