Published: June 1, 1997

A Japanese video production crew will be filming June 10 at the University of Colorado at Boulder Family Housing Children聮s Center for a popular TV show to be broadcast throughout Japan.

The crew will film children聮s activities from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a segment of a 15-minute show shown twice a day, six days a week to Japanese children, called 聯Eigo de Asobo聰 (聯Let聮s Play in English聰). It is the only bilingual (English/Japanese) children聮s program in Japan.

The CU-Boulder segment, 聯Fun with Friends,聰 will be shown on Japan Broadcasting Corp., the nation聮s largest broadcasting company with a network of 52 stations. The show is rated among the top 20 of the country聮s programs for children.

The CU-Boulder segment will show children and teachers in everyday activities with a focus on American culture and lifestyles. Past U.S. segments have been filmed in San Diego and Sacramento, Calif., and on Guam.

Some of the activities of interest to the Japanese production company, Kiroku Productions Inc., are outdoor sandbox play with water, lunch time, cooking, painting and indoor play.

The show aims to introduce Japanese youngsters to the similarities and differences of learning activities in America 聯for further development of a global mind,聰 according to the producer. The company will be filming throughout the United States this summer.

The Family Housing Children聮s Center, directed by Jo Copeland, provides nonprofit child care for staff, faculty and students attending CU-Boulder. The center serves 180 youngsters from 12 months through 6 years. The Japanese crew will film children of preschool age, 3 years to 5 years old.

The center聮s learning program attracted New York-based Sesame Street Parents magazine, circulation 1.27 million, for a feature article with color photographs in the September 1995 issue.