Japan Broadcasting Research Articles

Television and the Origins of Visual Pattern Recognition AI in Japan: a ‘Quest for a Seeing Machine’

Abstract This article traces the genealogy of contemporary data-driven computer vision to developments at the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) in the 1960s. Specifically, it examines NHK’s Visual and Auditory Information Science Unit and its role in the invention of the world’s first deep convolutional neural network. The use of television to collect viewer behaviour data enabled modelling of eye-brain information processing, in particular mechanisms of feature extraction. This, in turn, linked Fukushima Kunihiko’s formative work on signal compression to the development of a pattern recognition machine, resulting in the creation of the world’s first convolutional neural network. Recovering this history is important for two reasons. First, it helps counter a trend of ‘digital universalism’ that covertly homogenizes local differences into a single culture of artificial intelligence in the Cold-War-era US. Second, it reveals the largely ignored role of television in the genesis of digital image technologies and AI more broadly.

Significance of Medium-Wave AM Radio Broadcasting for Enhanced Disaster Resilience in Japan: A Case Study in the Kanto Region and Fukui Using Nonpowered Hoop-Shaped Radio

On the occasion of centenary anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake and commencement of radio broadcasting in Japan, this study reiterates the paramount importance of medium-wave (MW) AM broadcasting in safeguarding public safety and security. Utilizing the electromagnetic principles of MW, the author has earlier developed hoop-shaped radio (HOOPRA), which is a battery-free sustainable radio receiver. This study aims to determine the maximum achievable reception distance with HOOPRA for broadcasts from public stations, such as Nihon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) JOFG (927 kHz, 5 kW) in Fukui; and NHK JOAK (594 kHz, 300 kW) and JOAB (693 kHz, 500 kW) in the Kanto region. The significance of the findings in this study is that approximately 38 million individuals in the Kanto region, residing within an 80-km radius of JOAK or JOAB, can access broadcasts using only the energy of radio waves with HOOPRA. Additionally, ∼0.4 million people in Fukui, within a 15-km radius of JOFG, can potentially be recipients of the broadcast. Given that most transmitting stations operate at 5-kW power nationwide, HOOPRA can be effectively utilized within a 15-km radius of each station. Moreover, these outcomes validate the efficacy of HOOPRA as a radio receiver and provide valuable insights into the global potential applicability of MW AM radios. Furthermore, the current investigation underscores the need to reevaluate the significance of terrestrial MW broadcasting as a vital source of emergency information, especially in the event of anticipated natural disasters, such as the predicted Nankai Trough Earthquake.

Interconversion of captions described by ARIB-TTML and IMSC

ARIB-TTML is a subtitle and caption standard for broadcasting systems in Japan. TTML profiles for Internet media subtitles and captions (IMSC) is a W3C recommendation. ARIB-TTML and IMSC are widely used in UHD satellite broadcasting in Japan and OTT operators; however, they have incompatible features and different description methods. These differences impede program exchange between broadband and broadcast. In this study, we propose a method for the interconversion of subtitles and captions described in ARIB-TTML and IMSC. We organized the features of each standard and proposed a conversion algorithm. The interconverted caption files were confirmed using a JavaScript-based caption renderer.

The Politics of Public Broadcasting in Britain and Japan: The BBC and NHK Compared, Henry Laurence (2023)

Review of: The Politics of Public Broadcasting in Britain and Japan: The BBC and NHK Compared, Henry Laurence (2023) London and New York: Routledge, 236 pp., ISBN 978-1-03231-038-1, h/bk, USD 170.00

The value of public service broadcasting in Japan during COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of WTP by Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition

The first case of COVID-19 in Japan was detected in January 2020, and the first outbreak occurred between March and May of that year. In this study, changes in the willingness to pay (WTP) for public service media (PSM) were analyzed using data from public opinion polls conducted before and after the period of the first outbreak. A comparison of the samples obtained via Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition revealed the importance of and satisfaction with the news that viewers felt, and their viewing frequency increased after the pandemic, as did WTP. The findings can be interpreted as an increase in the demand for news as the infection spread. The analysis also showed that the WTP for PSM decreased a little owing to the reduction in sports programs. The results demonstrate the importance of PSM in moments of crisis, such as pandemics.

Dancers in the Japanese entertainment troupe of comfort in the 1940s: traveling along the Burma–China frontline

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the Japanese and Taiwanese dancers who—in the 1940s and under the auspices of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation—performed for the Japanese army on the frontlines of combat as a visiting entertainment troupe of comfort (Imon-dan). Imon-dan performers, unlike Ian-fu (comfort women), were professional artists even before the war. During the Sino–Japanese War, the Ministry of the Army deployed entertainment troupes of comfort who were professional performers to entertain soldiers stationed in the Japanese occupation area. Such troupes included Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese dancers because wartime Japan occupied Taiwan and Korea. This paper tracks one route to Burma in 1941 using new information from several people and a video recording. Consequently, the Japanese government used the Imon-dan in this instance to promote Japan’s support for Burma’s independence. These encounters resulted in modern dancers interacting with Taiwan and Japan.

Development of Transmitter and Receiver With Set Partitioning 64APSK Coded Modulation Designed on Basis of Channel Capacity

In this paper, we present a prototype transmitter and receiver with set partitioning (SP)-64 amplitude and phase shift keying (APSK) coded modulation we developed for expanding satellite transmission capacity. SP-multi-level coded modulation is a transmission scheme that can improve noise immunity by properly combining a modulation scheme, bit allocation, and error-correction codes. We designed SP-64APSK coded modulation on the basis of channel capacity for expanding satellite transmission capacity. We confirmed that it has higher robustness to additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) than DVB-S2X’s 64APSK modulation with Gray mapping through computer simulation. We also developed a prototype transmitter and receiver to implement our SP-64APSK coded modulation and evaluated its transmission performances in an AWGN channel and in a non-linear channel simulating 12-GHz-band satellite transponder characteristics. We describe the method of designing our SP-64APSK coded modulation through computer simulation, the modulation/demodulation process, and transmission performances of the prototype transmitter and receiver. We also indicate that 8K ultra-high definition television (UHDTV) with an encoded bit rate of 150 Mbps can be transmitted using the prototype within 34.5 MHz, which is the bandwidth of a single transponder for satellite broadcasting in Japan.

High Precision Lava Flow Simulation Using 8K Drone Digital Elevation Data

This study applied the numerical simulations of lava flows to evaluate the damage caused by volcanic hazards. The accuracy of the numerical simulation was governed by the reliability of the input parameters in the numerical models. One of the most important parameters is the information pertaining to terrain data, which is generally provided as a digital elevation model (DEM). The recently-developed 8K technology, mainly applied in the broadcasting field, provides a precise photographic survey of the terrain and can produce a detailed digital topographic map. The Japan Broadcasting Cooperation (NHK) deployed an 8K drone to generate a digital elevation model of Sakurajima Volcano, Japan. These data were used to formulate the lava flow under certain prescribed conditions. This study analyzes the influence of DEM mesh size on lava flow simulations, showing that high-precision DEM outlines the distribution of inundated areas in detail. Moreover, a smaller mesh resulted in a faster arrival time of the lava flow. The study’s results are useful for both risk and crisis management.

Emperor Hirohito’s Post-Surrender Reflections

Abstract This essay introduces readers to the recent discovery of the personal papers of Grand Steward Tajima Michiji. These documents capture the post-surrender reflections of Hirohito, Japan’s Shōwa Emperor, and record him speaking on such issues as his war responsibility, as well as the culpability of prewar politicians such as Konoe Fumimaro and General Tōjō Hideki. In August 2019, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) (nhk) announced that it had gained privileged access to the papers. Acting on advice from scholars, it then released extracts from Tajima’s audience records. Drawing not on the Tajima papers themselves, but on what the nhk has made available, the documents demonstrate that Hirohito, after Japan’s surrender, experienced anguish and over the war and its outcome. He continued as emperor because he accepted “moral responsibility” for the war that required him to help his nation and its people endure occupation and reconstruction. This article also describes Hirohito’s postwar reflections on several issues, such as Japanese field officers and subordinates in the 1930s initiating without authorization acts of aggression, the Rape of Nanjing, and Japan’s postwar rearmament. While the Tajima papers will not resolve the ongoing debate over the emperor’s responsibility for Japan’s path of aggression before 1945, they do provide valuable insights about his role in and reaction to events before, during, and after World War ii.

Imagining the Language of the Other on the Radio: A Media History of the Chinese Learning Broadcast “Shinago Kōza” (1931-1941) on the Japan Broadcasting Corporation

Imagining the Language of the Other on the Radio: A Media History of the Chinese Learning Broadcast “Shinago Kōza” (1931-1941) on the Japan Broadcasting Corporation

What is Public Media：On the Discussions on the Internet Business and the Bloat of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation

What is Public Media：On the Discussions on the Internet Business and the Bloat of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation

Development of an 8K UHDTV Wireless Camera Using Millimeter-Wave Bands

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Wireless cameras enable dynamic shooting and have become indispensable in television program production for sporting events and music concerts. Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) has researched and developed an 8K ultrahigh-definition television (UHDTV) wireless camera using millimeter waves that can transmit an 8K signal with low latency and high quality. We have prototyped a compact transmitter using the 42-GHz band and developed an 8K UHDTV wireless camera by combining this transmitter with a portable 8K UHDTV video encoder. In this study, we introduce a prototype 8K UHDTV wireless camera system using millimeter waves and report the results of laboratory and field wireless transmission experiments</i> .

Large Questionnaire Survey on Sleep Duration and Insomnia Using the TV Hybridcast System by Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).

Background: Japanese people are known to have the shortest sleep duration in the world. To date, no study has assessed a large Japanese population for insomnia and sleep duration. Methods: We performed an Ιnternet-based survey in association with a national television (TV) program. Questionnaire data were collected not only through personal computers, tablets, and smartphones, but also through the Hybridcast system, which combines broadcasts over airwaves with broadband data provided via the Internet using the TV remote controller. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to assess insomnia. Results: A total of 301,241 subjects participated in the survey. Participants slept for an average of 5.96 ± 1.13 h; the average AIS score was 6.82 ± 3.69. A total of 26.1% of male and 27.1% of female participants had both insomnia (AIS ≥ 6) and short sleep duration (<6 h). Responses were recorded through the Hybridcast system for 76.4% of the elderly (age ≥ 65 years) subjects and through personal computers, tablets, or smartphones for 59.9–82.7% of the younger subjects (age ≤ 65 years). Conclusions: Almost a quarter of the Japanese participants presented short sleep duration and insomnia. Furthermore, the Hybridcast system may be useful for performing large internet-based surveys, especially for elderly individuals.

REPRESENTATIONS OF FOREIGNERS AND JAPANESE NATIONAL IDENTITY AT THE 1964 OLYMPICS IN IDATEN

The 2020 Olympics are not Tokyo's first experience of hosting the Games. Previously, the city hosted the 1964 Olympics. This historical background generated nostalgia for the 1964 Olympics ahead of the 2020 Olympics. The 1964 Olympics are remembered for exposing Japanese society to various interactions with foreigners, which eventually provided the setting for expressions of Japanese national identity through comparisons between "us" (Japanese) and "them" (foreigners). In this sense, representations of foreigners, and their roles as essential elements of Japanese national identity discourse, have been the integral parts of 1964 Olympics nostalgia. Ahead of the 2020 Olympics, numerous popular culture forms depicting the 1964 Olympics were produced in Japan. One notable work was the television drama IDATEN Orimupikku Banashi (hereafter: IDATEN), broadcast by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) from January-December 2019. The drama depicted Japan's Olympic movement from the 1912 to 1964 Olympics and featured a wide variety of foreign characters. IDATEN's portrayal of the 1964 Olympics features not only foreign countries widely represented in Japanese popular culture, such as the US, but also less featured countries such as Indonesia and the Republic of the Congo. This article analyzes depictions of these three nations to examine critically the role of representations of foreigners in Japanese national identity discourse within the drama. It argues that as a drama produced ahead of the 2020 Olympics IDATEN signifies the aspirations of 21st century Japan rather than reflecting the actual situation during the 1964 Olympics, especially in how it portrays Japan through the country’s relations with other countries.

History of Television Broadcasting Development in Japan (From Experimental Broadcasting to Nationwide Broadcasting in the 1960s)

The article views and analyzes the early period of the nationwide television broadcasting in Japan (from the mid 1920s to the end of the 1960s). Previously, this problem has not been a subject of research in Russian oriental studies, and taking into account the operation of established television broadcasting system in modern Japan, it seems necessary to identify the features of the genesis and evolution of the nationwide television broadcasting in Japan at its earliest stage, using both historical-genetic and problem-chronological methods. Based mainly on the media history research of Japanese media historians, which are introduced into the Russian scientific community for the first time, the stages of the genesis and nationwide spread of television broadcasting in Japan are consistently identified: the pre-war period of experimental broadcasting, the reform of the media sphere during and after the occupation of Japan by the GHQ, the origins of the integrated system of Japanese public and commercial television broadcasting nigen taisei. In addition, the author concludes that television played an important role in the process of spreading Western values of democracy, as well as the renewed values of the nuclear family institution in Japan, which were declared by the GHQ, US occupation authorities. Based on the results of the study, the author comes to the conclusion that the fundamental foundations of the modern multifaceted and original culture of Japanese television, as well as the model of broadcasting companies’ interaction: competition and coexistence of public and commercial television broadcasting, were laid precisely in the key period for the history of Japanese television ‒ the 1950‒1960s. The findings of this research can serve as a basis for studying the next stages in the evolution of television broadcasting in Japan up to the present period. This paper is aimed at orientalists, students of similar specialties, as well as a wide range of people interested in the history of Japanese media. Keywords: Japan, media history, television history, television in Japan, nationwide broadcasting

Transmission System Design of UHD-1/4K and UHD-2/8K Terrestrial Television Broadcasting and its Performance Proof by Large-Scaled Field Experiments

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) has been conducting research on the development of advanced terrestrial broadcasting technology to transmit ultrahigh-definition television (UHDTV) signals. To analyze the transmission characteristics of the proposed system, we designed a prototype modulator and demodulator, and measured their performance through laboratory experiments. Further, we also evaluated the proposed system via large-scale field trials under conditions similar to actual broadcast propagation environments. This paper presents the concept and specifications of the proposed system. The verification results of a computer simulation, and laboratory and large-scale field experiments are also described.</i>

AI-Driven Smart Production

Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation), has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI)-driven broadcasting technology called “Smart Production” designed to quickly and accurately gather and analyze diverse types of social information and deliver information to a wide range of viewers. Smart Production uses AI to analyze information obtained from social media and open data as well as the know-how related to program production possessed by broadcast stations. This approach makes it possible to extract events and incidents in society and present the results of the analysis to producers. In particular, image analysis technology for recognizing objects in video and speech recognition technology for generating transcripts of interviews enable metadata to be automatically generated for video footage. Additionally, research and development are progressing on technology for automatically converting broadcast data into content that can be easily understood by viewers with special needs.

Education of Fluid Mechanics by Use of Video Materials

In the present report, we introduce class examples of fluid dynamics and related subjects that students are not normally good at. Experiments performed during class in a classroom are limited by the scale and time of the experiment. Therefore, we tried to draw a student’s interest in fluid mechanics by using the video of a large-scale experiment produced and broadcasted by a broadcasting station science education program. A number of excellent photo books on fluid phenomena have been published. However, it would be better if we could see the flow phenomenon in video since today’s students who are used to video are more interested in video than in photography. In particular, the science program of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) provides a lot of fluid phenomena in a short period of time, so showing these videos to students during class has stimulated interest in fluid mechanics. In this report, these specific examples are described.

Advancement of 22.2 Multichannel Sound Broadcasting Based on MPEG-H 3D Audio

This study proposes improvements to 22.2 multichannel (22.2 ch) sound broadcasting service. 22.2 ch sound is currently used in the 8K satellite broadcasting in Japan. In this study, the audio system is migrated from channel-based audio to object-based audio. The object-based audio equips 22.2 ch sound with alternative and adaptive functionalities: the alternative functionality is related to dialogue controls such as multilingual services, while the adaptive functionality enables 22.2 ch sound to be adapted to the audio format of the playback equipment. Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-H 3D Audio (3DA), which is the latest audio coding standard, is used as the audio coding scheme. A real-time encoder and decoder based on 3DA was developed to verify the practicability of the proposed system. The encoded audio data is packetized and transmitted by MPEG-H MPEG Media Transport (MMT) to be multiplexed with video data. A transmission experiment with 8K video was carried out in which the proposed system was proved to operate as designed in this study.

Possible Mechanism for the Tsunami-Related Fires That Occurred at Aonae Harbor on Okushiri Island in the 1993 Hokkaido Nansei-Oki Earthquake

In this paper, we investigate the mysterious tsunami fires that occurred at Aonae Harbor on Okushiri Island during the 1993 Hokkaido Nansei-Oki earthquake. Specifically, five fishing boats moored separately from each other in the harbor suddenly caught fire and burned nearly simultaneously with the arrival of the first tsunami wave. However, the ignition mechanism of those fires has, until now, remained largely unknown. At the time the earthquake occurred, an NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) crew that was on the island to report on its scenic natural attractions just happened to capture video footage of those tsunami-related fires. Using that NHK video footage in combination with eyewitness accounts, this study investigates the spatio-temporal process leading to those tsunami-related fires. For example, one witness said, "There was whitish bubbling in the offshore area and I saw five burning fishing boats moored on the seawall being blown about by the strong winds. The burning boats were swept ashore with the tsunami and ignited the gasoline of a car that was rolling in the waves. The fire eventually spread to the center of the Aonae District." The NHK video footage confirmed flames arising from the five fishing boats almost simultaneously and the shimmering white color of the tsunami waters striking the seawall, which were consistent with the eyewitness testimony. Based on these spatio-temporal data, we propose the following hypothetical model for the origin of tsunami fires. Combustible methane gas released from the seabed by the earthquake rose toward the surface, where it became diffused into the seawater and took the form of whitish bubbles. The tsunami strike on the Aonae Harbor seawall resulted in the generation of large electrical potential differences within the seawater mist, which quickly developed sufficient electrical energy to ignite the methane electrostatically. The burning methane bubbles accumulated on the boat decks, which then burned violently.