NHK World TV

United States United States

NHK World TV provides English-language news and information programming from Japan, with a focus on current events, business, and cultural reporting. The channel’s news coverage includes live updates from Asia and the Pacific, often drawing on reports from NHK’s domestic bureaus. Documentary segments cover topics such as Japanese history, technology, and traditional arts, while lifestyle programs explore cuisine, travel destinations, and social trends within Japan. The schedule also includes shorter bulletin-style updates on global weather and financial markets. As a service operated by Japan’s public broadcaster, the channel is available in the United States through select cable and satellite providers, as well as via some over-the-air digital subchannels.

Viewers can access the channel’s live stream and on-demand clips through its official website and mobile app, which offer the same news and feature content without a subscription. Program listings are published on the channel’s site, with times noted in Eastern and Pacific time zones for U.S. audiences. The broadcast is commercial-free, relying on public funding from Japan’s television license fee system. Some segments include English subtitles or narration for Japanese-language interviews and field reports, making the content accessible to non-Japanese speakers.

Schedule
NHK Newsline
00:00 - 00:30
NHK Newsline
News
Japan's disaster relief; Asia news; business and global current events.
Direct Talk
00:30 - 00:45
Direct Talk
Jellyfish Dreams
Series, News, Documentary
Okuizumi Kazuya, head of the Tsuruoka City Kamo Aquarium in Yamagata Prefecture, discusses his work and his passion for jellyfish.
Japan's Top Inventions
00:45 - 01:00
Japan's Top Inventions
Portable Music Players
Series, Documentary, Technology, Arts/crafts
The stories behind hit Japanese products, plus top creations for niche markets. This time: contactless IC cards & wasabi packets.
NHK Newsline
01:00 - 01:30
NHK Newsline
News
Japan's disaster relief; Asia news; business and global current events.
Karl and Tina
01:30 - 02:00
Karl and Tina
Spring in Another Village of Old Houses
Series, Documentary
In a snowy village in Niigata, winter lingers. As spring slowly unfolds, people find joy in wild herbs, home-cooked meals, and life in nature--while cherishing traditional houses restored by Karl.
NHK Newsline
02:00 - 02:30
NHK Newsline
News
Japan's disaster relief; Asia news; business and global current events.
Ethical Every Day
02:30 - 03:00
Ethical Every Day
Reimagining Traditional Crafts
Series, News
The host explores how Japanese traditional crafts are ethically created and how broken pieces of Bizen ware are reused.
NHK Newsline
03:00 - 03:30
NHK Newsline
News
Japan's disaster relief; Asia news; business and global current events.
Core Kyoto
03:30 - 04:00
Core Kyoto
A Student Town: Eagerly Nurturing the Future
Series, Documentary
The filmmakers explore how university students are the driving force behind Kyoto's revitalization and cultural activities.
NHK Newsline
04:00 - 04:30
NHK Newsline
News
Japan's disaster relief; Asia news; business and global current events.
Japanology Plus
04:30 - 05:00
Japanology Plus
Food Stalls
Series, Community, Documentary
While food stalls are vanishing from cities across Japan, Hakata in Fukuoka City is one place where they remain popular. We explore a unique food culture that satisfies both the body and the soul.
NHK Newsline
05:00 - 05:30
NHK Newsline
News
Japan's disaster relief; Asia news; business and global current events.
Trails to Oishii Tokyo
05:30 - 06:00
Trails to Oishii Tokyo
Peach
Series, Cooking, How-to
Cultivating Japanese peaches; new ways to enjoy peaches unique to their cultivation areas; a chef uses peaches in Italian dishes.
NHK Newsline
06:00 - 06:30
NHK Newsline
News
Japan's disaster relief; Asia news; business and global current events.
Backstage Japan
06:30 - 07:00
Backstage Japan
Hyper Rescue Nagoya
Series, Documentary, Science, History
The filmmakers explore how Hyper Rescue Nagoya, a specialist unit of highly trained experts, prepares for every eventuality to be ready to respond when disaster strikes.