MTV Japan
Japanese music television channel
MTV Japan (Music Television Japan) is the Japanese version of the cable television network based in Tokyo, Japan. It is owned by Amdocs Japan under license from Paramount Networks EMEAA and was launched on November 15, 1993.
History
MTV originally was a music block on ABC TV in the Kansai area from 1984 to 1988, then it became a block on Tokyo Broadcasting System, Japan's largest commercial television station, in the Kanto area from 1988 to 1992. In 1988, it was shown late Tuesday nights between 1:20am and 4:20am, and late Friday nights between 2:55am and 4:50am.
In 1992, Music Channel, Inc. acquired a license from Viacom to broadcast with the MTV name. Broadcast began on CS Analog and Skyport services, with PerfecTV! accessed added in 1996 and DirecTV access added in 1997. Notable VJs from that time include Marc Panther and Ken Lloyd.
In 1998, Music Channel canceled their license with Viacom because of the high license fee required.
The public source identifies “MTV Japan” as japanese music television channel. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Japan, Japanese and music.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “MTV Japan”, the useful work is to connect “japanese music television channel” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2700742. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1993, 1984, 1988 and 1992.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “MTV Japan”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow MTV Japan primary sources, MTV Japan archive and Japan research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “MTV Japan”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “MTV Japan” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.