Well your description made it sound much like TV from anywhere else really, minor differences but still shit

Japanese tv is unfortunately god-awful.
I'd been led to believe by the internet that it consisted purely of anime and insane gameshows.
I was lied to :-(
Its full of endless "variety" shows that consist of minor celebrities acting surprised about things they watch on tv.
Or acting amazed at how tasty the food in every restaurant looks.
If you take the worst daytime tv from your country, or those variety/panel shows that seem to be popular in finace or spain... and then made it much worse. Thats japanese tv.
Where is all the stuff i was promised on youtube????

Where is all the stuff i was promised on youtube????
On YouTube =)
It's a very sad state of affairs when the highlight of Japanese TV is a noon drama about a transvestite who suddenly finds himself taking care of child -- supposedly the result of a fling he had...
And even that show makes the likes of Eastenders of Neighbours appear to have the production values of Hollywood bluckbuster movies.

She had.

He dude. The guy is a transvestite not someone who's been through a sex-change operation. He is very much a bloke.

OK, your shows in Japan suck.

(Sniff)
My faith is shattered.

how many free channels can you watch in Japan?
here in sydney six (and only one good: sbs. rest of them suck big time)

how many free channels can you watch in Japan?
Depends on where in the country you are and whether you're already switched over to the digital signal. For the area I live in, we have 9 analog channels.

I just read about another Japanese invention, 'Hunting Bra', on a local news site.
Here's the story in English: http://dvice.com/archives/2009/05/marriage-huntin.php
Some additional info from the local news site:
If you put a ring in that special 'ring box' it plays the tune 'The Wedding March'.
The deadline is entered by the women themselves.

Which is kind of surprising considering the current big thing in japan is New Halfs. Which for some reason is what they call transsexuals. I haven't quite worked out WHY transexuals are cool, but there seem to be a large number of shows about how much plastic surgery they've had.
Other than Chibi Maruko Chan every sunday i'm really stuck for things to watch over here... guess thats why most japanese people just rent series of 24 or Prison Break every weekend...

Transvestites are also termed "new halfs", they don't need to go the full way into having surgical procedures. Besides, if the guy was a full blown transexual, the drama simply wouldn't work =)
And as an aside, someone I used to know's mother actually did have a sex change operation. The technology involved in a false penis surprises me.

Should I enquire exactly HOW you gathered this technological information?

S/he kept showing us the pamphlets >_>.

I think that's the point where you, respectfully, go "Please stop shoving these pamphlets in my face. I really don't need to see them." :D
I mean, you know... really... there's only so much I -want- to know about my closest friends. (Chuckle)