Sesame Street’s characters return to Japanese public broadcaster on 30 March with "Elmo’s Like It Rap", as part of new daily programme, "The Wakey Show". This is the first time in three years that NHK has launched a new daily programme for children. 

The 20-minute edutainment show, “The Wakey Show", targets elementary school children before they head off to school with a mix of games, exercised, dance, music, food, fashion and manga. The main character, Wakey, is a DJ who, along with his puppet friends, delivers bits of fun and music each day. 

The 22x3-mins segment, "Elmo’s Like It Rap", is produced by Sesame Workshop, and will air weekly. The segment features Elmo and Cookie Monster with special appearances by autistic Muppet character Julia. The series “invites children across Japan to share who they are, what they like, and what they’re proud of through the power of rap,” Sesame Workshop says.

“As societal and academic pressures on Japanese children continue to grow, it is increasingly important to foster environments that strengthen emotional health, self-esteem and resilience,” says Manabu Nagaoka, Sesame Street Japan’s VP and GM. 

Masakazu Sato, NHK Educational Corporation’s senior producer for content production development for children, said that “by using rap – a style so popular among kids today – we hope to encourage children to be open about their feelings”.

"Sesame Street" aired on NHK from 1971-2003, with specials added in 2020, and the “We Belong” music video collaboration in 2024.

Update: The original story said The Wakey Show premieres on 2 April. The launch date has been changed to 30 March.