Since its founding in 1991, the Japan Media Communication Center (JAMCO) has been promoting the international exchange of television programs in an endeavor to foster mutual understanding between Japan and other countries, and to contribute to the advancement of broadcasting culture in developing countries around the world.

Our most important role at JAMCO is to provide international editions of Japanese TV programs without cost to TV stations in developing countries in Asia, Oceania, Africa, the Middle and Near East, and Central and South America. As of December 2014, 9,882 titles were made available in 90 countries in these regions. In addition to offering programs to TV stations, JAMCO supports education in developing countries by providing programs free of charge to universities. To produce the international editions, JAMCO seeks advice from experts in selecting Japanese TV programs considered suitable for overseas audiences, particularly in developing countries, and translates them into English, Spanish, French, and other languages as well as creating music and effects (ME) tracks. Our library has now grown to 1,521 titles including documentaries, children’s and educational programs and dramas. Most recently, we have produced international editions of TV programs covering the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, and of those related to preparedness for tsunami and other natural disasters. These have attracted a great deal of interest from TV stations in developing countries and been provided free of charge around the world.
By providing TV programs from Japan for broadcast either in the original language of the international edition, such as English and Spanish, or after further translation into a local language, we hope to support the efforts of developing countries in disaster preparedness, education, health and hygiene, technology and environment on top of contributing to better understanding of Japan’s situation and culture.

The annual JAMCO Online International Symposium is also part of our overarching efforts to promote international exchange through TV content. This year, we address the theme “Audience Perception of Japanese TV Programs in Asia and the Middle East.” The starting point of our discussion will be reports on surveys conducted in cooperation with educational researchers and broadcast researchers from Japan, as well as educational researchers from Vietnam, on how Asian and Middle Eastern audiences perceive and understand Japanese TV programs.
The need to strengthen transmission of information from Japan to other countries has been discussed for a long time, and TV programs have been sent abroad through various means such as international broadcasting, sales and provision of programs to local TV stations, and the use of programs in ways other than broadcasting such as viewing DVDs. Although studies have been conducted from the viewpoint of increasing the number of households that can view the programs, improving reception environments, and increasing program sales, there is not much information about how Japanese TV programs are recognized and understood in Asia and the Middle East.

In this sense, the insights we gain in this symposium will provide invaluable information that we can refer to when producing foreign language editions of TV programs for developing countries.

In an era when TV has considerable influence over politics, economics, cultural affairs, and daily life around the world, we believe this opportunity to share views and information across borders about the perception of TV programs can play a valuable role in deepening international mutual understanding.

The symposium welcomes the participation of all who visit the JAMCO website, and is open to comments and questions about the reports presented as well as the discussions that unfold.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere hope that the symposium will contribute to enhancing mutual understanding between Japan and countries in Asia, the Middle East, and across the world.