Obituary: Toyohiro Akiyama, Pioneer of Space Journalism
September 1, 2026 — Toyohiro Akiyama, the first Japanese citizen to launch into space, passed away at the age of 84 on August 26, 2026, due to lower gastrointestinal bleeding. His funeral was attended by close relatives, as reported by Japanese news agencies.
As a correspondent for the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), Akiyama achieved remarkable milestones in space exploration and journalism. Selected from 162 applicants to celebrate TBS’s 40th anniversary, he trained at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, and flew aboard the Soyuz TM-11 spacecraft.
On December 2, 1990, Akiyama launched with Russian cosmonauts Viktor Afanasyev and Musa Manarov, atop a Soyuz U2 rocket adorned with the Japanese flag and various corporate sponsors’ logos. After a brief ascent, they docked at the Mir space station, where Akiyama spent a week conducting broadcasts for TBS, sharing his experiences with the world.
Despite initial challenges—experiencing severe space sickness and nicotine withdrawal—Akiyama later expressed more positive sentiments about space. His broadcasts generated significant public interest in Japan initially, although viewership dwindled as the days progressed.
Upon returning to Earth after logging 7 days, 21 hours, and 54 minutes in space, Akiyama shifted his career from journalism to farming, ultimately becoming a professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design until 2023. He published several works reflecting on his unique experiences and the challenges he faced as a farmer post-natural disasters.
Akiyama’s contributions to space exploration were formally recognized with several awards, including the Soviet Order of Friendship of Peoples and the Russian medal “For Merit in Space Exploration.”
He is survived by his two children, Ken and Naoko, from his marriage to Kyoko Akiyama, which ended in divorce in 1995.
