Why do you not show more of Sumo, all we get is the bit at the end of the news.
| NHK World - Watch Japanese TV in the UK |
| Written by Leila Hodgkins |
| Monday, 01 March 2010 15:20 |
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If you are a Sky subscriber and want a taste of Japanese life through your television, you can now tune into NHK World on Sky channel 516. NHK is Japan's only public broadcasting company and is funded by a fee paid by each television-owning household in Japan, similar to the BBC in Britain. They provide various television channels and radio stations both in Japan and internationally and their programmes cover a broad mix of entertainment, news and education. NHK World seems to be the only Japanese channel available in the UK, residing high up in Sky's EPG among the news channels. They do show regular news bulletins and business programmes, which are interesting if you have friends in Japan or plan to visit for a long time, but there are also many entertaining, educational and interesting programmes about Japanese culture and language. All the programmes on NHK World are presented in English, usually with at least one western presenter (what a great job that must be!). Here are a few of my favourite programmes:- Your Japanese Kitchen!As you might expect, this is a cookery show. It claims to show you how to prepare simple Japanese cuisine but most of it looks quite difficult to me! Many of the recipes seem to involve a lot of stages and make a great deal of washing up. However, it's lovely just to look at Japanese food and dream of when you'll be back in Japan to eat it. Exclusive Gardens of Kyoto and Four Seasons in JapanThese two programmes are very gentle and relaxing nature documentaries. If you want to see traditional Japanese gardens and countryside, then these are right for you and they could give you some ideas for places to visit when you next go to Japan. Be careful not to fall asleep though as they can be very soothing. J-MeloJ-Melo is a Japanese music show focusing on J-pop, latest hits and the current music scene in Japan. Nihongo Quick Lesson and Sense of JapanMost people reading this will know that 'Nihongo' is Japanese language! Both these programmes help you to learn some basic Japanese and give you a good understanding of what kind of situations you might use it. You'll also learn about Japanese manners and etiquette. cool japan, BEGIN Japanology and TOKYO EYEThese programmes are mainly about modern Japanese culture, design and fashions. imagine-nationIf you're interested in manga, anime and video games, this half-hour show gives you the run-down on what's popular right now in Japan and also has in-depth interviews with the creators.
Writing this article has made me realize how much I actually watch the channel! Of course, there are many more programmes shown throughout the day and some of them show some very interesting aspects of Japanese history, traditional arts and current politics. The NHK World web site is also a good resource which, apart from giving detailed programme listings, also has pod-casts, videos, Japanese language lessons and news articles. |
