NHK Studiopark

NHK Studiopark, located in Shibuya, Harajuku, adjacent to Harajuku Station or JR Shibuya Station, is a part of NHK Broadcasting Center. It is close to Yoyogi Park and open to the public. NHK (Nippon Hosou Kyouka) means Japan Broadcasting Group or Corporation. It is a public TV of Japan just as The ABC in Australia and BBC in Great Britain.

NHK Studiopark gives visitors a chance to look behind the scenes of television broadcasting for a small entrance fee, 200 Yen. By paying that admission, visitors can look the production of a live programs on most days such as the popular morning drama, the historical taiga drama, and the kids program "Okaasan To Issho". The visitors can also watch the nationwide live broadcast of the talk program "Studiopark Kara Konnichiwa" from behind the scenes on weekdays from around 1pm.

NHK Studiopark hs attracted nearly a million visitors a year. Visitors are eager to visit this studiopark since it offers a tour of the recording studios where the visitors can see where some of Japan's favorite television is recorded. They might even be lucky enough to see some recording of drama or news.

Like all Japanese media there are some pretty cute and somewhat weird animated characters in the NHK line up including Domo-kun. He is the little brown creature with a mean looking mouth hatched from an egg and he lives underground with a wise old rabbit. He is one of the favorite s at the great gift shop at NHK Studiopark which stocks lots of TV themed T-Shirts and other Japanese novelties. Furthermore, there are attractions which introduce various broadcasting an 3D images, and illustrated information about popular programs of the past, NHK announcers and brodcasting histor. Finally, there is a shop where NHK related goods, tapes and books can be purchased.

The public is also treated to a mini studio theme park with quite a few attractions incluing chances for visitors to try their hand at announcing or even acting. Studio Q offers visitors to see the cutting edge broadcasting technologies used to deliver quality television and there is even a 3D high definition theatre which is well worth a visit. Open daily 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on the third Monday of each month, except in August and December and if the third Monday falls on a National Holiday, in which case the studiopark remains open on Monday but closed on Tuesday. Closed from December 25-31. For those who want to be in the studio audience of one of the sometimes whacky television shows you can make an advance booking with the centre.

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