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Author
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Topic: Toyohiro Akiyama, journalist on Mir (1942-2026)
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MSS
Member Posts: 1160
From: Europe
Registered: May 2003
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posted 09-01-2026 12:10 AM
  
Toyohiro Akiyama (あきやま・とよひろ), the first Japanese person to go to space, passed away on August 26 due to lower gastrointestinal bleeding. He was 84 years old. The funeral was held privately with close family members. The chief mourner was his wife, Reiko. Former TBS reporter. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 57030
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-01-2026 12:10 AM
collectSPACE Toyohiro Akiyama, first Japanese citizen and journalist in space, dies at 84The first Japanese citizen to launch into space, Toyohiro Akiyma was also the first commercially-sponsored cosmonaut and the world's first journalist to file reports while on a spaceflight. Akiyama, 84, died on Wednesday (Aug. 26) of lower gastrointestinal bleeding, news agencies in Japan reported. A funeral was held with his close relatives in attendance.
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SPACEFACTS
Member Posts: 432
From: Germany
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted 09-01-2026 12:46 AM
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Marwin2
Member Posts: 207
From:
Registered: Oct 2006
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posted 09-01-2026 03:27 AM
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East-Frisian
Member Posts: 706
From: Germany
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 09-01-2026 03:42 AM
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GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 3328
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 09-01-2026 05:13 AM
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MartinAir
Member Posts: 528
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 09-01-2026 06:33 AM
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Delta7
Member Posts: 1809
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 09-01-2026 07:28 AM
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Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 1293
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 09-01-2026 10:13 AM
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SkyMan1958
Member Posts: 1460
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 09-01-2026 11:46 AM
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dom
Member Posts: 1154
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 09-01-2026 11:58 AM
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SpaceCadet1983
Member Posts: 592
From: Pacific NW, United States
Registered: May 2012
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posted 09-01-2026 06:03 PM
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Grounded!
Member Posts: 592
From: Bennington, Vermont, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 09-01-2026 06:41 PM
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issman1
Member Posts: 1241
From: UK
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 09-01-2026 06:50 PM
I vividly remember Akiyama's flight, which launched the same morning as NASA's STS-35 space shuttle mission.There seemed to be resentment by some western mainstream media that a Japanese newsman got the accolade, though one got the impression he was never that keen. |
Lewis007
Member Posts: 199
From: Geldermalsen, the Netherlands
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 09-01-2026 11:53 PM
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Marwin2
Member Posts: 207
From:
Registered: Oct 2006
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posted 09-02-2026 01:47 AM
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bthumble
Member Posts: 342
From: Houston, Texas
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 09-02-2026 10:11 AM
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Tom
Member Posts: 1812
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 09-02-2026 02:26 PM
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dss65
Member Posts: 1440
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 09-02-2026 05:39 PM
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astrobock
Member Posts: 279
From: WV, USA
Registered: Sep 2006
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posted 09-02-2026 06:13 PM
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Kite
Member Posts: 1238
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 09-03-2026 11:43 AM
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Neil DC
Member Posts: 219
From: Middletown, NJ, USA
Registered: May 2010
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posted 09-03-2026 01:28 PM
Sad news of his passing. Met him a couple of times at ASE events. Always looked rather serious, but must have been a respected reporter to beat his many colleagues to be the TBS candidate. Also giving up chain smoking and alcohol to pass the training and exams. He did receive unfair press from outside Japan for being the first journalist and Japanese astronaut. Even NASDA/JAXA did not give him proper credit for many years, as he was not governmentally selected. Then from journalist to Fukushima Shiitake mushroom farmer, to Kyoto University agriculture professor. A full life. RIP |
Philip
Member Posts: 6431
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 09-04-2026 08:10 AM
RIP. I wrote an article on the Soyuz TM-11 mission and on its 10th anniversary as Japan scooped the super powers and other countries bringing the first journalist into space. An experiment with Japanese rain frogs tried to see how these amphibians used their suction pads feet in zero gravity. As far as I know, he was also the first spacefarer to train with a TUDOR wristwatch! |
mode1charlie
Member Posts: 1547
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 09-04-2026 04:27 PM
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rjb1elec
Member Posts: 461
From: Merseyside, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 09-05-2026 03:40 AM
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