This is a follow-up to Ken's email.
If I recall correctly, this is the schedule of Japanese-language programs in our area:
Mon - Thu, Ch. 18, KSCI:
6:30 - 7:30 am, "News Express" (Fuji TV; with English subtitles)
7:30 - 7:50 am, NHK Drama currently showing "Wakaba"; (with English subtitles)
7:50 - 8:00 am, "3-pun Cooking" ("3-minute Cooking"; with English subtitles)
Fri only, Ch. 18, KSCI:
6:30 - 7:30 am, "News Express" (Fuji TV; with English subtitles)
7:30 - 7:50 am, UTB Local Morning News (with English subtitles)
7:50 - 8:00 am, "3-pun Cooking" ("3-minute Cooking"; with English subtitles)
8:00 - 8:30 am, "Chibi Maruko-chan", animation (no subtitles)
8:30 - 9:00 am, "Ponkikki", children's show (no subtitles)
Saturday Line-Up on Ch. 18, KSCI: 7:00 pm - 12:00 am
7:00 - 7:30 pm, "JATV", a LA-Based Weekly News (with English subtitles, 30 minutes) http://www.jatv.net/
8:00 - 9:00 pm, "Docchi no Ryouri Show" (with English subtitles, cooking competition)
9:00 - 10:00 pm NHK Taiga Drama (with English subtitles; long-running (usually runs about a year), "historically-based" drama; beautiful kimonos and period costumes)
10:00 - 11:00 pm, Drama, "Nodame Kanta-bire", (a new comedy-drama; episode 3 will air next weekend - 11/11, no subtitles)
11:00 - 11:30 pm, "Ainori" (a type of "reality" dating program; no subtitles)
Also on Saturdays, KXLA, Ch. 44:
7:00 - 8:00 pm: "Houdou Tokushuu", a "60-Minutes"-type of news program from Japan (no subtitles)
Sunday Line-Up on Ch. 18, KSCI TV:
6:30 - 7:25 pm: "Trivia No Izumi" ("The Fountain of Trivia", a game-show style program; no subtitles)
5 minutes or so: "TabiJin" (showcases a different area of Japan every week; no subtitles)
7:30 - 8:30 pm?: Drama, currently showing "Dr. Koto Shinryoujo 2006" ("Dr. Koto's Clinic 2006"; no subtitles)
8:30 - 9:00 pm: Infomercial (in Japanese with English subtitles and/or in English with Japanese subtitles)
9:00 - 10:00 pm: Drama, currently showing "Bengoshi no Kuzu" (with English subtitles)
10:00 - 10:30 pm?: Harvest Time (a Christian program from Japan, with English subtitles)
Also on Sundays, KXLA Ch. 44:
6:30 - 6:45 pm: "The Buddhist Way of Life" (English-language programming)
6:45 - 7:00 pm: "Seimei no Hikari" ("Light of Life", Christian programming, with English subtitles)
7:00 - 8:00 pm: Drama, currently showing "Rondo", a Korean-Japanese drama (with English subtitles)
Here are some TV station websites:
UTB, Ch. 18: http://www.utbhollywood.com/schedule.htm
Fuji-Sankei TV (shown on Ch. 18): http://www.fujisankei.com/en/home.html
Magic Bell Communications, Ch. 44: http://magicbell.tv/
I could be wrong about the scheduling, so please check with your local TV guide or one of the free Japanese magazines/newspapers for details. eg., "Lighthouse" and "Sushi & Sake" magazines list local Japanese-language TV programming.
Lily