In December 1990, Toyohiro Akiyama, a Japanese journalist known for his chain-smoking habit, embarked on a pioneering yet challenging journey into low-Earth orbit. As a correspondent for Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), Akiyama’s week-long mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz TM-11 to the Mir space station was marked by discomfort and dissatisfaction, eventually earning him the label of “space anti-hero” by New York Times journalist David E. Sanger.
Nearly two years later, in September 1992, another milestone was achieved when Mamoru Mohri became the first Japanese career astronaut to travel into space. Flying on NASA’s 50th Space Shuttle mission aboard the Endeavour, Mohri spent almost eight days orbiting Earth in a weightless environment. His scientific background allowed him to both understand and marvel at the phenomena surrounding him, as he described in a NASA interview. Mohri would later return to space in 2000 for a second mission on the Endeavour.
From Journalism to Space: The Story of Toyohiro Akiyama
Akiyama’s journey into orbit came as part of an ambitious effort by TBS. Seeking a boost in television ratings, the broadcaster reportedly paid the Soviet Union approximately $12 million to secure a seat for one of its journalists on the Soyuz TM-11 mission. The competition was fierce, with around 160 reporters vying for the opportunity to broadcast daily updates from space, aimed at captivating Japanese audiences with a firsthand account of life aboard the Mir space station.
Having spent four years as TBS’s Washington correspondent, Akiyama was ultimately chosen for the historic flight. However, unlike Mohri’s later experiences, Akiyama found the realities of space travel far from glamorous. His week in orbit was fraught with discomfort and dissatisfaction, contrasting sharply with the excitement such a journey might be expected to inspire.
Despite the challenges he faced, Akiyama’s mission remains a significant chapter in Japan’s space exploration history, marking the first time a Japanese national ventured beyond Earth’s atmosphere, even if under different circumstances than those of a professional astronaut. This early venture paved the way for subsequent Japanese astronauts, including Mohri, who would carry the nation’s flag into space with scientific rigor and enthusiasm.