Hidden Wonders | Japan's Public Observatories Mark 100 Years of Bringing the Night Sky to the Public

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Summer is stargazing season in Japan, with the Milky Way and the Perseid meteor shower drawing crowds to observation events at science museums and other facilities. 

Many people's interest in astronomy first takes root at these summer viewing sessions, often held at so-called "public observatories"—facilities open to ordinary citizens, as distinct from those reserved for academic researchers. Japan has roughly 300 such observatories, and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the country's first one.

Okayama Origins

Japan's first public observatory was Kurashiki Observatory in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, opened on November 21, 1926, near the city's well-known Bikan historic district. 

It was built with private funds by Sumiji Hara (1878–1968), a businessman who served as a director at what is now Kurabo Industries. Before then, Japan had only government-run observatories, and opportunities for ordinary people to look through a telescope were rare. 

Hara wanted anyone to be able to enjoy observing the stars—a goal that reflected broader calls, amid Japan's modernization, for wider public science education. Okayama's many clear days also made it well suited to stargazing.

The observatory became the base for Minoru Honda (1913–90), a world-renowned amateur astronomer nicknamed the "comet king," who discovered a string of new comets there, including the first comet discovery by a Japanese national in the postwar era. 

For a time after World War II, the site also hosted a satellite office of the Japan Coast Guard's hydrographic survey unit. Today, it still holds public "star-viewing" events roughly once a month, and its 5-meter dome now houses the Sumiji Hara and Minoru Honda Memorial Museum, which is open to visitors.

Kurashiki Observatory's chairman, Hiroyuki Hara, said he wants to thank the generations who kept the private observatory running for a century, and hopes the next hundred years bring more opportunities for children to connect with amateur astronomers and for the general public to look up at the night sky more often.

Bringing Meteor-Watching to the Public

Meteor observation has long rivaled comet-hunting in popularity among stargazers. One key figure in its early development was Kojiro Komaki (1903–69). Known as the "father of Japanese meteor observation," Komaki was born in what is now Tsuyama City, Okayama, and later settled in present-day Aridagawa Town, Wakayama Prefecture, after marrying.

While working as a local schoolteacher, Komaki carried out his own amateur astronomical observations, drawing on research from abroad. 

In 1935, he published Japan's first explanatory book on meteors, based on his findings. He also formed one of the era's rare amateur observation groups; the founding meeting of the Kii Astronomical Association in 1943 drew just four participants. 

The group later expanded nationally and continues today as the Nippon Meteor Society, now the central organization for meteor research in Japan.

Osami Kawaguchi, a curator with the Aridagawa Town board of education who compiled a booklet on Komaki's achievements, said Komaki's book distilled cutting-edge Western research into terms even middle schoolers could understand, making astronomy more accessible. 

In line with the public-observatory philosophy, Komaki also converted part of his own home in Wakayama into the "Komaki Observatory" and held local viewing sessions, helping spread public interest in astronomical research.

Still Reaching for the Stars

Today, the only public observatory remaining in Wakayama Prefecture is Misato Observatory in Kino Town. Sited roughly 400 meters above sea level, away from urban light pollution, it houses a 1.05-meter reflecting telescope—among the largest of any public observatory in Japan—along with projection-mapping displays and planetarium programs for learning about the stars.

Tatsuki Yonezawa, a researcher at the Misato Observatory and a board member of the Japan Association of Public Observatories, said he hopes "more people learn that these facilities exist and feel free to visit them."

Komaki, who devoted years to meteor observation, once wrote in the magazine Tenkai about the joy of observing—even small discoveries have meaning as part of humanity's pursuit of nature's mysteries. He hoped others could share in that simple, pure joy as children of nature.

This August's Perseid meteor shower—a perennial favorite for viewing events—can be seen without a telescope, and moonlight is expected to be less of a factor this year, potentially making for a good showing. It may be a good time to look up at the sky.

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Author: Kazutoshi Koizumi, The Sankei Shimbun

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