Toyohiro Akiyama, first Japanese citizen and journalist in space, dies at 84

Japan's first citizen and the world's first journalist to launch into space, Toyohiro Akiyama died Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026 at the age of 84. The first Japanese citizen to launch into space, Toyohiro Akiyama was also the first commercially sponsored cosmonaut and the world’s first journalist to file reports while on a spaceflight. Akiyama, 84, died last Wednesday , August 26, of lower gastrointestinal bleeding, news agencies in Japan reported [1].

Sources

1. arstechnica.com · Toyohiro Akiyama, first Japanese citizen and journalist in space, dies at 84 Sep 2, 2026

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