Trailblazing Japanese astronauts inspire kids to reach for stars

The Mainichi

3 days ago

KAMAKURA, Kanagawa (Kyodo) -- When Chiaki Mukai and Naoko Yamazaki, the only Japanese women to have traveled to space, first aspired to become astronauts, their goal seemed like an improbable dream.
At the time, no Japanese had been to space. But the two were determined to blaze a trail for a younger generation, driven by an affection for space and a desire to see Earth from orbit.
The National Space Development Agency of Japan, predecessor of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, selected the first group of Japanese astronauts including Mukai in 1985, and those pioneers inspired Yamazaki.
Now, the two women are encouraging children to find their passion and take a bold step forward at a time when advanced technologies like artificial intelligence are rapidly changing the job market.
"Once you find your passion, you need to believe in yourself and keep taking on challenges," Mukai, who became the first female Asian astronaut to go to space when she rode the Space Shuttle in 1994 and 1998, said at an exchange event open to the public at a girls' school near Tokyo.
"Even if you don't have confidence, just try it. Confidence will eventually follow as you overcome failures," added Yamazaki. She and Soichi Noguchi became the first two Japanese astronauts in orbit together during a mission to the International Space Station in 2010.
Kitakamakura Girls' School in Kanagawa Prefecture invited Mukai, 73, and Yamazaki, 54, to speak in June, to encourage children, especially young women, to expand their horizons while taking leadership roles in society, including the field of space exploration.
Women have historically remained underrepresented in prominent space work and comprised only about 11 percent of the total astronauts worldwide, according to a recent report by the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs.
Gender inequality is a long-standing issue in education and careers, in particular in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the report points out.
Women face significant barriers in Japan. The World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report ranks Japan 118th out of 148 countries, unchanged from 2024 and the lowest rank in the Group of Seven countries.
The two pioneering women emphasized that being an astronaut is a gender-neutral occupation, and women are physically and mentally as capable as men in carrying out space missions.
"I think it is just an individual trait like age, nationality and cultural background," Yamazaki said in an interview before the event, underscoring the fact that she had undergone training missions with men before going to space.
An aerospace engineer, Yamazaki used the ISS's robotic arm to transfer cargo from the Space Shuttle Discovery to the ISS in 2010. She spoke about the diverse expertise of astronauts and the career paths they take.
Mukai, a doctor who conducted various life science and space medicine experiments during her missions, said her medical background helped her assess how the human body adapts to new environments. She thinks this will help determine the kinds of technology needed for sending humans back to the Moon and eventually to Mars.
Several hundred children attended the event, many peppering Mukai and Yamazaki with questions. Karin Hata, a 13-year-old girl from Yokohama, said, "The most memorable lesson I learned was the importance of challenging myself."
"I was delighted to see so many children raise their hands," said Ichiro Fujisaki, chancellor of the school and former Japanese ambassador to the United States.
When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump met in February, they agreed to "continue their strong partnership in civil space and on aeronautics, science, and human exploration," including lunar surface exploration on future Artemis missions.
Amid a renewed space race between the United States and China, Washington wants to beat Beijing in getting to the Moon and sending the first human to Mars.
Two Japanese astronauts are expected to land on the Moon under the U.S.-led Artemis program, which would be the first crewed Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, but NASA also faces the challenge of a $6 billion budget cut proposed by the Trump administration, which aims to streamline lower priority and unaffordable missions.
(By Takaki Tominaga)