View source for J-Wave

{{Short description|Contemporary hit radio station in Tokyo}}
{{For|the J wave on an ECG|Osborn wave}}
{{Multiple issues|{{more citations needed|date=April 2019}}
{{Expand Japanese|J-WAVE|date=May 2009}}}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name               = JOAV-FM
| logo               = J-WAVE logo (2020 - ).svg
| logo_upright       = .8
| city               = [[Tokyo]]
| country = JP
| area               = [[Greater Tokyo Area]]
| frequency          = 81.3 [[MHz]]
| branding           = ''81.3 J-Wave''
| language           = [[Japanese language|Japanese]]
| format             = [[Contemporary hit radio]]–[[J-pop]]–[[C-pop]]
| affiliations       = [[Japan FM League]]
| owner              = J-Wave Inc. (owned by [[Credit Saison]], [[Nippon Broadcasting System]], [[Kyodo News]], and other stakeholders)
| licensee           =
| sister_stations    =
| airdate            = {{start date and age|1988|8|1|p=y|br=yes}}
| callsign_meaning   = J-Wave
| power              = {{val|7000|u=watts|fmt=commas}}
| erp                = {{val|57000|u=watts|fmt=commas}}
| haat               = {{convert|632.2|m|ft|sp=us}}
| coordinates        = {{coord|35|42|35.93|N|139|48|38.35|E}}
| repeater           = [[Minato, Tokyo|Minato]] 88.3 MHz
| webcast            = {{ubl|[http://radiko.jp/#FMJ J-Wave] on [[radiko]]|[http://www.ustream.tv/channel/jwave813fm J-Wave] on [[Ustream]]}}
| website            = {{URL|https://www.j-wave.co.jp}}
}}
'''J-Wave''' is an commercial radio station based in [[Tokyo]], Japan, broadcasting on 81.3 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] from the [[Tokyo Skytree]] to the Tokyo area. J-Wave airs mostly music, including [[J-pop]], [[C-pop]], and Western music, covering a wide range of formats. The station is considered the most popular among FM broadcasts in Tokyo,<ref>{{cite book | last = Condry | first = Ian | title = Hip-hop Japan | publisher = Duke University Press | year = 2006 | pages = 175 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=CH8Nj_bBxWoC | isbn = 0-8223-3892-0 }}</ref> and has surprised the radio broadcast industry by gaining a higher popularity rate than an AM station ([[Nippon Cultural Broadcasting|JOQR]]) in a survey conducted in June 2008.<ref>"J-Wave has drawn considerable attention in the industry with the 'phenomenal overtaking by an FM station of AM'", reported ZAKZAK, an internet news branch of Sankei Digital on 2008-07-23. It said that J-Wave ranked fourth with 0.9% share, overtaking [[Nippon Cultural Broadcasting]] (0.8%).{{in lang|ja}}[http://www.zakzak.co.jp/gei/2008_07/g2008072321_all.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403011035/http://zakzak.co.jp/gei/2008_07/g2008072321_all.html|date=April 3, 2009}}</ref> J-Wave was founded in October 1988, with the call sign of JOAV-FM. It is a member station of the [[Japan FM League]] (JFL) commercial radio network.<ref>{{cite book |author=Kuniko Watenabe |author2=Yuko Tsuchiya |chapter=Japan |editor=Indrajit Banerjee |editor2=Stephen Logan | title = Asian Communication Handbook 2008 | publisher = AMIC | year = 2008 | pages = 240 | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Wo9YWvrWFcIC&dq=%22Japan+FM+League%22+FM&pg=PA240 | isbn = 978-981-4136-10-5 }}</ref>

==Features==
J-WAVE's slogan is "The Best Music on the Planet." The DJs are known as {{nihongo|"navigators"|ナビゲーター|nabigētā}}. The music format can be considered a Japanese equivalent of the Western concept of [[Top 40]] or [[contemporary hit radio|CHR]] radio.

Hundreds of different jingles separate programs from commercials; they are generally played at the same decibel level and are variations on a single melody.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} J-Wave has been broadcast via satellite since 1994. Some of its programs also air on some community radio stations in Japan.

==History==
On December 10, 1987, J-WAVE was incorporated and started test broadcasts in the FM band on 81.3&nbsp;MHz on August 1, 1988. On October 1 of that year at 5{{nbsp}}am, it started transmission from [[Tokyo Tower]]. J-Wave was the 27th FM radio station nationwide to launch at that time, and the second in Tokyo. The name "J-WAVE" originally derived from a record shop, WAVE in Roppongi, which also belonged to "[[Credit Saison|Saison Group]]". While other radio stations focused more on presentation, J-WAVE adopted a "more music less talk" format. The station had a large fanbase because of its unusual programming style, playing music nonstop except for jingles and breaks for news, traffic, and weather. The law in Japan at that time stipulated that programming had to be a maximum of 80% music, and a minimum of 20% talk and continuity. J-WAVE coined the term "[[J-pop]]", which is only vaguely defined but led to the eventual mirror term, [[K-pop]].

Around 1995, J-WAVE hired new personalities in an attempt to rejuvenate itself. Its term "J-POP" became synonymous with commercially palatable Japanese music from across the spectrum, except for traditional Japanese music. Specials started to air around this time, and the station took steps to attract a listener base desirable for higher ad revenues.

On October 1, 2003, J-WAVE moved its head office to the 33rd floor of the [[Roppongi Hills Mori Tower]] in [[Minato, Tokyo]].

On April 23, 2012, J-WAVE moved its transmitting station at Tokyo Tower to the Tokyo Sky Tree with a new transmission power of 7 kilowatts with an ERP of 57 kilowatts. Before the move, the transmission power was 10 kilowatts with an ERP of 44 kilowatts.

==Navigators (DJs)==
Popular Navigators with "obis", or daily shows, on J-Wave (1988–1993) include:
* [[Jon Kabira]]
* Carole Hisasue
* [[Chris Peppler]]
* [[Cara Jones]]
* [[Barry White]]
* [[Mike Rogers (producer)]]

==Programs==
===Tokio Hot 100===

J-WAVE publishes the Tokyo Hot 100 singles chart which is compiled from ''[[Billboard Japan]]'' data: data for each music streaming service, download data, number of video views, [[CD single|CD]] sales data, number of tweets on [[Twitter]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.j-wave.co.jp/original/tokiohot100/cgi-bin/top100.cgi |title=Tokio Hot 100 |work=J-Wave |agency=[[Billboard Japan]] |language=ja |access-date=July 14, 2023}}</ref> These should not be confused with the Japanese single charts, [[Oricon]], which has its national airplay charts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/|title=オリコンランキング|website=ORICON NEWS}}</ref>

There is also a TV version shown on [[MTV Japan]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 29, 2013 |title=MTV×J-WAVE TOKIO HOT 100 {{!}} ON AIR {{!}} MTV JAPAN |url=http://www.mtvjapan.com/onair/program/92 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929155451/http://www.mtvjapan.com/onair/program/92 |archive-date=September 29, 2013 }}</ref>

===Others===
* [[Saude Saudade (J-Wave)|Saude Saudade]]

==Song of the year (Slam Jam)==
* 1988: [[U2]] — "[[Desire (U2 song)|Desire]]"
* 1989: [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] — "[[Batdance]]"
* 1990: [[Madonna]] — "[[Vogue (Madonna song)|Vogue]]"
* 1991: [[Stevie B]] — "[[Because I Love You (The Postman Song)]]"
* 1992: [[Shanice]] — "[[I Love Your Smile]]"
* 1993: [[Mariah Carey]] — "[[Dreamlover (song)|Dreamlover]]"
* 1994: [[Big Mountain (band)|Big Mountain]] — "[[Baby I Love Your Way]]"
* 1995: [[Diana King]] — "[[Shy Guy (song)|Shy Guy]]"
* 1996: [[Eric Clapton]] — "[[Change the World]]"
* 1997: [[Jamiroquai]] — "[[Cosmic Girl (song)|Cosmic Girl]]"
* 1998: [[Celine Dion]] — "[[My Heart Will Go On]]"
* 1999: [[Jamiroquai]] — "[[Canned Heat (song)|Canned Heat]]"
* 2000: [[Madonna]] — "[[Music (Madonna song)|Music]]"
* 2001: [[Janet Jackson]] — "[[All for You (Janet Jackson song)|All for You]]"
* 2002: [[Underworld (band)|Underworld]] — "[[Two Months Off]]"
* 2003: [[Beyoncé]] featuring [[Jay-Z]] — "[[Crazy in Love (Beyoncé Knowles song)|Crazy in Love]]"
* 2004: [[Avril Lavigne]] — "[[Don't Tell Me (Avril Lavigne song)|Don't Tell Me]]"
* 2005: [[Def Tech]] — "[[My Way (Def Tech song)|My Way]]"
* 2006: [[Sharlene]] — "[[Sweeta Sweeta]]"
* 2007: Beyoncé — "[[Irreplaceable]]"
* 2008: [[Leona Lewis]] — "[[Bleeding Love]]"

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website}} {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://www.j-wave.co.jp/jfl/ Links to other Japan FM League stations on J-Wave website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Tokyo Radio}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Contemporary hit radio stations]]
[[Category:Mass media companies based in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1988]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Japan]]
[[Category:Roppongi]]