Many people these days go beyond national and regional boundaries and work actively in international　arenas. Technological advancements in transportation, distribution, and communication enable, what　used to be limited to a certain region to become accessible anywhere. Media globalization, driven by the　advancement of communication and information transmission technologies, is allowing all sorts of　information to be available worldwide in various languages. Reflecting this era, the JAPAN NETWORK GROUP, INC. (JNG) provides a Japanese language broadcast called “TV JAPAN” to viewers in the United States and Canada, to make their life safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable.

To best serve US and Canadian viewers, JNG is advancing its broadcasting business forward with the following services:

• 24 hour broadcasting available everywhere, to bring you the latest news about Japan and the world
• Broadcasting schedule adjusted for each time zone
• Regular live news broadcasts to bring you the latest news available
• Continuous content expansion for information programming, entertainment programming, and cultural / educational programming, plus sports coverage including Grand Sumo Tournaments
• High-quality cultural programming to enhance mutual understanding and foster increased friendly exchange between Japan and the United States / Canada
• Providing “TV JAPAN” to hotels in key cities and resorts, including Hawaii, to better serve travelers on business trips or on vacation.

Susumu Tanimura, 　President & CEO

For four years, through the summer of 2003, I lived in New York, serving as NHK’s U.S. bureau chief. In that time, I directly collected information on the tragedies of September 11th attacks and continued to send reports to Japan. This news was broadcast simultaneously in the U.S. and Canada via TV JAPAN and it made people everywhere realize that our Japanese-language television network had truly become trustworthy. Prior to that, at the time of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, TV JAPAN earned high praise, with people remarking that by watching TV JAPAN they were able to learn promptly and in detail about the extent of the damage, which was growing every second, and the state of public safety.

TV JAPAN celebrated its 15th year of broadcasting in 2006. The number of subscriber households has reached over 70,000 and continues to grow. We will fulfill our obligation as a lifeline for information by adding to our lineup of news and information programming, never forgetting the basic role of television, namely to make human life safer and richer. We will broaden our entertainment, cultural, and educational programming to bring about ease and enrichment to our viewers.　By improving our lineup of children’s television and educational television, we will create an interesting, friendly, and helpful TV JAPAN, which will allow children to encounter more Japanese-language programming.

At the same time, we will continue to make efforts to present programs that better reflect the desires and opinions of our viewers. While receiving the warm encouragement of our viewers, we would like to move even further ahead, aiming for a TV JAPAN that is loved by all. We thank you very much.