ABOUT

What do the Sora Tourism® founding members think of the relationships between space and themselves, space and society, and space and Earth?

I wonder if you, like me, have ever found yourself looking up at the night sky at a time of difficulty or sadness? I have often found solace in the night sky. However, I have equally often found great joy gazing up at a star-filled night sky together with my family or new acquaintances. There’s nothing like a wonderful starry sky when you’re by yourself examining your future and your past, or when you’re sharing a moment of empathy with a large group of people.

This is astro-tourism, an extraordinary opportunity to know yourself and others more deeply. Together, let’s be a part of this wonderful experience as a bigger community!

3.8 billion years ago, life began. It left the ocean floor, crawled onto land and even took to the skies. The instincts motivating it to do so are surely inherent in our human DNA, too, compelling us to leave the Earth and voyage into space. The day when any of us can do this draws closer. Look up to the sky, to space, to the universe, and believe in the future!

Sora Tourism® exists to increase access to all things space-related; from study tours to hands-on learning, and ultimately to space itself. At high schools and universities around Japan, we have already established teams taking the steps to make this dream a reality. Going forwards, we are seeking ways to inform and involve the wider community too, by exhibiting our students’ projects and the results of our joint experiments.

We are all children of the Universe. You could even say the stars are our siblings. When I went to space I was moved by a sense of nostalgia, as if I were visiting my hometown. In order for more people can get to feel such a proximity with space, I want to work with you all and help coalesce the Sora Tourism® resources around Japan. Looking to the coming age of space travel, I hope we can be a bridge between Earth and extra-terrestrial cultures.