All Japanese astronauts have participated in various missions on American and Russian spacecraft.
The first Japanese cosmonaut was Toichiro Akiyama, who made a space flight on the Russian Soyuz TM-11
spacecraft in December 1990.
The following Japanese astronauts flew on American shuttles, and then again on Soyuz. Japan is participating
in the International Space Station project.
Koichi Wakata has completed five space flights, more than any other astronaut from any country except
Russia and the United States. Two Japanese astronauts have completed three space flights each, and
four have completed two space flights each. Chiaki Naito-Mukai was the first Japanese astronaut to complete
two space flights. Koichi Wakata was the first Japanese astronaut to complete three, four, and five space flights.
The longest space flight (199 days 17 hours 44 minutes) among Japanese astronauts was made by
Akihiko Hoshide. The longest total time of all space flights among Japanese astronauts is Koichi Wakata - 504
days 18 hours 33 minutes (12114 hours 33 minutes) - this is the longest time among astronauts of all countries
except Russia and the USA.
Takao Doi became the first Japanese astronaut to perform a spacewalk. Only five Japanese
astronauts have performed spacewalks in American spacesuits. Two Japanese astronauts have performed four
spacewalks each.
There are two women among the Japanese astronauts: Chiaki Naito-Mukai and Naoko Yamazaki.
Among the Japanese astronauts are two space tourists: Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano. Yozo Hirano paid
for the flight on the Russian spacecraft Soyu MS-20.
A total of fourteen Japanese astronauts have participated in 14 space flights: 9 of them on
Russian Soyuz spacecraft, 12 on American shuttles, and 4 on the commercial Dragon spacecraft.
List of Japanese astronauts, their flights, participation in missions
on the International Space Station (ISS), spacewalks, and other details.
(Toyohiro Akiyama)
(Mamoru Mohri)
(Koichi Wakata)
(Takao Doi)
(Soichi Noguchi)
(Akihiko Hoshide)
(Naoko Yamazaki)
(Satoshi Furukawa)
(Kimiya Yui)
(Takuya Onishi)
(Norishigi Kanai)
(Yusaku Maezawa)
(Yozo Hirano)
