Cultural programs
In 1962, Culture Special began covering a wide range of topics, from current social, economic and political issues to culture, history and the arts. For 16 years, the show accurately reflected contemporary interests and concerns. University Correspondence Course, which went to air in 1965, had the more specific goal of enabling adult learners to benefit from university courses. Its use of leading lecturers and research experts is continued today by NHK Public Seminar. Cultural and educational programs like these offer the intellectual challenges and opportunities for which NHK Educational TV is known.

Arts programs
When Educational TV switched to color in 1976, arts programs were among the first to benefit. One regular feature was Sunday Arts Gallery, which included a 45-minute segment called My Favorites in which a distinguished guest would chat informally about his or her favorite artworks, and a 15-minute segment called This Week's Gallery that introduced current exhibitions. The first broadcast of the show featured art and literature critic Usui Yoshimi chatting about Rokuzan, whose real name was Ogiwara Morie. Later editions included actor Takizawa Osamu speaking about van Gogh, and poet Terayama Shuji reflecting on Magritte. This show created a lot of interest among viewers and became a fixture on Sunday mornings.
In addition, NHK broadcast a series of specials on major museums overseas, including The Louvre Museum, Orsay Museum, The Florentine Renaissance, and Prado Museum. Now arts programs have entered the era of Hi-Vision (HDTV) production, offering viewers an even more vivid look at art and artists in Japan and the world.

Language programs
NHK's first language program was the schools broadcast English Room in 1953. English language programs had in fact begun even earlier, from the start of radio, but were halted due to the Second World War. Once they resumed, they formed a key component of Japan's internationalization. English courses for the general public started with the launch of Educational TV in 1959.

From so-called classroom English, the focus shifted to practical conversation skills that would enable learners to speak easily and comfortably with foreigners. Instructors like Matsumoto Toru, Tazaki Kiyotada and Kunihiro Masao helped to popularize the courses and gave them an important role in English education in Japan. French and German lessons also started in 1959, followed in later years by Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean and Italian. Today, classes in eight different languages are available on television.

Welfare programs
In 1961, NHK started broadcasting TV School for the Hearing Impaired, a program for families with hearing impaired children of pre-elementary school age. In an era when special education for such children was not widely available, this program showed the effectiveness of speech therapy and helped to pioneer the establishment of pre-school education departments in schools for children with hearing difficulties all over Japan. Later programs provided detailed information about children with speech disabilities (Speech Therapy Session) and cognitive disabilities (Fun in the Classroom). In 1977, the much-talked-about For the Hearing Impaired marked the first instance of a sign language interpreter taking center-screen. Until then, such interpreters had only ever appeared in one corner of the picture.
Along with these programs, NHK also reported on the predicament of the disabled in Japanese society and national policy towards them, in order to seek public understanding and cooperation. Programs with this focus started with The Age of Welfare in 1973, followed by Welfare in the Future and Future Life Together. In the 1980's, new programs were oriented toward families with an elderly member to care for, such as Silver Seat and Senior Care with a Smile.