Television Broadcasting Commemoration Day

What Is Television Broadcasting Commemoration Day?

Every February 1st is "Television Broadcasting Commemoration Day" in Japan. On February 1, 1953, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) launched Japan's first regular television broadcasts from its Tokyo television station, marking the beginning of the television age in Japan. This day celebrates that milestone and reflects on the extraordinary role television has played in Japanese society ever since.

The Dawn of Japanese Television

When NHK's first broadcast went on air at 2:00 p.m. on February 1, 1953, televisions were still rare luxury items — at a time when a university graduate's starting salary was about 8,000 yen, a domestic 14-inch black-and-white set cost 175,000 yen, and only 866 households had signed receiving contracts. Yet crowds gathered around "street televisions" (街頭テレビ, gaitō terebi) set up in public spaces to watch the new medium with wide-eyed amazement. Just six months later, Japan's first commercial broadcaster, Nippon Television (NTV), launched, and the competition to bring content into Japanese homes had begun in earnest.

Television and the Postwar Miracle

The spread of television through Japanese households in the late 1950s and 1960s mirrored Japan's rapid economic recovery. The "three sacred treasures" of the era — the washing machine, the refrigerator, and the television — became symbols of a rising middle class. Landmark moments like the 1959 wedding of Crown Prince Akihito and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics drove massive spikes in television sales, cementing the medium's place at the center of Japanese home life.

Television's Cultural Legacy in Japan

Japanese television gave rise to uniquely local formats — the variety show (バラエティ番組), the morning drama (朝ドラ), and the year-end musical extravaganza Kōhaku Uta Gassen — that remain cultural institutions decades later. Japanese animation (anime) and drama series also found global audiences through television, becoming one of Japan's most influential cultural exports.

Fun Facts About Japanese TV

• First words on air: NHK's first broadcast began at 2:00 p.m. from the Tokyo Broadcasting Hall in Uchisaiwaichō with the announcement "JOAK-TV, this is NHK Tokyo Television" (JOAK being the station's call sign).
• Color TV arrived in 1960: NHK and commercial broadcasters began regular color broadcasts on September 10, 1960, though color sets didn't become common in homes until the late 1960s.
• 4K and 8K broadcasting: Japan began 4K and 8K satellite broadcasts in December 2018, continuing its tradition of pushing the boundaries of broadcast technology.
• Live from across the Pacific: On November 23, 1963, the first Japan–U.S. satellite TV relay test unexpectedly carried news of President Kennedy's assassination, showing television's new power to connect Japan with the world in real time.

From Living Rooms to Screens Everywhere

In the streaming era, the definition of "television" continues to evolve — but February 1st remains a moment to appreciate the medium that shaped how generations of Japanese people learned about the world, laughed together, and shared in moments of national significance.