Terrestrial digital broadcasting began Friday in Toyama and Ibaraki prefectures, the first time for these broadcasting services to become available outside Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
Public broadcaster NHK and Kita Nihon Broadcasting Co. began terrestrial digital services in Toyama with a live broadcast of their joint ceremony.
Meanwhile, NHK, the sole provider in Ibaraki, started three days of special local programs in the prefecture.