Radio Regular Broadcast Day

What Is Radio Broadcasting Day?

Every July 12th is "Radio Regular Broadcast Day" (ラジオ本放送の日, Rajio Hon-hōsō no Hi) 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 its new station on Atagoyama hill in Shiba (present-day Atago, Minato Ward, Tokyo), where the NHK Museum of Broadcasting stands today. This followed test broadcasts that began on March 22, 1925, from a temporary station in Shibaura, opening with the words "JOAK, JOAK, this is the Tokyo Broadcasting Station" (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. Listener numbers were small at first — there were about 3,500 subscription contracts when test broadcasting began, with a fee of 1 yen a month — 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, announcing Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and the end of World War II. It was the first time most Japanese people had ever heard the Emperor's voice, which made the moment all the more striking. The medium that had broadcast wartime propaganda now carried the message of peace.

Fun Facts

• Atagoyama: The hill where the station stood is about 26 meters high and is said to be the highest natural hill in Tokyo's 23 wards. Broadcasts at the time ran only about five hours a day.
• NHK Museum of Broadcasting: It opened on Atagoyama in 1956 as a museum dedicated to broadcasting, using the old station building; the current building dates from 1968.
• radiko: Japan's radiko (ラジコ) internet radio service, which began in 2010, lets people listen to many AM and FM stations online, including on smartphones.
• NHK Radio Gymnastics: NHK Radio's "Radio Taiso" (ラジオ体操) morning exercise program, broadcast at 6:30 a.m., began in 1928. Apart from a suspension for a few years after World War II, it has continued ever since, making it one of Japan's longest-running radio programs.