へ is a particle used when describing a place that someone or something is ‘moving toward’, or ‘in contact with’. In many cases, the particles
に and
へ are interchangeable, but there is a slight difference in meaning.
へ focuses more on the distance/effort required to get between (A) and (B), while
に focuses more on the connection between (A) and (B).
へ always comes after the noun signifying the destination.
In these examples, while they may seem the same at first glance,
へ shows that there is a space between (A) and (B), while
に puts the emphasis solely on the destination. This is why common expressions such as ‘city/country name
へようこそ’ sound very polite. It is like saying ‘Welcome, and we acknowledge your journey/effort to get here’.
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大阪(おおさか)へようこそ!
Welcome to Osaka!
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BPRニュースへようこそ。
Welcome to BPR News.
In the TV-show example, this commonly means ‘thank you for your effort to watch this particular show, out of all the ones you could have chosen’.