NHK Video

Background
NHK Video is the home video publishing subsidiary of the Japanese broadcaster and media company NHK.

1st Logo (1983)


Logo: We see a gray background fade in. It then changes to white, as multiple copies of the NHKビデオ text in, and , in a large grid appear. The grid shrinks diagonally to the top-left as the colors pass through the moving copies of the logo. The grid stops shrinking after it settles to a 3x3 format. Then the NHKビデオ text in red trails into the center from the above red copy, as the grid fades out. The colors then wipe in from to, and back to.

FX/SFX: Early computer animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Very rare. It was recently spotted on the 1983 VHS tape NHK Masterpiece Album.

2nd Logo (1985-1990)


Logo: Over a black/ gradient background, a apple and a rotating, tilted square are shown spinning. Mirror pieces come out from the sides and form a prism around the items. The text "NHKビデオ" comes out zooming from the top of the screen, with the dot sections of the Japanese text in. Once the whole logo is settled, the prism containing the apple changes into a plain gray triangle design.

Variant: There exists a still version.

FX/SFX: Decent CGI.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic piano theme.

Availability: Uncommon in Japan. Mostly seen on VHS tapes and laserdiscs published by the NHK starting in the mid-'80s.

3rd Logo (1989-1994)
Logo: Just the "NHKビデオ" text fading.

Variants:
 * In the earliest titles with the logo, it was formatted with "NHK" above and "ビデオ" below It was often seen on a blue background. There exists a variant with a logo.
 * Tapes co-released with Pony Canyon in 1990-1992 featured a variant where the background is light blue and the text is in.
 * There exists a version with a white logo on a black background. It's known appearance was on the 1991 VHS NHK Special Ginga Uchu Odyssey.
 * On the 1992 VHS New German Course, the white logo is shown on a 3D square grid background.
 * On the 1994 tape Jin Akiyama's Junior High School Interesting Mathematics, the logo is and seen on a white background.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Mostly none.

Availability: Rare; used in tandem with the previous and next logos. Mostly seen on videotapes during the era.

4th Logo (1990-1996)
Logo: We see a black background. An sphere containing floating particles fades in, with the particles moving upwards with a mirror-like vertical effect shown on the lower half; other darker particles are also shown at the sides. The particles move away as a trail of smoke emerges moving from the left. The smoke reveals an infinity-like symbol that's warped on the right side and tilted a bit on the left. dust appears in the center and the shiny text "NHKビデオ" in a bronze color flips in. The same goes at the bottom as "NHK SOFTWARE,INC." appears.

Variants:
 * There exists two still versions. One features the whole logo and another has just the NHKビデオ text.
 * On a 1994 yoga tape, the variant with the NHKビデオ text is shown on a background.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds:
 * 1990-1992: A shimmering synthesizer is heard at the beginning, with another long, atmospheric lower note heard. Three echoing percussive synth notes are then heard.
 * 1992-1996: Begins with the same synth as before, changing to another note around the middle. An echoing synth pluck arpeggio is heard while the logo reveals.

Music/Sounds Variant: None for the still variants.

Availability: Uncommon. Mostly seen on VHS tapes and laserdiscs published by the NHK during the early-to-mid '90s..

5th Logo (1996-2002)
Logo: Three lights emerge on a black background, and turn into spotlights respectively initially in the colors, and. These move around as the hue of the colors change. The spotlights grow larger until these pan into the center, turning into the NHK "eggs" logo design. The spotlights are seen facing the screen as the light rays move around. The background changes to white, as the logo flashes into the NHK eggs logo, with the text and the rainbow outline. The logo pans up as the rounded "ビデオ" appears below it. Below is also the symbol from the 2nd logo, with the text "NHK SOFTWARE, INC." next to it.

Variants: There exists two still variants, one with the complete logo and another without the NHK Software symbol and text.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A cymbal which brings up an arpeggiating, chiming synthesizer. A note is then heard, with a crystallized sound effect when the spotlights face the screen. It changes to a 3-note dramatic synth theme when the background changes.

Availability: Uncommon in Japan. Seen on VHS tapes from the NHK during the era.

6th Logo (NHK DVD) (1997-2002)


Logo: We see a blue sky with clouds. Three cut-outs of the NHK eggs logo fly in, containing multiple video footages. One includes people crossing the street, another one features a shot of the Egyptian desert and pyramids with two camel riders, and another has a blossoming flower. Then the NHK logo, with a outline, white fill and  text flies in with the black "DVD" tied by several strings shown below the logo. The footage changes to a shot of the ocean,a shot of plants and trees and multiple black ducks passing by. The logo flies to the center while the background turns white, a shadow is also briefly seen behind.

Variant: Another version exists which just has the sky background without the logo cut-outs and footage.

FX/SFX: 2D animation, with live action shots.

Music/Sounds: A 3-note mallet theme, followed by a 3-note flute with the last note extended. None for the variant.

Availability: Uncommon. It was seen on early DVD releases published by the NHK during that era.

7th Logo (2002-2021)
Logo: Over a changing, multicolored background, light rays emerge from the center and pass through. The Japanese characters "ビデオ" appear spinning out as the NHK logo fades in behind the light, along with a line below. The light dims out revealing the logo while the Japanese text and line turn black. The logo zooms in slightly.

Variants:
 * On earlier DVD discs, the Japanese text was swapped with "DVD", spaced out a bit.
 * Beginning in 2004, "教育" was suffixed on both the video and DVD variants.
 * The logo was later remade in HD for Blu-ray releases, with the text "VIDEO" shown below the NHK logo.
 * DVD releases since 2020 feature the enhanced animation above with "VIDEO" swapped with "DVD".
 * A 2002 VHS tape for Tsukutte Wakuwaku 2 features the plain, 2D logo over a white background.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A soft 4-note keyboard theme, with bells jingling.

Availability: Very common in Japan. This is featured in many VHS / DVDs and Blu-rays distributed by the NHK since 2002.

8th Logo (2021-)


Logo: On a white background, a logo consisting of the "NHK" text with an oval reading "VIDEO" below is revealed by a / gradient trail extending to the bottom-right. The trail spins around the screen as it changes colors. It then turns back to its original position, before wiping out while the logo turns.

FX/SFX: Clean 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A held-out synth pad note.

Availability: Current. Seen on new DVDs and Blu-rays published by the NHK since 2021.