Broadcasting Day

What Is Broadcasting Day?

Every March 22nd is "Broadcasting Day" (Hoso Kinenbi) in Japan. On March 22, 1925, the Tokyo Broadcasting Station (now NHK's Tokyo station) began Japan's first "provisional" radio broadcasts from a temporary studio set up at the Tokyo Higher School of Arts and Technology in Shibaura, Tokyo. The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) established this day in 1943 to commemorate the event. It is a day to look back on the origins of broadcasting and think about its public role.

The Beginning of Broadcasting in Japan

Radio broadcasting in Japan got off to a hurried start with limited equipment.

• The first words: At 9:30 a.m., announcer Takeo Kyoda's words, "Ah, ah, ah, can you hear me? JOAK, JOAK, this is the Tokyo Broadcasting Station," became the first words of Japanese radio. "JOAK" was the station's call sign.
• Test broadcasts from March 1st: Broadcasting was originally planned to start on March 1st, but the transmitter was not ready in time, and an inspection by the Ministry of Communications judged the equipment unfinished. Broadcasts were therefore made as "test broadcasts" from March 1st, and provisional broadcasting began with official permission on March 22nd.
• Regular broadcasts from Mt. Atago: On July 12th of the same year, regular broadcasting began from a station completed on Mt. Atago in Tokyo. The Osaka Broadcasting Station began provisional broadcasts on June 1st that year.

The Role of Broadcasting

Broadcasting is a medium that can deliver information to many people at the same time.

• A source of information in disasters: Because broadcasts reach wide areas simultaneously, they play an important role in conveying evacuation information and damage reports during earthquakes, typhoons and other disasters. Battery-powered radios that work during power outages are a staple of emergency kits.
• Digitalization and streaming: Japanese television switched completely to digital terrestrial broadcasting in 2011 (2012 in some areas). Today, broadcast programs can also be enjoyed online through simultaneous streaming and catch-up services.

Fun Facts About Broadcasting

• NHK Museum of Broadcasting: On Mt. Atago, where regular broadcasting began, stands the NHK Museum of Broadcasting, opened in 1956 and said to be the world's first museum dedicated to broadcasting.
• The "father of television": In 1926, the year after radio broadcasting began, Kenjiro Takayanagi succeeded in displaying the katakana character "イ" on a cathode-ray tube, and he is called the "father of Japanese television."
• The start of TV broadcasting: NHK's regular television broadcasting began on February 1, 1953.
• The time signal: The familiar "beep, beep, beep, boop" time signal heard on broadcasts is sent out in step with the precise time.

Tips for Marking Broadcasting Day

• Listen to the radio and notice how programs convey things with sound alone
• Check the batteries and operation of your emergency radio and review how you would get information in a disaster
• Visit the NHK Museum of Broadcasting or watch old program footage to learn about broadcasting history
• Chat with family or coworkers about the TV or radio shows you loved as a child

100 Years Since "Can You Hear Me?"

From the first words "Can you hear me?" in 1925, Japanese broadcasting reached its 100th anniversary in 2025. March 22nd is a day to look back on how radio and television have been part of our daily lives.