Toyohiro Akiyama, the first Japanese person to travel to space and a television reporter known for his unvarnished commentary during his mission, died on August 26 at his home in Odoi, Japan. He was 84. According to his wife, Reiko, the cause of death was lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
In 1990, Akiyama made history when he was sent by Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) on a commercial mission to the Soviet Mir space station, accompanied by two Soviet cosmonauts. The $35 million mission, with about half the cost paid directly to the Soviet Union, marked the first time a journalist entered space. Akiyama, then 48, became the centerpiece of a live-broadcast event watched by millions in Japan.
Despite expectations that he would return as a national hero, Akiyama’s eight-day stay aboard Mir was marked by discomfort and frequent nausea, which he openly described on air. His reports focused on mundane details such as headaches, unappetizing meals, and the complicated routines of life in microgravity, rather than grand philosophical reflections. A heavy smoker, he often expressed a longing for cigarettes and traditional Japanese foods like natto.
Although the mission initially boosted television ratings, viewership quickly declined, and the broadcast failed to generate the lasting excitement anticipated by TBS. Compounding the mixed public response was some resentment toward Akiyama, viewed by some as less qualified than professional astronauts such as Mamoru Mohri, who had trained with NASA but had their own missions delayed. Akiyama’s plainspoken style and self-described role as an information conduit rather than a heroic figure earned him the nickname “space antihero.”
Born in Tokyo in 1942, Akiyama was the youngest of three children. After graduating from International Christian University in Tokyo in 1966, he joined TBS and worked in various capacities, including a notable stint as Washington bureau chief. He secured a high-profile interview with President Ronald Reagan in 1985, demonstrating his competitive edge and live broadcasting skills.
Selected from more than 100 applicants by TBS for its 40th-anniversary project, Akiyama underwent about a year of astronaut training in Russia, conducted entirely in Russian. His training was rigorous and demanding, requiring adaptation to unfamiliar technical material and language barriers. The original alternate candidate, Ryoko Kikuchi, was sidelined due to emergency surgery shortly before the launch.
On December 2, 1990, Akiyama departed Earth aboard the Soyuz TM-11 spacecraft adorned with TBS and Japanese corporate logos. From orbit, he described Japan’s seas as polluted and its land covered in moss, except for Hokkaido. Among the experiments he supervised was one involving Japanese tree frogs in zero gravity. He candidly noted physical challenges on the station, including a sensation of his brain “floating” and insufficient clothing supplies.
After his spaceflight, Akiyama left journalism and pursued organic farming, later teaching agriculture and ethics at Kyoto University of the Arts. Reflecting on his experience in a 2021 interview, he remarked on the profound beauty of Earth seen from space and its impact on his outlook on life.
Akiyama is survived by his wife, whom he married in 1999, three children, and a granddaughter. He had maintained that his journey was not about personal glory but was instead a unique opportunity to provide insights into life beyond Earth.