A scene from the hit TV series Future Diary. (©TBS) EXPORTING TV PROGRAMS: The World Tunes In to Popular Japanese Shows October 30, 2001 An increasing number of Japanese television programs are being packaged and exported overseas, including their concept (format), presentation, art, and production know-how. Japanese TV shows have been exported to other Asian countries for some time now, and recently the target region has expanded to include Europe and the Americas, too. In the early days of Japanese TV--Japan had its first TV broadcast in 1953--this country learned a lot about program production from the United States. But now Japan itself is in a position to export program content even to other leading countries. Unique Ideas Appeal to Foreign Viewers Ryori no Tetsujin (Iron Chef) is one example of Japan's recent TV exports. On this competitive cooking program, accomplished chefs of various disciplines compete to prepare a course meal using a theme ingredient within a certain time limit. In each episode two chefs, each accompanied by several apprentices, work in a kitchen that has been set up inside the studio. Each chef uses his or her signature techniques, seasonings, and presentation methods in an effort to be judged the winner. When a U.S. TV network imported and broadcast the original program, it earned such high audience ratings that another U.S. network purchased the program outright and has so far produced two episodes itself. The competitive nature of the show suits the tastes of American viewers. The concept of Mirai Nikki (Future Diary) has been exported to 16 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, and Italy. This unique program, part documentary and part drama, solicits the participation of ordinary people who want to experience a TV-drama-style romance. Participants act on the basis of a rough script prepared in advance, and the camera captures the authentic human feelings that emerge as they act out their script. The participants almost invariably find themselves actually falling in love. Therein lies the appeal of this program: Script notwithstanding, the viewers--like the participants--never know for sure what will happen next. When Mirai Nikki was shown at a television trade fair in Cannes in October 2000, it drew an overwhelming response for its novel concept. Ultimately TV networks in 16 countries purchased the format. The program is now being localized and produced in several different countries. A Treasure Trove of TV Programs Among the numerous other recent Japanese TV exports, including cases in which only the format is exported, are Shiawase Kazoku Keikaku (Happy Family Plan), in which a father is given a task, such as juggling, that he must perform successfully after a week's practice in order to take home prizes for the family, while the family tapes the father's struggles over the week using a camcorder; Wakuwaku Dobutsu Rando (Exciting Animal Land), a quiz show specializing in animals; Hono no Charenja (Flaming Challenger), in which people take up seemingly impossible challenges for a cash prize; and Satoyama: Oboete Imasu Ka Furusato no Fukei (Do You Remember the Village Scenery?), a documentary depicting the pastoral sceneries of a lakeside village through the seasons.   Your Name What did you think of this article? It was interesting. It was boring. Send this article to a friend Japan began exporting TV programs in the latter half of the 1960s. At that time animated cartoons and documentaries accounted for most of the content, and the programs were exported mainly to other Asian countries. The popular animated cartoon Doraemon has been shown throughout the Asian world. In the mid-1980s a serial drama titled Oshin, the life story of a poor rural woman, became a big hit in Asia and the Middle East. A whole slew of popular dramas produced in Japan have attained hit status in other Asian countries, and now the flow of Japanese TV exports to Europe and the United States has become brisk. One reason European and U.S. TV networks have begun purchasing Japanese programs is that the advent of digital broadcasting has opened up so many new channels. The networks, forced to come up with more programming, are facing a shortage of content and ideas. In search of new programs, they have turned to the international marketplace and found Japan to be a rich source of interesting programs. According to one Japanese TV network's manager for program exports, Europe and the United States have come to view Japan as a treasure-trove of TV programs. Copyright (c) 2001 Japan Information Network. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.