Toyohiro Akiyama dies at 84: Japan’s first person in space was a journalist who live-reported from Mir and observed six tree frogs in zero gravity

Toyohiro Akiyama, the former Japanese TV journalist who made history as the first Japanese person, the first civilian and the first journalist to fly into orbit, has died at 84. Akiyama died on August 26, 2026, at his home in Odai, Mie Prefecture. Japanese media reported his death from lower gastrointestinal bleeding on September 1, citing relatives' statements.

But Akiyama's story was far more unusual than simply becoming Japan's first person in space. He was not a career astronaut, scientist or engineer. He was a television reporter who was selected by his employer, Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), for an extraordinary commercial space project that sent him aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft to the Mir space station in 1990.

From journalist to Japan's first person in space

Born in Tokyo in 1942, Akiyama joined TBS in 1966 after graduating from university. Over the following decades, he became a war correspondent and foreign news reporter, covering politics and international affairs and eventually becoming head of the broadcaster's Washington bureau.

His path to space began with an ambitious TBS project linked to the broadcaster's 40th anniversary. The company entered into a commercial agreement with the Soviet space authorities to send a Japanese journalist aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.

More than 150 journalists reportedly competed for the opportunity. Akiyama eventually emerged as the company's choice, alongside Ryoko Kikuchi, who was selected as a backup candidate. He then underwent intensive training in Japan and the Soviet Union before being assigned to the main crew with cosmonauts Viktor Afanasyev and Musa Manarov.

December 2, 1990: A journalist blasts off for Mir

On December 2, 1990, Akiyama lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TM-11. Two days later, the spacecraft docked with the Mir space station, placing Akiyama in orbit and making him the first Japanese citizen to travel into space.

He was not simply a passenger. During his stay aboard Mir, he conducted experiments, including observations of Japanese tree frogs in zero gravity, while also documenting everyday life in orbit for TBS viewers.

His broadcasts gave audiences an unusually direct look at spaceflight. He reported on the experiments, food, sleeping arrangements and life aboard the station, while also preparing video lessons for schoolchildren.

His first words during a live broadcast became particularly memorable: “Am I on air?”

His blunt reports from orbit

Akiyama’s broadcasts were candid and sometimes humorous. He described Japan’s surrounding waters as “very muddy” and joked about the six Japanese tree frogs aboard Mir. His unusual reporting style led The New York Times to dub him “the space antihero” at the time. He later apologized for his pessimism and delighted viewers with footage of Mount Fuji and colorful observations of Japan’s landscape.

He spent less than eight days in space

Akiyama returned to Earth on December 10, 1990, aboard a Soyuz spacecraft after spending 7 days, 21 hours and 54 minutes in space. The mission had made him a pioneer in both spaceflight and journalism. He had shown that space could become a destination not only for government-trained astronauts but also for civilians whose work could be carried into orbit.

More than a decade later, American businessman Dennis Tito would become widely known as the world's first space tourist after paying for a trip to the International Space Station in 2001. Akiyama's 1990 mission, however, had already demonstrated the possibility of commercially sponsored civilian spaceflight.

The journalist who became a farmer

Space did not end Akiyama's search for a different life. After returning to TBS, he eventually left the broadcaster in 1995. The following year, he moved to Fukushima and began working in organic agriculture, including rice and mushroom farming.

The experience of seeing Earth from orbit had changed the way he thought about humanity, food and agriculture. His career took another unexpected turn when the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear accident forced him to abandon his farm.

He later moved to Kyoto and taught agriculture at what was then the Kyoto University of Art and Design, now Kyoto University of the Arts, according to the Japan Times.