Country guide

IPTV and TV guide times in Japan

Distinguish TVer real-time delivery, catch-up and Special Live when a programme plays on a phone and behaves differently on a TV.

Which TVer viewing mode was it?

TVer's current help sends viewers of ordinary real-time delivery to a phone, tablet or computer. Its connected-TV help discusses a separate Special Live case in which only some content is supported on the television app. Read the help for the mode named on the actual programme before troubleshooting your connection.

If catch-up plays on the television and the live item is only available on the phone, capture that pattern. Then check whether the original broadcaster has a separately documented TV route for the live programme. This gives you a clearer answer than reinstalling an app that already plays the supported on-demand edition.

TVer label or modeWhat to match before testing
リアルタイム配信Ordinary real-time viewing mode and the publisher’s supported screen
見逃し配信Catch-up episode, programme and any expiry shown
Special LiveEvent-specific support on the intended device
Original linear scheduleStation or network, air date and local start

A late-night title can move to tomorrow’s date

Take an illustrative slot displayed in Japan as 00:20 on 16 January 2026. It is 15 Jan 2026, 15:20 UTC in UTC. If a schedule groups post-midnight items with the previous night's programming, save both the broadcaster’s listing day and the actual dated timestamp. Match the exact Japanese title and episode before assuming a duplicate.

For a report, say whether the programme starts live, plays as a replay or appears only as a listing. Include the device model and the Japanese title. If a live title and a catch-up title are both available, record the two labels because their start and expiry fields answer different questions.

Japan · JP

Use the local programme and station ID together. The catalogue records NHK World-Japan as NHKWorldJapan.jp in Japan.

Check the local source in Japan

TVer's Japanese help distinguishes real-time delivery from other viewing modes and describes limits for connected-TV apps and casting. A programme visible on a mobile device can therefore require a separate compatibility check on a television.

Record whether you want a live broadcast, catch-up programme or special event and consult the relevant TVer help for that device. Use the originating broadcaster's listing when checking the linear air time.

Identify the exact station in the guide

Sample identities associated with this source country. Confirm the broadcaster's current local edition.
Station in sourceCatalogue identifierRecorded group or siteCategory
NHK World-JapanNHKWorldJapan.jpGovernment of Japannews, culture
ABC TVABCTV.jpANNgeneral
ABEMA Keirin & Auto RacingABEMAKeirinAutoRacing.jpAbemasports, auto
Animal PlanetAnimalPlanet.jpAnimal Planetdocumentary
Cartoon NetworkCartoonNetwork.jpCartoon Networkanimation, kids
DlifeDlife.jpBroadcast Satellite Disneyseries

For NHK World-Japan, check bulletin title, local edition and air time. If your source uses a different identifier from NHKWorldJapan.jp, use the source’s actual channel field for the mapping.

Convert a programme to the source clock

20:00 in Asia/Tokyo resolves to 15 Jul 2025 · 11:00 UTC in the July example. An early listing at 01:00 local is 14 Jul 2025 · 16:00 UTC. Match the full date and time before looking for a programme by day of week.

Calculated historical examples. Use the actual date and IANA location for a real listing.
IANA location examples20:00 local on 15 January 202520:00 local on 15 July 2025
Asia/Tokyo15 Jan 2025 · 11:00 UTC15 Jul 2025 · 11:00 UTC

Audio and captions

Keep the Japanese programme title and the local station or network name when comparing the TVer entry with a broadcast schedule.

Which device and account details should you check?

  1. Use the broadcaster's own market listing for Japan when checking a current app, subscription or rights question.
  2. Look up the app publisher and exact TV or box model in the local device store. Check live versus replay features and separate app charges.
  3. For a schedule issue, save the exact channel ID, programme title, local date and time zone without sharing account or playlist details.

Browse channel references for Japan

Channel references to check

Find the exact local station

The channel finder contains 130 station records for Japan in this edition. Each result opens the catalogue ID and local guide example for that feed.

Search this market in the channel finder

Sources and further reading