That's right, Japan has TV, as if you didn't know. Well you may know that Japan has TV but do you know the history of the TV in Japan. Well if you don't, like me, it is time to find out.
One of the founders of television in Japan is Kenjiro Takayanagi. Kenjiro was a teacher at Hamamatsu Technical High School during the Taisho Era. This man was the first Japanese person to successfully conduct a public television demonstration, in 1928. He would continue experiments along with NHK through the 1930's.
Television broadcasting in Japan officially began in 1939, and it was one of the first countries to have experimental television service. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific region, this experiment only lasted a few months. Regular television broadcasts did not start until 1951, after the conclusion of the war.
Television, like most technologies, skyrocketed in Japan and before you knew it almost every household had a minimum of one TV set. Today, television can be found everywhere. As you walk the streets of Japan you will be bombarded by advertisements on nice HD TV's, or you may even catch your favorite soap opera while riding the subway train.
Currently, Japan has six national networks on television. NHK, is a Japanese public service broadcaster that is financed through viewer fees, very similar to our PBS except Japanese homes are forced to pay the fee. The other five national networks are the Nippon News Network (NNN), the Japanese News Network (JNN), the Fuji News Network (FNN), the All-Nippon News Network (ANN), and finally the TV Tokyo Network (TXN).
Along with these networks, Japan has both cable and satellite television. A variety of programming can be seen from drama programs to science fiction and anime to variety shows. Well now it is time for me to go watch something that is very popular in Japan- Game shows.
The second picture shows television screens above the doors of a train in Japan.