[CW] From longwave to shortwave: KDDI Yamata Transmitting Station,

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

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2021/09/29
[150 Years of International Communications (2)] From longwave to shortwave:
KDDI Yamata Transmitting Station, Japan's only shortwave broadcasting
station for overseas audiences

   - The power of communication
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It is now easy to make phone calls and emails with people overseas, as well
as use the internet and social media. International communication has
become dramatically more convenient, but behind this lies a history of
challenges undertaken by our predecessors. The traces of these challenges
can be seen at the KDDI MUSEUM in Tama City, Tokyo.

The KDDI MUSEUM explains the 150-year history of international
communications in Japan through actual equipment and documents, and also
displays all generations of au mobile phones and smartphones, allowing
visitors to experience the latest 5G and IoT technologies.
[image: "KDDI MUSEUM"]

International communications in Japan began in 1871 (Meiji 4), and 2021
marks the 150th anniversary of that. This article will introduce the
history and evolution of international communications in a four-part
series: "1. The beginning of international communications in Japan, "
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"2.
>From long waves to short waves - radio waves connecting the world," "3. The
challenge of space, satellite communications," and "4. The era of
high-capacity optical undersea cables," along with the exhibits at the KDDI
MUSEUM.
International communications move from undersea cables to wireless
communications

The theme of this time is "② From long waves to short waves - Radio waves
connect the world." The program will cover the history of how long and
short wave wireless communication, which began in the early 20th century,
became the mainstream of international communication, and the role of the
KDDI Yamata Transmitter, the only one in Japan currently transmitting
shortwave broadcasts to overseas audiences.
[image: "KDDI Yamata Transmitting Station"]

International communications began in Japan in 1871 (Meiji 4), when the
Danish company The Great Northern Telegraph Co. laid long-distance
connecting undersea telegraph cables Nagasaki to Shanghai and Vladivostok
(Russia). As the era changed from the Meiji to the Taisho and Showa
periods, international communications moved from undersea telegraph cables
to wireless communications using long and short waves.
[image: Submarine telegraph cables connecting Nagasaki to Shanghai and
Nagasaki to Vladivostok]

To begin with, "wireless communication" refers to a communication method
that does not use wires to carry electric current, but mainly uses "radio
waves." In 1888 (Meiji 21), German physicist Hertz proved the existence of
radio waves and that they could travel through space, and in 1895 (Meiji
28), Italian electrical engineer Marconi succeeded in an experiment in
wireless telegraphy over a distance of 2.4 km. Marconi's invention of the
wireless telegraph completely changed the state of international
communications.
[image: British Post Office officials testing maritime radio transmission
using Marconi's equipment (1897) From Semaphore Communications to Space
Communications]British Post Office officials testing maritime radio
transmission using Marconi's equipment (1897)
>From semaphore communication to space communication

Wireless telegraphy was cheaper to build than undersea telegraph cables,
there was no need to land cables in other countries, and there was no risk
of the cable being cut along the way.

Like Western countries, Japan also moved towards wireless communication.
The background to this was that at the time, Japan's international
communications were dependent on other countries, including a Danish
company that laid undersea telegraph cables, and all communications with
Europe and the US had to go through telegraph cables via the UK, and the
international telegram charges were also high. Therefore, it was inevitable
that Japan would switch to wireless communication, which it could operate
independently.

Japan conducted research and development based on the wireless technology
of the British fleet, and completed the Type 36 Wireless Telegraph, which
had a communication range of 200 nautical miles (about 370 km), in 1903
(Meiji 36). Early wireless telegraphs were used as a means of communication
between ships and shore, or between ships.

In 1905 (Meiji 37), towards the end of the Russo-Japanese War, during the
Battle of Tsushima, the Shinano Maru discovered the Russian Baltic Fleet
and sent the first report from its Type 36 wireless telegraph, stating
"Enemy fleet sighted at location 203," leading Japan to victory and
demonstrating the effectiveness and necessity of wireless communication.
[image: A restored Type 36 radio transmitter (stored on the Mikasa Memorial
Ship, Mikasa Preservation Society, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation.
Image provided by the Postal Museum collection)]A restored Type 36 radio
transmitter (stored on the Mikasa Memorial Ship, Mikasa Preservation
Society, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation. Image provided by the
Postal Museum collection)
Long-wave communication using high-power radio waves along the earth's
surface to far-flung places overseas

As it became clear that radio waves with longer wavelengths could travel
longer distances, countries around the world began to use low-frequency
waves for long-distance intercontinental communications. "Low-frequency
waves" refer to radio waves in the frequency range of 30 to 300 kHz
(kilohertz), and have the characteristic of traveling long distances along
the earth's surface.
[image: Long waves are emitted from a huge antenna]Long waves are emitted
from a huge antenna

Generating long waves required large amounts of electricity and
communication stations with huge antennas. In addition, there were only 134
radio waves suitable for long wave communication in the world, and the
unused radio waves were available on a first-come, first-served basis ,
with the first country to build an international radio station being
granted the right to use them.

In the race to acquire radio waves, Japan also needed to build an
international radio station as soon as possible, but the national finances
at the time were such that it was difficult to cover the huge construction
costs. Therefore, in 1925 (Taisho 14) , the Japanese government raised
funds from the private sector and established the Japan Wireless Telegraph
Co., Ltd. The company would build and maintain the international radio
station, which the Japanese government would then operate.
[image: Giant insulators used for long-wave transmission]In the upper right
corner of the photo is a giant insulator used in long-wave communications.
It is a device used to insulate the wires from their supports.
Towards the era of shortwave radio waves reflected by the ionosphere

In the late 1920s, as competition for radio waves suitable for long waves
intensified among countries around the world, the "shortwave" communication
method emerged.
[image: Shortwave radio waves are transmitted by reflecting them off the
ionosphere and the earth's surface.]Shortwave radio waves are transmitted
by reflecting them off the ionosphere and the earth's surface.

Shortwave communication, which uses radio waves in the frequency band of 3
to 30 MHz (megahertz), was initially thought to be unsuitable for
long-distance communication, but it became clear that by reflecting waves
off the ion sphere and geological layers, they could be sent to far-flung
overseas locations with just a few watts, and the main means of
international communication rapidly shifted from long waves to shortwaves.
In Japan, Oyama Transmitting Station (Tochigi Prefecture) was built in 1931
(Showa 6) as a shortwave communication facility for communication with the
United States, the South Seas, and the Far East.
[image: Oyama Transmitting Station (left: around 1930, right: after World
War II)]Oyama Transmitting Station (left: around 1930, right: after World
War II)
1934: International telephone calls begin in Japan

As wireless communication developed, research into the practical
application of wireless telephones began in various countries around the
world, and in 1927 (Showa 2), international wireless telephone
communication began between the UK and the US. Wireless telephone equipment
spread to all major regions.

As European and American countries began establishing wireless telephone
services to Asia, the Japanese government launched the International
Telephone Company in 1932. In 1934, Japan's first international telephone
service using shortwave radio was launched between Manila (Philippines) and
the Nazaki transmitting station (Ibaraki Prefecture ) and Komuro receiving
station (Saitama Prefecture) that the company had built.

By the time the Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937 (Showa 12), it had
become possible to make calls to major regions around the world, with
European countries via relays in London and Berlin, South America via a
relay in Buenos Aires, and the Union of South Africa via a relay in Berlin.
[image: Manila office providing international telephone services]Manila
station monitoring international calls with border equipment

Wireless communication also made it possible to send and receive voice and
images, something that was difficult to do with the undersea telegraph
cables of the time. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics (Showa 11), a live radio
broadcast of the event across the ocean was made possible via international
telephone lines, along with the announcement of "Go Maehata!"

In 1938 (Showa 13), Japan Wireless Telegraph Co., Ltd. and International
Telephone Co., Ltd. merged to form International Electrical Communications
Co., Ltd. At the time, it was said that the strength of radio waves for
overseas broadcasting was proportional to the power of a nation, and in
1940 (Showa 15), the company established Yamata Transmitting Station (now
KDDI Yamata Transmitting Station) (Ibaraki Prefecture) as a transmitting
station exclusively for overseas broadcasting. Even today, it continues to
operate as Japan's only transmitting station for shortwave broadcasting to
overseas audiences.
[image: Yamata Transmitting Station in the early Showa period (now KDDI
Yamata Transmitting Station)]Yamata Transmitting Station in the early Showa
period (now KDDI Yamata Transmitting Station)
Postwar international communications, KDD established

The first half of the 20th century was a time when the storm of war was
spreading all over the world. Wireless communication by shortwave waves was
not at risk of being cut by the enemy, as was the case with undersea
telegraph cables, and became an indispensable means of communication for
moving troops and ships. Each country used radio broadcasts and newspaper
radio information (wireless telegrams sent for the purpose of being
published in newspapers) to directly inform its own people of the state of
the war in both voice and text, in order to boost morale.

On August 15, 1945 (Showa 20), the Emperor's voice was broadcast to the
world from the Ashigara transmitter in Kanagawa Prefecture, announcing the
end of the Pacific War. The shortwave broadcast conveyed the end of the war
to soldiers and Japanese residents in mainland China and southern regions,
as well as Japanese immigrants in South America and elsewhere.

Immediately after the end of the war, most international communications
lines had been cut off, with only a few neutral countries remaining. In
Japan, there was an urgent need to bring international communications
services up to the level of developed Western countries, and in 1953 (Showa
28), Kokusai Denshin Denwa Kabushiki Gaisha (KDD), the predecessor to KDDI,
was established as a private company to operate the international
communications services that had previously been run by government agencies
and other organizations. This was also the year that communications and
broadcasting began to permeate our lives, with the Japan Broadcasting
Corporation and private television stations commencing television
broadcasting.
[image: The signboard of the KDD office at the time of its founding]The
signboard of the International Telegraph and Telephone Company's founding
office located in the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Mamiana,
Tokyo.
Economic growth and increasing demand for international communications

When KDD was first established, it had 58 lines, including 29 telegraph
lines, 18 telephone lines, and 3 photo telegram lines, mainly to North and
South America, Europe, and Asia. As the demand for communications increased
along with the growth of the Japanese economy, KDD expanded its
communication lines and made efforts to make maximum use of its limited
assets, frequencies.

As a result, by the end of fiscal 1963, just 10 years after the company's
launch, the number of shortwave lines had reached 292, and at its peak the
number of telegraph lines was seven times as many and the number of
telephone lines was three times as many as when the company was first
established.
[image: Tokyo International Telephone Office Switchboard Operator (inside
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation Tokyo Toll Office)]Tokyo
International Telephone Office Switchboard Operator (inside Nippon
Telegraph and Telephone Corporation Tokyo Toll Office)
[image: A wired switchboard for shortwave international telephone lines
manufactured in 1957]An international telephone switchboard manufactured in
1957

In 1950, the international telex service, which combined typewriters and
telegraphs, began between Europe and America. What you type into a telex
terminal is printed out by a printer on the other end of the line; it's
like the precursor to fax.
[image: Telex terminal]Telex terminal

KDD started an international telex service using shortwave between Japan
and the United States in 1956 (Showa 31). International telex is a two-way
service that allows users to communicate directly with each other, and was
widely used by trading companies and banks during the period of high
economic growth. The number of calls handled reached approximately 540,000
in fiscal year 1961 (Showa 36), and it grew into a major service in
international communications.

After that, shortwave radio waves, which had previously been the main mode
of communication in Japan, began to take over from the 1960s onwards, with
satellite communications and optical undersea cables taking over.
Japan's first international phone call cost 100 yen for 3 minutes! That's
one month's salary at the time!

We spoke to international communications researcher Tetsuya Ohno at the
KDDI MUSEUM about some simple questions about shortwave and international
telephone calls.
[image: Tetsuya Ohno, a researcher in international communications]Tetsuya
Ohno, a researcher in international communications

-- International telephone calls were first made in Japan in 1934 (Showa
9). What were the prices and usage patterns at the time?

"International calls cost 100 yen for three minutes. At that time, 100 yen
was equivalent to roughly one month's average household income. Because
international calls were so expensive, they were rarely used by
individuals, and users were limited to media outlets and securities
companies Companies also rarely used international calls on a daily basis,
and it seems they were used as a supplement to telegrams, for example, when
they needed to be contacted by the end of the day because it was urgent.

International calls were handled nine hours a day, from 7 am to 4 pm The
international telephone operator would measure the actual duration of the
conversation using a built-in billing meter and then manually tally up the
data to calculate the charge. It seems that only a very small number of
people made international calls, but the use of shortwave radio was the
first prototype of international calls."

--What kind of communication was carried out using shortwave radio at that
time?

"In the case of shortwave communication, radio broadcasting became more
common than international phone calls. Specifically, messages were sent
using NHK's overseas radio broadcasts. At the time, there were two types of
shortwave broadcasts: 'overseas broadcasting' and 'international
broadcasting. ' 'Overseas broadcasting' was intended to thank Japanese
people living overseas, promote Japan to foreigners, and introduce culture,
and was broadcast directly from Japanese broadcasting stations to foreign
countries.

The other type of "international broadcasting" was relay broadcasting
conducted by the two countries' broadcasting stations in cooperation.
Relaying the Olympics or concerts is "international broadcasting," so it
cannot be realized without the cooperation of both countries, just like
international telegrams and international phone calls. In that respect,
"overseas broadcasting" can be sent directly to the receiver (radio) of the
other country, so it has the advantage that it can be transmitted even if
diplomatic relations are severe.
[image: Tetsuya Ohno, a researcher in international communications]

NHK's "Overseas Broadcasting" began in 1935 (Showa 10) from the Nazaki
transmitting station in Ibaraki Prefecture, relaying domestic broadcast
programs to overseas audiences. It was particularly well received by
Japanese people living abroad, and caused a stir in many countries. Then,
in 1940 (Showa 15), the "Yamata Transmitting Station (now KDDI Yamata
Transmitting Station)" was established as a shortwave transmitting station
exclusively for overseas broadcasting, and continues to transmit shortwave
broadcasts to the world today.
KDDI Yamata Transmitter, Japan's only shortwave broadcasting station for
overseas audiences

The Yamata Transmitter Station, which opened in 1940 (Showa 15), is now
called the "KDDI Yamata Transmitter Station" and is the only station in
Japan that transmits shortwave broadcasts to overseas audiences.
[image: KDDI Yamata Transmitting Station]

In the vast site of about 1 million square meters (22 Tokyo Domes) in Koga
City, Ibaraki Prefecture, dozens of red and white steel towers are lined
up, transmitting shortwave radio broadcasts (NHK World Radio Japan) to all
over the world, from Brazil on the other side of Japan to Showa Station in
Antarctica. We spoke with Takashi Horie, manager of KDDI Yamata
Transmitting Station, about the significance of continuing to transmit
shortwave broadcasts to all over the world even now, more than 80 years
after its establishment .
[image: Takashi Horie, Manager of Yamata Transmitting Station, Technology
Headquarters, KDDI]Takashi Horie, Manager of Yamata Transmitting Station,
Technology Headquarters, KDDI

--What kind of broadcasts has the KDDI Yamata Transmitter Station delivered
to overseas audiences up until now?

"The Yamata Transmitting Station, which opened in 1940, continued to
transmit shortwave broadcasts to overseas audiences without sustaining any
major damage even during the war. Until around 2008, the station would
sometimes extend the time to broadcast events such as high school baseball
games, the Red and White Song Battle, and the Peace Memorial Ceremony to
the world, and it was apparently very popular in countries with large
Japanese populations, such as Brazil.
[image: A photo of the Yamata Transmitting Station in the early Showa
period]On the left is a female technician who worked there during the war,
and on the right is the Yamata Transmitter Station in the early Showa
period, 1944 (Showa 19).

Unlike satellite broadcasting and the Internet, shortwave broadcasting does
not require large-scale facilities such as communications satellites or
undersea cables. A major advantage is that any listener can receive
information overseas as long as they have a shortwave radio that can
receive the signals. telephones and the Internet are widespread around the
world, there is a possibility that communications may be cut off in times
of emergency, such as large-scale natural disasters or political unrest.
Even in such cases, by transmitting information via shortwave, it is
possible to convey accurate information to the world."

--Have you ever had an experience where shortwave broadcasting was useful
in an emergency?

During the Gulf War in 1990, communications in the area were cut off, so
Japanese nationals remaining in the area were unable to accurate
information. As a result, emergency broadcasts were sent out to Japanese
nationals remaining in the area. For those in the area, shortwave
broadcasts were the only source of information coming from Japan.

In 2001, following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States,
emergency broadcasts were sent out to strengthen information dissemination
to the Middle East and Central Asia.

In addition, when a military coup took place in Thailand in 2014,
television broadcasting was cut off in the country, so NHK World Radio
Japan broadcast a special 24-hour transmission to Thailand to provide
information on the situation there.
[image: Image of shortwave broadcasting in an emergency]Shortwave
broadcasting does not require relay stations and can transmit information
even in emergencies.

"Even if there is a large-scale disaster, civil unrest, or war, as long as
the Yamata Transmitter Station exists, information can be sent by shortwave
broadcast. That is why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is announcing that
people traveling abroad should carry a shortwave radio."

--On the other hand, shortwave radio is showing a downward trend worldwide.
[image: Takashi Horie, Manager of Yamata Transmitting Station, Technology
Headquarters, KDDI]

"For international communications, we can use high-capacity optical
undersea cables or communications satellites, so shortwave is very
inefficient from an economic standing. However, if shortwave broadcasting
were to disappear, we might not be able to send information from Japan to
the rest of the world in an emergency. We consider shortwave broadcasting
to be in the national interest. Although shortwave broadcasting is not
often listened to to in everyday life, it plays a major role in Japan's
crisis management."
[image: "KDDI Yamata Transmitting Station"]

More than 80 years have passed since its establishment, and the KDDI Yamata
Transmitting Station continues to transmit information from Japan to the
world without interruption. Wireless communication has played an important
role in international communication since the early 20th century. Then,
since the 1960s, international communication has entered an era of dramatic
evolution, with satellite communication and optical undersea cables taking
the lead.
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Tetsuya Ohno

Born in Tokyo in 1956. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Rikkyo
University and completed a Master's course at the Graduate School of
Cultural Studies at the Open University of Japan. PhD (Communication
Studies/Tokyo Keizai University). Joined International Telegraph and
Telephone Corporation (KDD) in 1980. After retiring, he has worked as a
part-time lecturer at the Open University of Japan, among other positions.
His publications include "The Century of Communications: A 150-Year History
of Information Technology and National Strategy" (Shinchosha) and "Meiji
Japan as Seen in the History of International Communications" (Seibunsha).
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