Radio Broadcasting Day

What Is Radio Broadcasting Day?

Every July 12th is also "Radio Broadcasting Day" (ラジオ放送記念日, Rajio Hōsō Kinenbi) in Japan. On July 12, 1925, the Tokyo Broadcasting Station (東京放送局, TBK — later to become NHK) began its regular radio broadcasting service from a permanent studio in Atago-chō, Shiba (present-day Minato Ward, Tokyo). This followed an earlier test broadcast on March 22, 1925 from a temporary studio in Shiba (see March 22nd, Broadcasting Day) and marked the establishment of Japan's first stable, regular radio broadcasting service with planned programming for regular listeners.

Japan's Radio Broadcasting Heritage

The July 12, 1925 Tokyo Broadcasting Station broadcasts represent the beginning of radio as a daily presence in Japanese life. Initial listener numbers were small — only about 3,500 licensed receivers existed in Japan in 1925 — but growth was rapid. Radio transformed how Japanese people received information and entertainment, providing live coverage of sumo tournaments, news, music, and drama in ways that newspapers could not replicate. By the mid-1930s, NHK was a mass medium reaching millions of households across Japan.

Radio's Wartime Role

Japanese radio's most historically significant moment came on August 15, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito's recorded voice was broadcast for the first time, announcing Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and the end of World War II. For a generation of Japanese who had grown up with radio, hearing the Emperor speak — in a voice they recognized from years of broadcast — made the war's end both real and surreal simultaneously. The medium that had broadcast wartime propaganda now carried the message of peace.

Fun Facts

• Rajiko: Japan's radiko (ラジコ) internet radio streaming service — which began in 2010 and now streams all major Japanese AM and FM radio stations simultaneously online — has successfully brought younger listeners back to radio content by making it accessible via smartphone, demonstrating the enduring relevance of broadcast content in digital formats.
• NHK Radio Gymnastics: NHK Radio's "Radio Taiso" (ラジオ体操) morning exercise program — broadcast at 6:30 a.m. daily and practiced by an estimated 30 million Japanese each morning — has been broadcasting continuously (with breaks during WWII) since 1928, making it one of the world's longest-running radio programs.