NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories Complex Completion Ceremony Address

Katsuji EBISAWA,
President, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK)




The new buildings for the Science & Technical Research Laboratories have finally been completed. This was accomplished with the understanding and cooperation of numerous parties, including the local residents of Setagaya Ward. I would like to once more express our deepest appreciation to all of them.

The Science & Technical Research Laboratories was established at this site 72 years ago, in 1930. It has enjoyed a splendid history as an international broadcasting technology research institution, and has played a leading role in broadcasting technology. After a three-year process, this new research complex has been completed and equipped with state of the art technologies.
As you all know, I have often expressed the idea that broadcasting is a culture that utilizes technology. Broadcasting has always made advances through its development of broadcasting technology. We believe that our responsibility, and our mission, are to continually and constructively introduce new technologies, utilizing them to make broadcasting services more useful in the lives of our viewers and the general public through the production of high-quality programs that enrich the mind.
These laboratories have always been involved in a variety of research projects. We started with research on television after the founding of the Science & Technical Research Laboratories in 1930. In 1964, the year the Tokyo Olympic games were held, research and development on the current Hi-Vision (HDTV) system began and has remained at the forefront of our work. You probably know that NHK's system has been adopted as an HDTV international standard.

Digital terrestrial broadcasting also began service in the United States a few years ago. It employed our HDTV technology. There are two 300-inch screens installed in the U.N. General Assembly Hall, which NHK provided to the United Nations. These are products of NHK's HDTV technology. It was also NHK that provided international HDTV relay broadcasting of the U.S. Presidential Electoral Conventions of both the Republican and Democratic Parties. In recognition of this accomplishment, regular official video recording in the Upper House is now carried out in the HDTV format. This shows how the United States constructively introduces our HDTV technology and benefits from its high quality. Two HDTV recordings have already been made in the NASA space shuttle, and a live HDTV relay broadcast is scheduled for the near future. The extent of HDTV system diffusion was also seen in the Winter Olympics just held at Salt Lake City. Live international HDTV relay broadcasts were conducted in cooperation with three networks, NHK, a special Olympic broadcaster that was established as a subsidiary institution of the IOC, and NBC, which is one of the three major U.S. networks. This encouraged us to promote international development of the HDTV system, with the confidence that excellence prevails. We believe that future broadcasting of Olympic games will center on HDTV, particularly the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

We are determined, as a public broadcaster supported by receiving fees, to contribute to the improvement of broadcasting culture and benefits, through the continuous dissemination of our research results and broadcasting technology developments, not only to the Japanese people, but also to the entire world. We are renewing our commitment to continue promoting research and development of new broadcasting technologies that will be truly useful and beneficial in peoples' lives. The center for this research is the Science & Technical Research Laboratories.
One of the Science & Technical Research Laboratories' ongoing development projects is an advanced HDTV, a 4000 scanning line ultra high-definition image system. Advancement is also underway on a home 3-D HDTV system that does not require special glasses. There is also significant work being done on a storage-type home server system that will allow a user to watch any desired program at anytime he or she chooses. NHK is committed to developing new technologies that will continue to turn dreams into reality. I would also like to add that it is our wish for the Japanese electronics industry to take advantage of such technologies to revitalize the Japanese economy.

The 9th through 14th floors of the new Science & Technical Research Laboratories building will house the NHK Communications Training Institute. This is an institute with a long history of training people from Japan and abroad. It also conducts training for engineers and program producers from broadcasting institutions in other countries, including those in Southeast Asia. Many of these are sent here by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). For the past 40 years (since 1961), the Institute has accepted 2,607 trainees from 133 countries. Currently, 20 trainees from 18 countries are studying at the Institute.
As I briefly mentioned, both the Science & Technical Research Laboratories and the Communications Training Institute provide global contributions in a wide range of areas. NHK declares that "reform and action" and "disclosure and participation" are its management philosophy. It is our hope that this Institute, and the laboratories, will be of great benefit to all, in keeping with the character of NHK, an open institution. There were many inconveniences that local residents of Setagaya Ward had to endure during the three years of construction. In token of our friendship toward the local people, we at NHK hope that the auditorium and entrance hall of the new complex will be used by you, as a center of cultural activity in Setagaya Ward and for local development.

It is a great honor that so many have taken time from their busy schedules to be in attendance at this ceremony today, we'd like to especially thank Mr. Gen'ichiro Sata, the Senior Vice Minister of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications; Mr. Hideaki Tamura, the Chairman of the Upper House Committee on General Affairs; Mr. Toshiro Yamauchi, the Parliamentary Secretary of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications; and Mr. Keiji Oba, the Head of Setagaya Ward. I express, from the heart, our deepest gratitude for your support.
I would like to end my address by again asking for your continued support. By the completion of this new research complex, we have strengthened our determination to carry out research and development of technology for our viewers and for the residents of this ward. Again, thank you very much for your attendance.