Program A

CHANNEL JAPAN RANKING

　In this segment, we rank various trends and phenomena in Japan. This week, we bring you a ranking of types of products parents buy for their children. We focus on the children’s apparel industry, increasingly competitive due to Japan’s declining birth rate.

Program A

JAPANESE DREAM

　”Japanese Dream” is a popular documentary program produced by TBS that focuses on people from all walks of life who are following their dreams. This week, we feature an engineer and his 4-year effort to develop a traffic simulator for pedestrians. Why do people get into traffic accidents? Just what does this simulator do?

Program A

GACCHIRI MONDAY

　”Gacchiri Monday” is a popular economics program on TBS. In this episode, we focus on popular local sweets from around the country and investigate how these sweets are increasing sales through innovation and creativity.

Program B

Dawn of GAIA
Saving the Children of the World with Japanese Technology

　Somalia in Africa has the highest mortality rate in the world for children under the age of five. A major factor is said to be the poor quality of local water sources. In this episode, we follow one Japanese engineer as he struggles to deliver safe and clean water to the region.
*Program B available on CNBC Asia only.

Program A

PROJECT JAPAN

　In this segment, we introduce various businesses and initiatives that are being launched in Japan. This week, we report on how major manufacturers, with their vast resources but tendency to develop “generic” products, are collaborating with resource-poor startups with big ideas. Learn about the innovative products born from these new partnerships.

Program A

EXECUTIVE INSIGHT

　In this segment, we interview the top managers of Japan’s leading companies. This week, we hear from Kazuyoshi Togawa, the president of major travel firm KNT-CT Holdings, about his strategy to court visitors from Asia.

Program A

WORLD BUSINESS SATELLITE

　In this segment, we bring you episodes from “WBS”, a popular program produced by TV Tokyo that covers the latest economic and business trends in Japan. This week, we report on a new patent strategy that’s being implemented by a growing number of Japanese companies. Proposed reforms to the patent application system may allow for speedier approval, helping to drive corporate growth. But will patents lead to a revival of Japanese industry?
*The part unavailable on CNBC TV 18.

Program A

WORLD BUSINESS SATELLITE

　We report on new initiatives aimed at transforming farmers from simple manufacturers into business managers. This spring, a new school called the “Japan Institute of Agricultural Management” was opened with the support of 200 food makers and other major corporations to nurture young farmers into agricultural proprietors. Big firms and farming cooperatives are also starting to work closer together to expand sales channels. But will Japanese agriculture be able to turn a new leaf?

Program B

Dawn of GAIA
A Scramble for the Asian Utopia

　Low-cost, fast-fashion brands are capturing the hearts and wallets of consumers around the world. A major issue for apparel manufacturers is keeping costs low, while also ensuring quality. Amid this, attention has been shifting towards Myanmar, where labor costs are a fifth of that in China. Often referred to as the “Last Frontier of Asia”, Myanmar is at the center of a fierce tug-of-war between fast-fashion brands seeking a new low-cost manufacturing base. We take a look at the battle being waged in the seat of our pants.
*Program B available on CNBC Asia only.

Program A

CHANNEL JAPAN RANKING

　In this segment, we rank various trends and phenomena in Japan. This week, we bring you a ranking of fish popularly eaten in Japan. We focus on the movement to market previously unmarketable fish, against the backdrop of the continuing decline in domestic fishing activity.

Program A

JAPANESE DREAM

　”Japanese Dream” is a popular documentary program produced by TBS that focuses on people from all walks of life who are following their dreams. This week, we feature the president of a leading lightning countermeasures company who seeks to develop advanced technologies to protect families, hospitals, and even world heritage sites from lightning.

Program A

GACCHIRI MONDAY

　”Gacchiri Monday” is a popular economics program on TBS. This week, we introduce companies that have created unique policies and procedures, to increase employee motivation and company performance. We visit 4 companies from different industries to find out what they are doing and how their employees feel.

Program B

Dawn of GAIA
Japan’s Hit-Making Farms

　Japan’s agricultural industry is facing a crisis amid shrinking demand and the looming threat of a free-trade deal, but some farms are taking the initiative to transform into profit-making businesses. With global markets in their sights, farmers are travelling afar to explore potential opportunities and promote their products in person. This time, we look at the new face of Japanese agriculture.
*Program B available on CNBC Asia only.

Program A

EXECUTIVE INSIGHT

　In this segment, we speak with executives of Japan’s leading companies. Our guest is Akira Morikawa, the president of LINE. The company is behind a hugely popular smartphone application of the same name that allows users to make phone calls and send emails free of charge. Its user base has grown rapidly and now extends to numerous countries and regions around the world, including Taiwan, Thailand and Spain. Mr. Morikawa speaks to us about his strategy to dial into mobile users around the world.

Program A

PROJECT JAPAN

　In this segment, we introduce various businesses and initiatives being launched in Japan. Two years ago, a massive earthquake and tsunami ravaged the coastal regions of northeastern Japan, leaving over 20,000 people dead or missing. We put the spotlight on the survivors of the disaster and their ongoing struggle to rebuild their homes and lives.

Program A

WORLD BUSINESS SATELLITE

　In this segment, we introduce our overseas viewers to episodes from “WBS”, a popular economic news program produced by TV Tokyo. This time, we feature department stores and websites that are aggressively promoting handmade crafts.
*The part unavailable on CNBC TV 18.

Program A

WORLD BUSINESS SATELLITE

　Most people have a complex about one thing or another. Those complexes are now giving birth to new markets and businesses. From plus-size fashion to an eyebrow hair-growth drug, we report on the strategies of various companies to tap into this expanding market.

Program B

Dawn of GAIA
What is World-Class Craftsmanship?

　”Dawn of GAIA” is a program that probes the future of Japanese society, economy and business from various perspectives. In this episode, “What is World-Class Craftsmanship”, we report on the challenges faced by a Japanese car maker as it attempts to undertake a structural shift. We also follow a Japanese man working to deliver groundbreaking products to people living in remote regions.
*Program B available on CNBC Asia only.

Program A

CHANNEL JAPAN RANKING

　In this segment, we rank various trends and phenomena in Japan. This week, we bring you a ranking of popular hot springs, or “onsen.” Gunma Prefecture and Oita Prefecture, both regulars in the Top 10, are in fierce contention. What is behind this heated debate?

Program A

JAPANESE DREAM

　”Japanese Dream” is a popular documentary program produced by TBS that focuses on people from all walks of life who are following their dreams. This week, we feature a professor who envisions a future with a greener, more eco-friendly energy source using magnesium.

Program A

GACCHIRI MONDAY

　”Gacchiri Monday” is a popular economics program on TBS. In this episode we focus on Saitama Prefecure, located just north of Tokyo, and introduce companies and industries there that rank top in Japan. We take a look at the noodle industry, a manufacturer for a familiar item, a company that makes a product enthusiasts love, and more.

Program B

Dawn of GAIA
Careers in Flux : How do you want to work?

　Until recently, most major corporations in Japan offered their workers the promise of “lifetime employment”. But that no longer holds true, with massive layoffs being implemented across a range of industries. There has also been a dramatic change in how Japanese people view work, sparked in large part by the massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan in 2011. With convention turned on its head, the value and meaning of work are undergoing a major re-evaluation. We take a look at a new breed of job seekers.
*Program B available on CNBC Asia only.

Program A

EXECUTIVE INSIGHT

　In this segment, we interview the top managers at various Japanese companies. Our guest this time is Kunio Harimoto, the president of TOTO. TOTO is known for developing a range of unique products such as automatically-flushing and water-saving toilets. They have also been making an aggressive push into overseas markets, where there are widely differing toilet cultures. Mr. Harimoto talks to us about the evolution of toilets and the company’s strategy in Asia.

Program A

WORLD BUSINESS SATELLITE

　TV Tokyo’s popular “WBS” program offers unique insights on the latest economic and business news. In this segment, we show a re-edited selection of WBS episodes for our overseas viewers. This time, we introduce start-up firms that are getting involved in the burgeoning bartering business.

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　We report on new initiatives to make better use of downtime at companies. Gyutan Rikyu, which runs a nationwide chain of beef tongue restaurants, has started using downtime at its kitchens to make lunch boxes for delivery. They say sales are growing faster than at its main restaurant business. Meanwhile, a start-up firm that noticed the low operation rate at many printing factories has started linking them into a network to utilize their idle time and offer low-cost printing services. There are even companies that are holding early-morning seminars at movie theaters. The unearthing of downtime is giving rise to various unique businesses.
*The part unavailable on CNBC TV 18.

Program A

PROJECT JAPAN

　In this segment, we introduce brand new businesses and initiatives across Japan. Dubai is an economic center of the Middle East and a major tourist destination. It is here that a unique exhibition is being held. Called Big Boy Toys, it is targeted at wealthy consumers in the region and brings together the ultimate toys from around the world. The only Japanese company invited to the event is “znug design”, which developed a one-of-a-kind electric motorcycle. We follow them to Dubai and find out if an ultra-bike packed with the latest Japanese technologies can turn heads in the international market.

Program B

Dawn of GAIA
From Small Workshops to the Living Room: Hit Products Created by Craftsmen

　Small workshops, which typically undertake subcontracting work from major companies, are increasingly trying their hand at developing products targeted at the consumer market. Known for technical skills rather than sales abilities, will they be able to come up with products that can become a hit in the living room? One frying pan made by a metalworking workshop has become such a hit that they can’t keep up with demand. We also feature an industrial equipment maker that invented a homeworking tool to loosen any screw and craftsman who is challenging convention with new creations.
*Program B available on CNBC Asia only.

Program A

CHANNEL JAPAN RANKING

　In this segment, we rank various trends and phenomena in Japan. This week, we bring you rankings of two trends in Japanese culture and food. The first features local mascots that have been created to promote their areas of origin. In the second ranking, featuring instant noodles, advances in manufacturing methods have given rise to a range of new products, causing a shift in the market.

Program A

JAPANESE DREAM

"Japanese Dream" is a popular documentary program produced by TBS that focuses on people from all walks of life who are following their dreams. This week, we focus on a doctor who seeks to eradicate cancer and has devoted his heart and soul to advocating heavy ion radiation therapy.

Program A

GACCHIRI MONDAY

　"Gacchiri Monday" is a popular economics program on TBS. This week, we focus on the secrets of the pushbutton switch industry. Buttons and switches, an integral part of our daily lives, are filled with their manufacturers' ingenuity.

Program B

Dawn of GAIA
Earth-Saving Hit Products

　In this episode, we take a look at the efforts of two companies to develop ecologically-friendly, hit products.　The first company is called FRUTA FRUTA, which specializes in fruits originating in the Amazon rainforest of South America. They are contributing to afforestation efforts in the region while also developing health drinks derived from local fruits. The other company is household goods maker, MUJI, which has been developing towels that are friendly to both producer and consumer. The material is made from organically-grown cotton and instead of chemical dyes, they use naturally-derived colors.　We go behind the scenes to discover the secrets of their hit-making success.
*Program B available on CNBC Asia only.