With less than 1,000 days to go until the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic & Paralympic Games and Japan attracting global attention, the national public broadcasting network NHK will showcase popular Japanese artists in an effort to introduce the nation's music culture to a wider audience.

The network's international channel NHK WORLD TV will broadcast a two-day music program entitled NHK WORLD presents SONGS OF TOKYO on Jan. 1 and 2, featuring artists of all genres including X JAPAN, <a href="/music/Cornelius">Cornelius</a>, Joe Hisaishi, <a href="/music/Sekai-No-Owari">Sekai No Owari</a> (End of the World), <a href="/music/MIYAVI">MIYAVI</a>, <a href="/music/Kyary-Pamyu-Pamyu">Kyary Pamyu Pamyu</a> and <a href="/music/Kanjani-8">Kanjani Eight</a>.

One of the highlights of this program will be the first-ever performance by the members selected from <a href="/music/AKB48">AKB48</a> and its international sister groups -- Jakarta's JKT48, Bangkok's BNK48 and Taipei's TPE48 -- as well as the domestic sister groups based in cities around the country.

The girls will perform special versions of AKB48 hits that are also popular throughout Asia -- "Aitakatta," "Heavy Rotation," "365nichi no Kamihikouki" and "Koisuru Fortune Cookie" -- featuring languages from the members' respective countries.

The program was filmed before a live audience at NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo. The performance will be broadcast internationally in four parts Jan. 1 and 2, and also on the general domestic channel Jan. 8.