Kids are running a popular new radio station in the Suginami Ward of Tokyo that started in April of this year. At 88.0 Megahertz on the FM dial, it is affectionately called Radio Pachi-Pachi (pachi means eight, and pachi-pachi is also the sound of clapping hands). If you're anywhere near the Zenpukuji-Kita Children's Center, you can hear its regular two-hour broadcast from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of every month.

The reason you have to be pretty close is because the station only has a broadcasting range of about 500 meters (1,500 feet)! In order to be heard all over a town, radio stations have to get a special license and obey many laws. But luckily for radio stations like Radio Pachi-Pachi, they can broadcast without any restrictions because they only cover a small area.

The kids make most of the programs themselves, creating regular broadcasts like The Job Scouts. The Job Scouts roam the neighborhood and interview local people about their jobs. The kids write and perform their own dramas, too. The sixth grade girls produced a drama called Scary Experiences, Ups and Downs about their own real-life experiences at school. The kids said, "It was great fun writing the script," and, "We really enjoyed getting right into our parts."

The radio station itself consists of an antenna, a microphone, an amplifier, and a briefcase-sized box called a transmitter. Since the station is portable, it can be set up for any event just about anywhere.

Besides the regular broadcasts, the station sometimes features special broadcasts that bring local people together through the radio. For example, they took the radio station out and broadcast from the sports festival at Momoi Dai-shi Elementary School, where many local kids go.

If you're ever in the area, just tune in and listen for yourself. Or why not start up a radio station of your own?

Photos: (Top) The kids record a radio drama; (Middle) Kids hard at work as radio announcers; (Bottom) Everyone has fun making programs for Radio Pachi-Pachi. (Radio Zenkita Children's Network Office)