How to Watch Japanese TV from Outside of Japan Free and Legal

The Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs has begun broadcasting Japanese network tv stations over the internet using P2P (Peer to Peer) technology.

As many newzjapan readers know, the Japanese government has gradually been making an effort to be more of a presence on the internet, including uploading useful videos to YouTube.

KeyholeTV is another step they are taking to show more of Japanese culture to more of the world. KeyholeTV does not provide an HD picture or anything like that, but what it does give you is WHAT’S ON TV IN JAPAN RIGHT NOW.

You have to download a very small program from the KeyholeTV Official Site, and then you are good to go. You can watch TV Tokyo, Fuji TV, Asahi TV, and all of the major tv stations in Japan including some local station, and even some Japanese FM radio stations.

It was fun watching “Ii Tomo” on tv last night and seeing Tamori again, or if you happen to miss Japanese comedy, just check your time zone and turn on KeyholeTV on to enjoy “Red Theater” which is currently Japan’s best skit comedy show. It’s on at 10 pm Japan time and definitely worth a watch. Ii Tomo, the popular and long running variety show hosted by veteran entertainer Tamori and a host of regulars that change each day is broadcast at noon every day in Japan. If you are in the US, you can watch it in the evening before bed for a dose of Japanese tv wackiness. Ii Tomo often features Western entertainers as well including Hugh Jackman, Beyonce, Will Smith, and a whole host of others.

KeynoteTV is available for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux, and Mac OSX! There are also rumors of an iPhone app (which I believe has already been released in Japan).

So enjoy your free and legal Japanese TV shows, and don’t forget to get some sleep as well!