In the previous article, we concluded that the Java Ring might not be starting up properly due to degradation of its internal battery.

This time, however, things took an unexpected turn. The efforts to revive this Java Ring were featured on Knight Scoop, a program by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation.

The 30-Year-Old Computer Ring#

According to the program description:

Reviving the legendary Java Ring, a computer ring from 30 years ago

This is incredible. I never imagined that this would be featured on a terrestrial TV show.

In this series, I have acquired the Java Ring, searched for documentation, dug up old development environments, run iB-IDE, read logs of 1-Wire API, and chased after CRC errors and POR errors. The work has been quite (though not overly) mundane. It involves dealing with an outdated execution environment and hardware, gradually peeling away the reasons why it doesn't function.

However, there is a strange strength to the Java Ring itself. The fervour of Java in the 1990s, expectations for wearable computers, the implementation as an iButton, and the visionary idea of carrying a computer on your finger. Although technically outdated, it still has a compelling story even today.

Broadcast Schedule#

Here is the broadcast schedule (I only learned about this recently):

• Program: Knight Scoop (Asahi Broadcasting Corporation)
• Broadcast (Kansai): 10 July 2026 (Friday) at 23:17
• Broadcast (Kanto): 12 July 2026 (Sunday) at 17:00 (TOKYO MX)

After the Kansai broadcast ends, it will also be available on TVer for about a week. Please check there as well.

I live in Ibaraki Prefecture and am disappointed that I won't get to see it first, but I look forward to reading everyone's thoughts on Twitter.

Why Relying on TV#

This series was not originally started with the intention of appearing on television. It was simply about trying to make this historically interesting hardware work as much as possible.

That said, being a software person, terms like EEPROM, CRC, and POR errors do not immediately resonate with me, and I certainly would not feel comfortable physically opening up devices to replace batteries (though if it meant the device would never work again, I might).

Therefore, relying on "Knight Scoop," which has various connections and technical expertise gained through solving other cases, felt like grasping at a single strand of spider silk. I decided to send in an official request form right after buying "fromage katsu" (fried chicken patty with cheese) from Lawson late one night.

From there, many things happened, leading up to this scheduled broadcast.

A Brief Intermission#

At the point of the previous article, I had written that I would consider how to proceed with battery replacement. Technically speaking, that is indeed where the challenge lies.

However, before that, the Java Ring will be featured on television. The efforts to preserve software execution environments and run old hardware usually take place in very small spaces. It's quite surreal for these small endeavours to unexpectedly come out into the open.

Lastly, I would like to sincerely thank Yuichi Sakuraba (X: @skrb), whom I greatly admire. The influence of his writings and insights on the history and fascination of Java technology has been significant.

Conclusion#

What did you think?

In this article, we discussed how efforts to revive the Java Ring will be featured on Knight Scoop. The broadcast schedule is 10 July 2026 (Friday) at 23:17 (don't forget to mark it down). For those in Tokyo, it will also air on TOKYO MX on 12 July 2026 (Sunday) at 17:00.

Next time, if there is anything I can write after the broadcast, I would love to do so.

Until then.

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