NHK General TV
Tanawat2002
Video captures courtesy of
japanesetvstuff
Background
NHK General TV is the flagship nationwide television channel of the Japanese public broadcaster, NHK which was launched on February 1, 1953 and was Japan's first free-to-air television channel.
1st Logo (Startup/Closedown; February 1, 1953-1958)
![]() | This logo is currently missing in action. Please do not add reconstructions of the logo if any exist, as they are likely not accurate to the actual logo. Additionally, do not attempt to add a finalized description of the logo until it has been found in its entirety. |
Visuals: Only 3 still images survive of this ident: an image of black birds flying in the sky, a TV antenna in a cloudy background, and a picture of the same TV antenna in another cloudy background with the stacked text
JOAK-TV
映像 103.25MH
映像出力 5KW
音声 107.75MH
音声出力 2.5KW
to the right.
Technique: Unknown, but according to the available captures of the logo, most likely a mix of live-action and camera-controlled animation.
Audio: Unknown.
Availability: As of now, only 4 images can be found on the book "My History of Television Art - Exploring the Possibilities of Set Design and Images" (Japanese: 自分史 テレビ美術 ―セットデザインと映像の可能性を索めて) written by Kiyoshi Hashimoto. The logo probably survives on Japanese kinescopes of the period today.
2nd Logo (Startup; 1970-2001)
Visuals: On a sky is the flag of Japan waving. It later fades into a satellite dish rotating. A few seconds later is the white text NHK zoom in. After the NHK text zooms in, the text "総合テレビジョン" ("General Television") in white appears under it.
Later Variants:
- Starting in 1984, the video was re-recorded with videotape compared to film used in the 1970 variant, and the NHK and General Television text now has a black outline. The globe in the closing variant also does not fade out.
- In 1995, the NHK logo was changed, with three eggs with the letters "NHK" flipping in. The General Television Text is also smaller.
Technique: Live-action.
Audio: A patriotic fanfare starting with ascending chimes with some "ding-dong" sounds.
3rd Logo (Closedown; 1970-2006)
Visuals:
- Closedown (General TV variant): On a sky is the flag of Japan waving. It later fades into a live-action model of a globe rotating counterclockwise and zooming in. Once the globe centers on Japan is the white text NHK zoom in from Japan. After the NHK text zooms in, the text "総合テレビジョン" ("General Television") in white appears under it. A few seconds after the "General Television" text zooms out, the globe fades out.
- Closedown (Educational TV variant): Same as its General counterpart, but after the NHK text zooms in, the text "総合テレビジョン" ("General Television") does not appear.
Variants: Same as the startup.
Technique: Live-action.
Audio: The national anthem of Japan, Kimigayo.
4th Logo (Startup; 2001-2006)
Visuals: On a space background, a CGI model of the Earth rotates slowly counter-clockwise, while the video zooms on Japan. After that, it fades to the flag of Japan waving and the lyrics of the national anthem of Japan, "Kimigayo", displayed vertically on on the right. The name of the network doesn't appear.
Technique: CGI for the Earth part, and live-action for the flag of Japan part.
Audio: Synthesized chorus music for the Earth part, and Kimigayo for the flag of Japan part.
5th Logo (Closedown; 2003-)
Visuals:
- Closedown (General TV variant): On a sky is the flag of Japan waving. Near the end of the national anthem, the background fades into the Earth rotating in space. Later, the NHK logo fades in. A few seconds after the NHK text zooms in, the text "総合テレビジョン" ("General Television") in white appears under it.
- Closedown (Educational TV variant): Same as its General counterpart, but the text "教育テレビジョン" ("Educational Television") in white appears under it.
Variant: Starting on April 1, 2020, the eggs logo was replaced with a modified version of the wordmark.
Technique: Live-action.
Audio: The national anthem of Japan, Kimigayo.