(Source: NHK World via Kanwar Sandhu)

NHK WORLD-JAPAN is launching on January 15th of next year a new online Chinese-language service. NHK Huayu Shijie will broadcast some of the most popular programs that focus on news, culture and current events.

The service will be for five hours on weekdays. Five anchors will each be assigned a day and bring the news on that day, starting at seven PM.

The program will also have a trends feature, give medical information and air a documentary from the Asian region.

Nanami Sakuraba, presenter of the program, said that she hopes the service can introduce emerging trends in Japanese culture.

NHK Newscaster James Tengan said he will prioritize objectivity and neutrality when he reports the news.

NHK announcer Chiaki Kamakura said that more than 30 million people have visited Japan this year. She added that about half of them speak Chinese so it makes sense to provide them relevant information.

The number of foreign visitors is expected to grow with the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2020 and the World Expo in Osaka in 2025.

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