If the number of controls on a Japanese remote control can’t faze you, then the sheer amount of kanji will. In Japan, TV remotes offer a variety of controls that not only improve your viewing experience like changing the voice dub or adding subtitles, there are also controls that allow the user to interact with what’s going on the TV program at certain times especially during gameshows. While those commands are convenient actually navigating through the different buttons is a another story. In this guide, learn how to read some of the most basic controls to level up your TV viewing experience.
The basics of Japanese remote controls
There are a lot of options that can help improve your reading speed in Japan like adding subtitles (字幕) to whatever program you happen to be watching. There is also an option to switch the audio from Japanese to the original language it was recorded in (音声切換).
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Power (On/Off) | 電源 | dengen |
| Switching the TV input (HDMI/cable) | 入力切換 | nyuryoku kirikae |
| Subtitle | 字幕 | jimaku |
| Channel | チャンネル | channeru |
| Volume | 音量 | onryou |
| Mute | 消音 | shouon |
| Confirm | 決定 | kettei |
| Switch to English (or original language) | 音声切換 | onsei kirikae |
| Screen size adjustment | ワイド切換 | waido kirikae |
Advanced buttons
Once you get more familiar with the basics, try tuning into weekly Japanese quiz shows and answering some of the questions by pressing the color that corresponds to the answer of your choice.
For those who can’t get enough of Japanese TV, be sure to check the schedule (番組表) for the latest lineup of programs.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 青 | aoi |
| Red | 赤 | aka |
| Green | 緑 | midori |
| Yellow | 黄 | kiiro |
| TV schedule | 番組表 | bangumihyo |
| Homepage for the channel | 連動データ | rendou deta |
| Back | 戻る | modoru |
| Memo | メモ | memo |
| Menu | メニュー | menyuu |
Go forth and Japanese TV and chill in confidence with your newfound knowledge.