Television in Japan

Television broadcasting in Japan started in 1950,[1] although the first television tests were conducted as early as 1926 using a combined mechanical Nipkow disk and electronic Braun tube system, later switching to an all-electronic system in the 1930s using a domestically developed iconoscope system.[2] In spite of that, because of the beginning of World War II in the Pacific region, this first full-fledged TV broadcast experimentation lasted only a few months. Regular television broadcasts only started several years after the war, in 1953, when the public NHK General TV and the commercial Nippon Television were launched in the span of a few months.

A modified version of the North American NTSC system for analog signals, called NTSC-J was used for analog broadcast until 2011. Starting July 24, 2011, the analog broadcast has ceased and only digital broadcast using the ISDB standard is available.

All Japanese households having at least one TV set are mandated to pay an annual subscription fee used to fund NHK, the Japanese public service broadcaster. The fee varies from ¥14,910 to ¥28,080 depending on the method and timing of payment and on whether one receives only terrestrial television or also satellite broadcasts.[3] Households on welfare may be excused from the subscription payments. In any case, there is no authority to impose sanctions or fines in the event of non-payment; people may (and many do) throw away the bills and turn away the occasional bill collector, without consequence.[3]

Terrestrial television

In Japan, there are seven nationwide television networks – two owned by the national public broadcaster NHK, and five private networks – as follows. Although some of the network names shown below are used only for news programming, the applicable organizations also distribute a variety of other programs over most of the same stations.

Network(s) Key Flagship
(Tokyo)
Channel (Tokyo) Broadcasting area Transmitted area Broadcasting hours Digital Satellite Open Type, Owner and Newspaper
NHK General TV JOAK-TV 1 Tokyo NHK Broadcasting Center Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Skytree
24-hours NHK Satellite Television
NHK Premium Satellite Television
1 February 1953 Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK)
Public broadcasting
Government of Japan
Education in Japan (Japan Ministry of Education)
NHK Educational TV JOAB-TV 2 10 January 1959
Nippon News Network (NNN)
Nippon Television Network System (NNS)
Nippon Television (JOAX-TV) 4 Tokyo Nippon Television Headquarters Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Skytree
24-hours Nippon Satellite Television 28 August 1953 Nippon Television Network Corporation
National Daily Newspaper Tokyo Yomiuri Shimbun.
Japan News Network (JNN) Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (JORX-TV) 6 Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Headquarters Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Skytree
24-hours Tokyo Broadcasting System Satellite Television 1 April 1955 Tokyo Broadcasting System
National Daily Newspaper Tokyo Mainichi Shimbun.
Fuji News Network (FNN)
Fuji Network System (FNS)
Fuji Television (JOCX-TV) 8 Tokyo Fuji Television Headquarters Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Skytree
24-hours Fuji Satellite Television 1 March 1959 Fuji Television Network
National Daily Newspaper Tokyo Sankei Shimbun.
All-Nippon News Network (ANN) TV Asahi (JOEX-TV) 5 Tokyo TV Asahi Headquarters Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Skytree
24-hours Asahi Satellite Television 1 February 1959 Asahi Broadcasting Corporation
National Daily Newspaper Tokyo Asahi Shimbun.
TV Tokyo Network (TXN) TV Tokyo (JOTX-TV) 7 Tokyo Television Headquarters Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Skytree
24-hours Tokyo Satellite Television 12 April 1964 Tokyo Television Corporation
National Daily Newspaper Tokyo Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

Digital television

See also: ISDB

Japan pioneered HDTV for decades with an analog implementation (MUSE/Hi-Vision). The old system is not compatible with the new digital standards. Japanese terrestrial broadcasting of HD via ISDB-T started on December 1, 2003 in the Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya metropolitan areas. It has been reported that 27 million HD receivers had been sold in Japan as of October 2007.

The Japanese government is studying the implementation of some improvements on the standard as suggested by Brazilian researchers (SBTVD). These new features are unlikely to be adopted in Japan due to incompatibility problems, but are being considered for use in future implementations in other countries, including Brazil itself. Analogue terrestrial television broadcasts in Japan were scheduled to end on July 24, 2011, as per the current Japanese broadcasting law. However, the switch-over was delayed in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate prefectures, due to a desire to reduce the inconvenience of those affected most by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. In those areas, analogue broadcasting ended on March 31, 2012.

Cable television

Cable television was introduced to Japan in 1955, in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture. Until the 1980s, cable television in Japan was mainly limited to rural mountainous areas and outlying islands where the reception of terrestrial television was poor. Cable television started to proliferate in urban areas in the late 1980s, beginning with Tokyo, whose first cable television station began broadcasting in 1987.[4] In the mid 1990s, two-way multichannel cable television platforms first appeared in the market; broadband internet services started being bundled to cable television subscriptions in the late 1990s.

Currently, there are several national and regional cable television providers in Japan, the largest being J:COM, followed by Japan Cablenet (JCN). These companies currently compete with the Japanese satellite television platforms SKY PerfecTV! and WOWOW, as well as the IPTV platform Hikari TV operated by NTT Plala.

Japan Cable Television Engineering Association (JCTEA) is the umbrella organisation representing 600 member companies involved in research, designing, manufacturing, installation and maintenance of cable television facilities in Japan.

Analogue broadcasting on cable television ended operations on March 31, 2015.

Satellite television

The medium-scale Broadcasting Satellite for Experimental Purposes (BSE) was planned by Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MOPT) and developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) since 1974. After that, the first Japanese experimental broadcasting satellite, called BSE or Yuri, was launched in 1978. NHK started experimental broadcasting of TV program using BS-2a satellite in May 1984.

The satellite BS-2a was launched in preparation for the start of full scale 2-channel broadcasts. Broadcasting Satellite BS-2a was the first national DBS (direct broadcasting satellite), transmitting signals directly into the home of TV viewers. Attitude control of the satellite was conducted using the 3 axial method (zero momentum), and design life was 5 years. The TV transponder units are designed to sufficiently amplify transmitted signals to enable reception by small, 40 or 60 cm home-use parabolic antennas. The satellite was equipped with 3 TV transponders (including reserve units). However, one transponder malfunctioned 2 months after launch (March 23, 1984) and a second transponder malfunctioned 3 months after launch (May 3, 1984). So, the scheduled satellite broadcasting had to be hastily adjusted to test broadcasting on a single channel.

Later, NHK started regular service (NTSC) and experimental HDTV broadcasting using BS-2b in June 1989. Some Japanese producers of home electronic consumer devices began to deliver TV sets, VCRs and even home acoustic systems equipped by built-in satellite tuners or receivers. Such electronic goods had a specific BS logo.

In April 1991, Japanese company JSB started pay TV service while BS-3 communication satellite was in use. In 1996 total number of households that receive satellite broadcasting exceeded 10 million.

The modern two satellite systems in use in Japan are BSAT and JCSAT; the modern WOWOW Broadcasting Satellite digital service uses BSAT satellites, while other system of digital TV broadcasting SKY PerfecTV! uses JCSAT satellites.

Satellite channels

BS Channels

Channel Number Channel Name Description
BS101 NHK BS1 NHK Programming (HD)
BS103 NHK BS Premium NHK Programming (HD)
BS141 Nippon TV BS 4 Nippon TV/NNN Programming (HD)
BS151 BS A TV Asahi/ANN Programming (HD)
BS161 BS-TBS TBS/JNN Programming (HD)
BS171 BS Japan TV Tokyo/TXN Programming (HD)
BS181 BS Fuji Fuji Television/FNN Programming (HD)
BS191 WOWOW Prime General Entertainment (HD)
BS192 WOWOW Live Sports and Live Performances (HD)
BS193 WOWOW Cinema Movies (HD)
BS200 Star Channel 1 Movies (HD)
BS201 Star Channel 2 Movies (HD)
BS202 Star Channel 3 Movies (HD)
BS211 BS 11 General Entertainment (HD)
BS222 TwellV General Entertainment (HD)
BS231 Open University Educational (HD)
BS234 BS Green Horse Racing (HD)
BS236 Animax Anime (HD)
BS238 Fox Sports Sports (HD)
BS241 BS Sky PerfecTV! Variety (HD)
BS242 JSports 1 Sports (HD)
BS243 JSports 2 Sports (HD)
BS244 JSports 3 Sports (HD)
BS245 JSports 4 Sports (HD)
BS251 BS Fishing Vision Fishing (HD)
BS252 Imagica BS Movies (HD)
BS255 BS Nippon Movie Movies (HD)
BS256 Disney Channel Family (HD)
BS258 DLIFE Foreign Dramas and Disney Programming (HD)
BS531 Open University Educational (HD)

CS Channels

Channel Number Channel Name Description
CS55 Shop Channel Shopping (HD)
CS100 Sky PerfecTV! Promo Promotional
CS161 QVC Shopping
CS218 Toei Channel Classic TV
CS219 Satellite Theatre Korean TV and Movies
CS223 Movie Channel NECO Movies
CS227 The Cinema Movies
CS229 Fox Movies Premium Movies
CS240 Movie Plus HD Movies (HD)
CS250 Sky A Sports + Sports (HD)
CS254 GAORA Sports Sports (HD)
CS257 NTV G+ Sports (HD)
CS262 Golf Network HD Sports (HD)
CS290 Takarazuka Sky Stage Theatre
CS292 Era Drama Drama (HD)
CS293 Family Theatre HD Variety (HD)
CS294 Home Drama Channel Drama
CS296 TBS 1 General Entertainment (HD)
CS297 TBS 2 General Entertainment
CS298 TV Asahi 1 General Entertainment (HD)
CS299 TV Asahi 2 News + Sports (HD)
CS300 NTV Plus General Entertainment
CS305 Channel Ginga General Entertainment
CS307 Fuji TV One Sports + Variety (HD)
CS308 Fuji TV Two Drama + Animation (HD)
CS309 Fuji TV Next Live Premium Special Events (HD)
CS310 Super Drama TV HD Drama (HD)
CS311 AXN Foreign Drama
CS312 FOX General Entertainment
CS314 Lala TV Women's Programming (HD)
CS316 Canal de las Estrellas Mexican Programs (HD)
CS318 Az Mundo Mexican Programs (HD)
CS321 Space Shower TV Plus Music
CS322 Space Shower TV Music
CS323 MTV Music (HD)
CS325 Music ON! TV Music (HD)
CS326 Music Air Music
CS329 Kayo Pop Channel Music
CS330 Kids Station Children's Programming (HD)
CS331 Cartoon Network Animation
CS333 Anime Theatre X Anime
CS339 Disney Junior Family
CS340 Discovery Channel Science
CS341 Animal Planet Science
CS342 History Channel History
CS343 National Geographic Channel Science
CS349 Nippon TV News 24 News
CS351 TBS News Bird News
CS353 BBC World News
CS354 CNNj News
CS362 Travel Channel Travel
CS363 Igo Shogi Channel Games
CS800 Sukachan 0 Soccer (HD)
CS801 Sukachan 1 Soccer (HD)
CS802 Sukachan 2 Soccer (HD)
CS805 Sukachan 3 Soccer (HD)

Programs

While TV programs vary from station to station, some generalizations can be made. Most commercial television stations sign on between the hours of 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM every morning. Early morning hours are dominated by news programs, and these run from around 9:00 to 9:30 AM. They are then replaced by late morning shows that target wives who have finished their housework. These run to around 1:30 PM, at which time reruns of dramas and information programs that target the same age group start. On some stations at 4:00 PM, the young kid-oriented anime and TV shows start, and end around 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM. Evening news programs air as early as before 4:00 PM or before 5:00 PM and end at 7:00 PM, when the "Golden Hour" of TV shows start. 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM are the time periods into which TV stations pour the most resources. Appearing in this time slot is a certain sign that an actor or actress is a TV star. After 9:00 they switch over to Japanese television dramas and programs focusing on older age groups, which run till 10:00 or 11:00 PM. Stations run their late night news mostly at the 11:00 PM hour, and around midnight sports news programs run which target working ages. After these, programs for mature audiences run as well as anime that do not expect enough viewers if they were run earlier. Some commercial stations sign off between 2:00 AM and 3:00 AM every night; however, most stations affiliated with NNS or JNN broadcast 24 hours a day, with the sign off window replaced by a simulcast of their networks' news channel during the overnight hours. Other stations do filler programming to fill time before the start of early morning news. Commercial stations sometimes sign off on Sunday late nights or other days for technical maintenance. NHK is required to broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Japanese have sometimes subdivided television series and dramas into kūru (クール), from the French term "cours" for "course", which is a 3-month period usually of 13 episodes. Each kūru generally has its own opening and ending image sequence and song, recordings of which are often sold. A six-month period of 26 episodes is also used for subdivision in some television series.

Drama

Japanese dramas (テレビドラマ terebi dorama, television drama) are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedies, detective stories, horror, and many others. With a theme, there may be a one-episode drama, or 2-nights, that may be aired on special occasions, such as in 2007 where they had a drama produced as a sixty-year anniversary from the end of the World War II, with a theme of the atomic bomb.

Science fiction

Japan has a long history of producing science fiction series for TV. Only a few of these series are aired outside Japan and even when aired, they tend to be edited, rarely retaining their original storyline. Non-anime science fiction are still largely unknown to foreign audiences. An exception is Power Rangers and their subsequent series that used battle sequences from the Super Sentai counterpart and combined them with American actors who acted out entirely original story lines.

Anime

Main article: Anime

Anime (アニメ), taken from half of the Japanese pronunciation of "animation", is the Japanese word for animation in general, but is used more specifically to mean "Japanese animation" in the rest of the world.[5] Anime dates from about 1917.[6] TV networks regularly broadcast anime programming. In Japan, major national TV networks, such as TV Tokyo broadcast anime regularly. Smaller regional stations broadcast anime on UHF. Naruto, Pokemon, Bleach, Dragon Ball, and One Piece are examples of anime. While many popular series air during the daytime and evening hours, most air only at night from 12:00am – 4:00am. These series usually make profits primarily through BD (Blu-ray Disc)/DVD sales and merchandising rather than through television advertisement. Some anime series are original, but most are intended to promote something else, such as an ongoing manga, light novel, or video-game series.

Variety shows

Main article: Japanese variety show

Japanese variety shows (also known as Japanese game shows) are television entertainment made up of a variety of original stunts, musical performances, comedy skits, quiz contests, and other acts. Japanese television programs such as Music Station and Utaban continue in an almost pristine format from the same variety shows of years before. The only major changes have been the increasing disappearance of live backup music since the 1980s.

See also

References

  1. ""Can you see me clearly?" Public TV image reception experiment (1939)". NHK. 1939-05-13. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  2. Kenjiro Takayanagi: The Father of Japanese Television. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
  3. 1 2 NHK: Japan Times All’s fair when it comes to NHK’s fare
  4. "A Partial Guide to Broadcastings in Japan". The Web Kanzaki. 1996. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  5. "Anime - Definition". Merriam-Webster.com. 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  6. "Old anime discovered, restored," Daily Yomiuri Online. March 28, 2008.
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