NHK World Radio Japan - Temporary Shortwave Broadcasts to the Middle East - Frequency Change

NHK World Radio Japan

Temporary Shortwave Broadcasts to the Middle East

Transmission Schedule and Frequencies

(Partial Frequency Changes)

Updated: 9 March 2026

From the KDDI Yamata Transmitting Station and other transmitting facilities, temporary 24-hour shortwave broadcasts in Japanese, including news and other programs, are being transmitted to the Middle East on the following frequencies.

Some frequencies will be changed starting 10 March 2026.

(All times are UTC: from 9 March 15:00 to 29 March 01:00)

⸻

Transmissions from Yamata Transmitting Station

(All at 300 kW, azimuth 305°)

16:00–17:00 11915 kHz

17:00–19:00 11670 kHz

19:00–21:00 9665 kHz

21:00–23:00 11675 kHz (regular time slot)

23:00–01:00 11660 kHz

05:00–09:00 9700 kHz

09:00–13:00 9740 kHz

13:00–14:00 11685 kHz

14:00–16:00 9450 kHz

⸻

Transmissions via the France Relay Station

From Issoudun

17:00–19:00 11800 kHz

(250 kW, azimuth 140°, regular time slot)

01:00–05:00 9875 kHz

(250 kW, azimuth 97°, 03:00–05:00 regular time slot)

⸻

Note:

Due to the characteristics of shortwave radio propagation, listeners may need to change frequencies every few hours for optimal reception.

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/ja/radio/howto/ via Atsuhiko Takezawa

Reduction of shortwave transmitters at KDDI Yamata transmitter site

According to Jiji Tsushin on December 29, 2023, KDDI decided to remove aged  2 shortwave transmitters from Yamata transmitter site in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The removing works will be done in 2024 fiscal year (April 2024-March 2025) for 10 months. During the period some services, such as "Shiokaze" to North Korea, will not be able to transmit on 2 waves at the same time.

The original article is at https://sp.m.jiji.com/article/show/3131899

At Yamata transmitter site, there are 7 shortwave transmitters.

Hitachi Kokusai Electric SP-1 300kW x 1  SP-1 100kW x 2 (reduced power from 300kW in 2008-2009)  installed in 1993

Ampegon TSW2300D 300kW x 4 installed in 2013

Probably each one of old Hitachi Kokusai Electric 300kW and 100kW transmitters will be removed.

(Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan via WOR List)

Picture credit : Morikazu Kogen via asahi.com

Radio Japan Hindi relays via Big FM on 92.7 to be discontinued wef 1st April '21

NHK World Radio Japan's 30 minutes relay in hindi language via Big FM on 92.7 MHz which was available in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad cities will be discontinued with effect from 1st April '21 as the contract with Big FM will expire by the end of March '21.

NHK A19

NHK A19

(Effective from 31st March 2019 to 27 Oct 2019)

Download the schedule here :

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/resources/brochure/pdf/rj_frequency.pdf  

NHK A16

NHK Radio Japan Frequency Schedule A16
Effective 27th March, 2016

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/resources/brochure/pdf/rj_schedule.pdf

New A13 freq's for Radio Japan Hindi & Bengali

Radio Japan NHK World Radio Bengali & Hindi Service has announced on air its new frequencies for its spring/summer season i.e.A13 season of broadcast period effective from March 31st.R.Japan Bengali will be on 11685 kHz during its usual time of broadcast on shortwave i.e.1300-1345UTC.

 

And Hindi Service's evening transmission will be on 15745kHz during its usual transmission time of 1430-1515 UTC.But its morning transmission time & frequency will be changed from March 31st.It will be on air from 0100 to 0130 UTC on 11590 kHz.

(Gautam Kumar Sharma, Abhayapuri, Assam)

NHK Radio Japan to be available on AIR FM channels

As per a response for my report to Radio Japan NHK on their relays via All India Radio they are planning to commence daily FM relays in India in coming October, 2012.

The relay transmissions will be carried by All India Radio's "FM Rainbow" network stations. Sunday, October 28 will be the first day of this FM relays.

Prior to this, All India Radio FM Rainbow Hyderabad will commence TEST transmissions on the daily basis starting from Sunday, July 1. Listeners in Hyderabad and its suburbs can hear Radio Japan every night at 2130 Indian Standard Time, or 1600 UTC on 101.9 MHz, duration of this transmission is for 30 minutes of daily programs.

Hyderabad will be followed by Jaipur, Mumbai, and some other major cities across India. Radio Japan will try to increase the number of the stations by Oct. 28.

Note: Radio Japan is already heard daily via All India Radio FM Rainbow on 101,9 MHz at 1600-1630 UTC although they saay that it will start in July.

Radio Japan bengali service is already available in Bangladesh on FM channels.

(Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad, India)

NHK Radio Japan Hindi Frequency change

NHK Radio Japan Hindi Frequency change wef 14th June 2010

1345-1430 UTC (1915-2000 IST) on 11825 kHz ( ex 5975) Daily

Radio Japan Bengali on new 11965 kHz - Wrong Frequency choice ?

Radio Japan Bengali service changed its frequency to 1165 kHz (ex 6155 kHz) at 1300-1345 UTC with effect from 23rd May 2010, how this seems to be a wrong frequency choice as TRT (Voice of Turkey) uses the same frequency 11965 kHz for their Russian service at 1300-1355 UTC using a 500 kW transmitter.

Consequently co-channel interfernce was noted by many on the first day of thier transmission, here's how it sounded in New Delhi :

http://tinyurl.com/3xluqm2

The old frequency 6155 kHz also suffered due to co-channel QRM from CNR 2 at 1000-2300 UTC using a 150 kW txer.

Radio Japan changes frequency for its Bengali Service

Due to bad reception condition NHK Radio Japan has changed frequency for its Bengali Service with effect from 23rd May 2010. New frequency is 11965 kHz replacing 6155 kHz.

Schedule : 1300-1345 UTC (1830 - 1915 IST) on 11965 kHz

(Ratan K.Paul)

NHK Radio Japan Urdu Frequency Change

NHK Radio Japan Urdu Frequency Change wef 18th Jan 2010 :

1430-1515 UTC on 6200 (ex 9795) via UZB

(Gautam Sharma, Assam)

Radio Japan Bengali Frequency changes effective January 11, 2010

Please be advised about the frequency change for Radio Japan Bengali language effective from January 11, 2010:

Current Frequency - New Frequency - Time

15215 kHz -----------------7400 kHz ------ UTC 13:00-13:45 (1830-1915 IST)

(Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata via bangladx yg)

Radio Japan A09 in Indian Languages

(Effective from 29th Mar to 25th Oct, 2009)

Bengali 1300 - 1345 UTC (1830-1915 IST) 15215 kHz
Hindi 1345 - 1430 UTC (1915-2000 IST) 9585 kHz
Urdu 1430 -1515 UTC (2000-2045 IST) 9680 kHz

Reports to :nhkworld@nhk.jp

Radio Japan to use Ujbek relay for A09 onwards for Indian languages

It has been decided by Radio Japan NHK World that they are going to air their transmissions in Bengali, Hindi & Urdu languages via transmitter in Uzbekistan from March 29, 2009 i.e. from this coming summer season (A09).The details of frequencies of broadcast will be decided soon & will be announced accordingly. The decision of change of transmitters from Wertachtal,Germany to Uzbekistan has been taken due to long spell of poor receptions in the target areas of broadcast i.e. in South Asia. Its on a few occasions that you can get loud & clear reception of Radio Japan in Bengali, Hindi & Urdu languages on 15215 kHz via Wertachtal, Germany. Sometimes there is no signal at all for several days & sometimes the signal fades away after a while. Many listeners are also demanding atleast two frequencies for the transmission in South Asian Langauges. According to radio experts, low sunspot numbers rather nil & resulting poor propagation conditions to blame for poor reception of many radio stations here & there.

(Gautam Kumar Sharma, Abhayapuri,Assam)

Radio Japan QSL card with verification details in Hindi

Received this QSL card from Radio Japan for thier new frequency 15215 kHz with verification details in Hindi !

New freq 15215 for Radio Japan Bengali & Hindi service

Radio Japan Bengali & Hindi services announced on 25th May that 15215 kHz will replace ( or additional ?) 17595 very soon due to complaints of poor reception from listeners.
Alokesh Gupta,New Delhi.

NHK Radio Japan A08

NHK World Radio Japan A08
March 30－October 26, 2008

Relay transmissions of NHK World Radio Japan
(United Kingdom）UK
(France） FRA
(Germany） GER
(UAE） UAE
(Singapore） SNG
(Canada） CAN
(Bonaire Is.） BON

Southeast Asia

Japanese
0200－0300（11-12） 11780 SNG
0200－0500（11-14） 17810
0800－1000（17-19） 11740 SNG
1000－1700（19- 2） 11815
1700－1900（ 2- 4） 7225
2100－2200（ 6- 7） 11665
2200－0000（ 7- 9） 13680

English
0500－0530 17810
0900－0930 11815
1200－1230 9695
1400－1430 11705
0000－0020 17810 13650

Chinese
0600－0630 17860
1300－1330 11740 SNG
2240－2300 13650
2340－0000 15195 17810

Indonesian
0945－1030 9695
1315－1400 11705
2310－2340 17810

Thai
1130－1200 11740 SNG
1230－1300 9695
2300－2320 13650

Vietnamese
1100－1130 9695
1230－1300 11740 SNG
2320－2340 13650

Burmese
1030－1100 11740 SNG
1130－1200 9695
2340－0000 13650

Asian Continent

Japanese
0200－0500（11-14） 15195
0700－0800（16-17） 15195 6145 ＊ 6165 ＊
0800－1700（17- 2） 9750
1700－1900（ 2- 4） 6035
2000－2200（ 5- 7） 6085
2000－0000（ 5- 9） 11910

Russian
0330－0400 15300
0530－0600 11715＊ 11760＊
0800－0830 6145 ＊ 6165 ＊
1330－1400 6190
1900－1920 5955 ＊
* Far East Russia

Korean
0430－0500 15300
1100－1130 6090
1230－1300 6190
1400－1430 6190
1630－1700 6035
2210－2230 9560

Chinese
0400－0430 15300
0500－0530 15300
1130－1200 6090
1300－1330 6190
1430－1500 6190
2230－2250 9560

Southwest Asia

Japanese
0200－0500（11-14） 15325
1500－1700（ 0- 2） 12045 SNG

English
0500－0530 15325
0900－0930 15590
1310－1340 11985
1400－1430 11985

Bengali
1300－1345 17595 GER

Hindi
1345－1430 17595 GER

Urdu
1430－1515 17595 GER

Oceania

Japanese
2000－2100（ 5- 6） 9625
2100－2200（ 6- 7）13640

English
0900－0930 9625
1200－1230 9625
2200－2220 13640

North America

English
0000－0020 6145 CAN（East）
0500－0530 6110 CAN（West）
1200－1230 6120 CAN（East）
1400－1430 11705 CAN（East）

Hawaii

English
0900－0930 9825

Central America

Japanese
0200－0500（11-14） 5960 CAN
1500－1700（ 0- 2） 9535

Spanish
0500－0530 6195 BON
1000－1030 6120 CAN

South America

Japanese
0200－0400（11-13） 11935 BON
0800－0900（17-18） 9825
0900－1000（18-19） 9795 CAN（East）
1700－1900（ 2- 4） 9835
2200－0000（ 7- 9） 15265 BON

Portuguese
0230－0300 9660 BON
1030－1100 13630 CAN（East）

Spanish
0400－0430 6195 BON（West）
1000－1030 9710

Europe

English
0500－0530 5975 UK
1200－1230 17585 UAE
1400－1430 13630 UK
0000－0020 5960 UK

Russian
0430－0500 9825 GER
1130－1200 11710 UK
1800－1820 11970

Middle East & North Africa

Japanese
0200－0500（11-14）17560
1700－1900（ 2- 4）13740 UAE
1900－2200（ 4- 7） 9560
2200－2300（ 7- 8） 9650 UAE

Persian
0230－0300 7295 FRA
0830－0900 15190 GER

Arabic
0400－0430 7280 FRA
0700－0730 11905 FRA

Africa

Japanese
0800－1000（17-19）15290 FRA（West）
1500－1700（ 0- 2）17735 FRA（Central）
1700－1900（ 2- 4）11945 FRA（South）

English
0500－0530 11970 FRA（South）
1400－1430 21560 FRA（Central）

Swahili
0330－0400 9555 FRA（Central）
1300－1330 21560 FRA（Central）

French
0630－0700 11970 FRA（West）
1230－1300 17870 FRA（Central）15400 FRA（West）

All times in UTC.
-----------------
Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi, India.

Radio Japan drops its Bengali, Hindi & Urdu afternoon transmissions to South Asia

Radio Japan plans to drop its Bengali, Hindi & Urdu afternoon transmissions
to South Asia for A08
Cuts back 15 minutes of transmission time for all the three languages.

NHK Radio Japan new times wef 30th March (Sun)

Bengali :1300 -1345 UTC (Freq not known) (ex 0630-0700 & 1230-1300 UTC)
Hindi : 1345 -1430 UTC on 17595 (ex 0700-0730 & 1300-1330 UTC)
Urdu : 1330 -1415 UTC (Freq not known) (ex 0730-0800 & 1330-1400 UTC)

Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi.