basic information

Watching television is very popular in Japan and probably almost as integrated into everyday life as in the United States.

In Tokyo one can receive about five private and two national NHK channels with a room antenna. The number of channels may be a little bit lower in other areas of the country. Satellite and cable television are nowadays gaining in popularity.

Dramas, news, sport programs and shows are the most popular program types.

The concepts of many Japanese shows are very original. Furthermore, many shows contain an educational component concerning nature, history, science, or other cultures. It is not uncommon that the most popular entertainers appear during prime time in rather scientific programs on commercial channels.

"Wide Shows" are programs for housewives and are broadcasted during the whole morning and afternoon on various channels. They offer a variety of topics like fashion, celebrity news, etc.

Imported movies and series are mostly broadcasted on pay TV channels. Many of them can be watched in either Japanese or the original language. A few news programs, too, are broadcasted in two languages. Some older television models, however, are not equipped with the bilingual mode which is needed to watch the programs in English.

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english links

japanese links