This year and next year are milestone years for ham radio operators in Japan. The Japan Amateur Radio League marks its 100th anniversary this month. The issuing of the callsign JXAX to Japan's first licensed amateur radio station marks its own centennial next year. In September of 1927, JXAX went on the air as an experimental shortwave radio telegraph and telephone station.
Now hams are setting aside the next 16 months to mark both moments in history. A full range of commemorative activities are planned from this month through to the 30th of September 2027. Operating events, awards and both the 2026 and 2027 Tokyo Ham Fairs, the world's largest ham radio event, are part of the plans, along with a commemorative publication and an opening ceremony.
So turn your attention, and maybe your antennas, toward Japan. Things are about to start happening.
