With an eye toward further collaboration between U.S. and Japanese broadcasters, the overall approach and effect of Japanese educational television (ETV) is examined. While in the United States ETV has no advertisement and is non-profit, the Japanese only require that any advertisement be not obstructive to social education. Their broadcasting has both school and adult education programs. The content of school programs is taken from established curricula and directed to the in-school population. Adult programs are directed toward the out-of-school population and may concern any instructive subject. Cultural programs are directed to the general public and may concern any socially beneficial topic. Nippon Educational Television (NET), a commercial station, one network owned by the public Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), and Tokyo, Channel 12, the private station of the Japan Science Foundation, are Japan's ETV (Educational Television) broadcasters. There are ambiguous statistics on the use and appreciation of ETV. Research shows that it is almost impossible to isolate the effects of ETV from other variables but that, generally, mental alertness is improved by the television experience. Legal and financial difficulties, as well as choice of content and approach, are the continuing problems of Japanese ETV. (AN)