NHK, Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, Tokyo

The NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, was established in 1946 and has three divisions, including the Public Opinion Research Division responsible for the Japanese ISSP. As the only public broadcaster in Japan, NHK has long been a keen observer of trends in public opinion. The Public Opinion Research Division is responsible for NHK public opinion surveys fielded on a regular basis. Such surveys include those specifically designed to investigate attitudes towards daily life, society in general and basic values. The “Survey on Japanese Value Orientation”, for example, monitors changes in attitudes/values at regular five-year intervals.

The Public Research Division is also responsible for radio and television audience research to ascertain viewer-ratings and viewer-assessments. A newer emphasis of research in the institute involves comparative studies in collaboration with foreign researchers. The institute publishes a monthly and an annual report in Japanese: the NHK Monthly Report on Broadcasting Research and the Annual Bulletin of NHK Broadcasting Culture Research.