WakuWaku Japan

Last updated

WakuWaku Japan
CountryJapan
Broadcast areaIndonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Vietnam, Malaysia & Philippines
Headquarters Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Koto, Tokyo, Japan
Programming
Language(s)English, Japanese, Indonesian, Mandarin
Picture format 1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerWakuWaku Japan Corporation
(SKY Perfect JSAT Group)
History
Launched22 February 2014(10 years ago) (2014-02-22)
Closed2 August 2021 (2021-08-02) (Indonesia; MNC Vision only)
31 March 2022 (2022-03-31) (rest of all countries) [1]
Links
Website www.wakuwakujapan.com/en/

WakuWaku Japan (stylized as WAKUWAKU JAPAN) was a Japanese pay television channel that broadcast Japanese programs to overseas viewers in Asia. The channel broadcast programming in Japanese, as well as translated versions in Indonesian, Mandarin, and English. Subtitles and dubbing are available in some countries.

Contents

WakuWaku Japan provided programs in various genres of anime, superhero dramas, live-action dramas, culture programs and entertainment programs.

History

Before WakuWaku Japan was launched, SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation started the channel project in 2011. WakuWaku means "pleasing" or "thrilling" in Japanese. In order to keep everything on track, the Japanese government allocated funds amounting to ¥15.5 billion (or approximately US$126.17 million) to finance the channel. [2] These funds were to be used for the cost of dubbing and making subtitles, as well as the costs of promotion, administration and production. [2] On 22 February 2014, at 17:00 JKT (19:00 JST), WakuWaku Japan officially launched in Indonesia with its first program, WakuWaku Japan Music Festival.[ citation needed ]

On its first broadcasting day, WakuWaku Japan used the 12-hour system. However, when launched in Myanmar, it changed to the 24-hour system. On 29 February 2016, it reverted to the 12-hour system. In Indonesia, the channel was reverted to a 24-hour system on 27 February 2017, however, it reverted to 12-hour system in January 2018.[ citation needed ]

Initially, the channel was only available on Indovision and OkeVision (both of these are now known as MNC Vision). On 1 June 2014, WakuWaku Japan became available on Transvision, OrangeTV, Big TV and First Media. [3] On the same day at 06:00 MMT (07:30 JST), WakuWaku Japan officially launched in Myanmar, although it was only available on 4TV, a Burmese terrestrial pay television service.[ citation needed ]

On 4 March 2015, SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation planned to expand Japanese content to overseas by establishing WakuWaku Japan Corporation. [4] [ third-party source needed ] [5] On 1 July 2015, WakuWaku Japan Corporation was officially established, taking over its ownership from SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.[ citation needed ]

On 6 July 2015, at 17:00 SGT (18:00 JST), WakuWaku Japan officially launched in Singapore and it is currently available on Singtel TV and StarHub TV. [6] [7] On 26 January 2016, WakuWaku Japan announced that it will begin broadcasting in Thailand on 26 March, through Ch3SD, a Thai terrestrial pay television service. On 26 March, WakuWaku Japan began a temporary broadcast in Thailand until 27 March under the name 'WakuWaku Japan Hour', which broadcast from 09:00 until 10:30.[ citation needed ]

On 28 July 2016, WakuWaku Japan announced that it would begin broadcasting in Taiwan in September. [8] It was officially launched in Taiwan on 1 September 2016, at 19:00 NST (20:00 JST), with its first program, Shiki-Oriori: Japan Food & Festival. WakuWaku Japan becomes the first Japanese entertainment TV channel to launch in Sri Lanka along with its debut on Dialog TV on 7 October 2016. [9]

On 8 November 2016, WakuWaku Japan announced that it would begin broadcasting in Vietnam through VTVcab, a Vietnamese cable pay television service. [10] On 1 December, WakuWaku Japan will begin temporarily airing in Vietnam under the name 'WakuWaku Japan Hour', from 18:00 until 21:00 on three different channels are: VTVcab22 LIFE TV, VTVcab8 BiBi, and VTVcab Technical. But on 1 April 2018, WakuWaku Japan officially launched in Vietnam, but available on VTVcab and Next TV. [11]

It was announced on 6 January 2017, WakuWaku Japan would begin broadcasting in Mongolia through Univision and DDish TV. [12] On 25 March, WakuWaku Japan officially launched their mascots, Waa and Kuu, to coincide with the premiere of original-produced kids program, WakuWaku be Ponckickies. In July 2017 in Taiwan, WakuWaku Japan became officially available on Taiwan Broadcasting Communications.

On 5 April 2021, WakuWaku Japan began broadcasting in the Philippines through Cignal, a Philippine satellite television and IPTV provider. [13]

On 2 August 2021, WakuWaku Japan terminated its broadcast on MNC Vision (since its original launch) and a IPTV service MNC Play. Meanwhile, the network continued to air via First Media, Transvision and UseeTV. [14]

On 25 February 2022, it was announced that WakuWaku Japan would cease operations effective 31 March 2022 due to bankruptcy and losses. The channel ceased operations on that same day with the 2020 edition of Summer Vacation with Ariyoshi being its final program aired. Some of its programming can be viewed via OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Catchplay+, Viu, WeTV/iflix, iQIYI, Bilibili and Disney+/Disney+ Hotstar across Asia. The feed in some countries ceased operations a few minutes or hours before the closure. [15]

Programming

WakuWaku Japan provides programs associating with music, sports and children's content. Imported programs from a variety of genres are rebroadcast, including anime, superhero programs like Kamen Rider , live-action drama series, culture programs, entertainment shows like Iron Chef , sports and documentary series. WakuWaku Japan also re-broadcasts music programs and has a portion of re-broadcast programming set aside for children under the block name WakuWaku Kids, as well as an entertainment block called NHK Family Time.[ citation needed ]. In the Drama section, currently there are four time slots: Drama Woman, which broadcasts NHK's Asadora ; Drama Legend, which broadcasts Japanese dramas from the 1990s to the 2000s; Drama Hits, which broadcasts Japanese dramas; and Drama NEO, which broadcasts the latest Japanese drama every Friday night.[ citation needed ]

Original programming

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NHK</span> Japanese broadcasting company

The Japan Broadcasting Corporation, also known by its romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asahi Broadcasting Corporation</span> Regional radio and television broadcaster in Japan

The Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings Corporation is a certified broadcasting holding company headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Until March 31, 2018, it was a unified radio and television broadcaster serving in the Kansai region. On April 1, 2018, its radio and television broadcasting divisions were spun off into two subsidiaries, with Asahi Radio Broadcasting Corporation taking over the radio broadcasting business, and Asahi Television Broadcasting Corporation took over television broadcasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansai Television</span> TV station in Osaka, Japan

JODX-DTV, branded as Kansai TV or Kantele (カンテレ), is the Kansai region key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and Fuji Network System (FNS), owned-and-operated by the Kansai Television Co. Ltd.. Its studios and headquarters are located in Osaka and the broadcaster is an affiliate company of the Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Group, part of the wider Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shizuoka Broadcasting System</span> Television station in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

Shizuoka Broadcasting System, Inc. is a Japanese broadcaster in Shizuoka. Its radio station is affiliated with Japan Radio Network (JRN) and National Radio Network (NRN), and its TV station is affiliated with JNN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GTV (Indonesian TV network)</span> Television network in Indonesia

PT Global Informasi Bermutu, operating as GTV, which is an initialism derived from its previous name, Global TV, is an Indonesian free-to-air television network. It was launched on 8 October 2002. Originally a music television channel as MTV broadcaster in Indonesia and Asia, it was one of the first television network in the world to broadcast MTV for 24 hours a day free-to-air over UHF. GTV shifted its focus to general entertainment programming targeting young adults. Currently, the broadcaster airs news, soap opera, reality and game shows, along with Nickelodeon animation series and anime, making up its programming schedule. It is owned by Media Nusantara Citra (MNC), which also owns RCTI, MNCTV and iNews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animax (Asian TV channel)</span> Asian television network

Animax is an Asian pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia. The channel was originally owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and took its name from the Japanese satellite TV network; which was then-majority owned by subsidiary Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan. The channel would be sold to its current owners on January 1, 2020.

MNC Vision, previously known as Indovision, is a direct-to-home satellite television and radio service that operates in Indonesia on a subscription basis. It is owned by PT MNC Vision Networks Tbk, which is a subsidiary of MNC Asia Holding. MNC Vision is the first and oldest subscription-based television service in Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AT-X (TV network)</span> Japanese anime pay television channel

AT-X is a Japanese anime television network owned by AT-X, Inc. AT-X, Inc. was founded on June 26, 2000 as a subsidiary of TV Tokyo Medianet, which is owned by TV Tokyo. Its headquarters are in Minato, Tokyo. AT-X network has been broadcasting anime via satellite, cable, and IPTV since December 24, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SKY Perfect JSAT</span> Japanese satellite operator and satellite TV company

The SKY Perfect JSAT Group is a Japanese corporate group that claims to be Asia's largest satellite communication and multi-channel pay TV company. It owns the SKY PerfecTV! satellite broadcasting service and the SKY Perfect Well Think content studio, among other businesses.

The Sky PerfecTV! Adult Broadcasting Awards are given for performances in adult video programs shown on SKY PerfecTV! satellite TV channels in Japan. The awards complement those presented by the AV Open / AV Grand Prix contests which are given for adult videos sold in retail outlets or on the internet.

Television in Japan was introduced in 1939. However, experiments date back to the 1920s, with Kenjiro Takayanagi's pioneering experiments in electronic television. Television broadcasting was halted by World War II, after which regular television broadcasting began in 1950. After Japan developed the first HDTV systems in the 1960s, MUSE/Hi-Vision was introduced in the 1970s.

JCSAT-110, also known as N-SAT 110, JCSAT-7, Superbird-5 and Superbird-D, is a Japanese geostationary communications satellite which was operated by JSAT Corporation and Space Communications Corporation until both companies merged into SKY Perfect JSAT Group in 2008. It is positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 110° East, from where it is used to provide communications services to Japan.

PT MNC Televisi Indonesia, operating as MNCTV is an Indonesian private free-to-air television broadcaster. It was founded on 23 January 1990, at first broadcasting only educational programmes, but has since become similar to other Indonesian TV networks, showing programs such as quizzes, sinetron, reality TV shows, sports shows, newscasts, and recently, dangdut music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nippon Television</span> Japanese television network

The Nippon Television Network Corporation, also known as Nippon Television (NTV), with the call sign JOAX-DTV, is a Japanese television station serving the Kantō region as the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System. It is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company Nippon Television Holdings, Inc.

JCSAT-4B, known as JCSAT-13 before launch, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group (JSAT). It was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin on the A2100 platform.

BSAT-3c, also known as JCSAT-110R, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) and SKY Perfect JSAT (JSAT) which was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin on the A2100 platform.

<i>A Girl & Three Sweethearts</i> 2016 Japanese TV series or program

A Girl & Three Sweethearts, known as Suki na Hito ga Iru Koto (好きな人がいること) in Japan, is a 2016 Japanese television drama, starring Mirei Kiritani, Kento Yamazaki, Shohei Miura and Shūhei Nomura. It aired on every Monday at 21:00 (JST) on Fuji Television beginning July 11, 2016 and ending on September 19, 2016.

DSN-2, also known as Kirameki-2 (きらめき), is a geostationary communications satellite to be operated by DSN Corporation, a subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT Group. Its payload is a pure X-band and will be used for military communications by the Japanese military. It was launched and successfully deployed on 24 January 2017 using a H-IIA rocket flying in its heaviest configuration, the H-IIA 204. It is Japan's first dedicated military communication satellite and is designed for at least fifteen years of service.

DSN Corporation Japanese: 株式会社ディー・エス・エヌ is a corporation owned by SKY Perfect JSAT Group, NEC and NTT Com. It was founded on December 19, 2012 for the sole purpose of acting as an investment vehicle in the private finance initiative that would handle the Japanese military X-band DSN satellite network from 2015 to 2031.

Superbird-B3, known as Superbird-8 before launch, and DSN-1 (Kirameki-1) for its military payload, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group and designed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric on the DS2000 satellite bus.

References

  1. "Cessation of WAKUWAKU JAPAN Channel on March 31, 2022". WAKUWAKU JAPAN. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Japanese TV Program Channel WakuWaku Japan is Ready to Air This Month". Duniaku.net. 10 February 2014.
  3. "Indonesian Lineup of Broadcast Platforms providing WakuWaku Japan Channel of Japanese Programming for Overseas Broadcast Expanded – Broadcast on Four Pay TV Services to Start on Sunday, June 1". Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation. 29 May 2014.
  4. "WAKUWAKU JAPAN Corporation". Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation. 4 March 2015.
  5. "Channel Promoting Japanese Content Expansion". The Hollywood Reporter. 4 March 2014.
  6. "WakuWaku Japan Japanese Programming Channel for Overseas Viewers Expands to Third Country—Singapore! Broadcasts on Singtel TV to Start on Monday, July 6 at 5:00 PM (Local Time)". Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation. 2 June 2015.
  7. "WakuWaku Japan to debut on StarHub TV in January". Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation. 2 December 2015.
  8. "2016年9月、台湾でWAKUWAKU JAPAN放送開始 5つの国と地域に放送拡大". Sky Perfect Japan Corporation. 28 July 2016.
  9. "2016年10月、スリランカでWAKUWAKU JAPAN放送開始 6つの国と地域に放送拡大". Sky Perfect Japan Corporation. 30 August 2016.
  10. "2016年12月ベトナムで放送開始 WAKUWAKU JAPANの放送エリア、7つの国と地域に拡大". Sky Perfect Japan Corporation. 8 November 2016.
  11. "WAKUWAKU JAPAN Channel Launches in Vietnam from April 2018! Channel's Reach expands to 12.9 Million Households". WakuWaku Japan. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  12. "2017年2月モンゴルで放送開始 WAKUWAKU JAPANの放送エリア 8つの国と地域に拡大". Sky Perfect Japan Corporation. 6 January 2017.
  13. "WAKUWAKU JAPAN is Now on Cignal, Philippine's Largest Direct-to-Home Satellite Provider". Sky Perfect Japan Corporation. 5 April 2021.
  14. "WAKUWAKU JAPAN Channel Cessation on MNC Vision and MNC Play in Indonesia | LATEST NEWS". WAKUWAKU JAPAN. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  15. WAKUWAKU JAPAN 於 2022/4/1 正式結束營運並停播 cease its broadcasting and live streaming