Toyohiro Akiyama, first Japanese citizen to go to space, dies at 84

Toyohiro Akiyama, Japan's inaugural astronaut, has passed away at the age of 84 following gastrointestinal bleeding, according to local media. The veteran television journalist embarked on his journey to the cosmos aboard the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1990, a mission that culminated in a nine-day stay at the Mir space station, during which Akiyama broadcast his experiences and conducted experiments in weightlessness.

This marked Akiyama's historic status as the first Japanese individual to venture beyond Earth's atmosphere. Prior to this, his countryman Mamoru Mohri was earmarked for a space mission aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavor; however, the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster led to a postponement of his plans.

Akiyama's space odyssey came to an end in 1995, five years after his return to Earth, when he decided to leave behind his role at TBS and relocated to Takine, Fukushima Prefecture, to venture into mushroom cultivation. He attributed this new path to his journalistic instincts, aiming to deepen his practical understanding and connection to the land.

"What is the most fundamental human activity?" Akiyama mused to The Japan Times in 2013, "Eating. How do farmers contemplate the crops they cultivate? What significance does rice farming hold in Japan's historical tapestry?"

However, the tragic 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the ensuing Fukushima nuclear disaster compelled him to abandon his farming endeavors and home. He moved around in an attempt to mitigate radiation risks, eventually settling to teach agriculture at Kyoto University of Art and Design (now Kyoto University of the Arts) in November 2011, where he remained until March 2023.

Later in life, Akiyama became a vocal critic of mainstream media, expressing concern that younger generations were relying too heavily on news without cultivating critical thinking skills. "I may sound like I'm contradicting myself," he remarked, acknowledging his 30-year career in media, "but I'm deeply questioning some of the harmful practices we've engaged in, which have stifled people's capacity to think independently."

He emphasized the value of farming as an educational tool, highlighting the sensory learning it offers and its potential to "re-wire" students' minds.