[To Japanese Page]

Notes

30 March 2018 (Friday)


I organized together with Dr. Toshihiro Handa of Kagoshima University the Astronomy Education Meeting in Kagoshima. More than 40 participants from more than 10 countries joined the meeting, and at this meeting Japanese high school teachers communicated with astronomy educators from abroad. On the next day of Saturday 31 March, some of us visited JAXA Tanegashima Space Center at Tanegashima Island.

24 (Saturday) - 28 (Wednesday) March 2018


I participated in the CAP2018, Communicating Astronomy with the Public Conference held at Fukuoka City Science Museum, Fukuoka, Japan.

17 (Saturday) - 18 (Sunday) March 2018


Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP), focused on Stories of Tomorrow was held at Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University. Mr. Masashi Maeda of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Mie University, and Mr. Fumito Kubo of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University joined the GTTP session. Rosa Doran and José Saraiva gave us lectures and workshops. I will be the national coordinator of the Stories of Tomorrow in Japan.

16 March 2018 (Friday)


I visited Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University. I observed Mr. Iwasaki's and Mr. Kubo's wonderful classes with staff of Stories of Tomorrow, a research and development project funded by the European Commission, a combined art and STEM education in primary school, Rosa Doran and José Saraiva from Portugal and Jens Koslowsky from Greece. We also discussed with school principal about the project.

15 March 2018 (Thursday)


I visited Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Mie University. I observed Mr. Maeda's wonderful class with staff of Stories of Tomorrow, a research and development project funded by the European Commission, a combined art and STEM education in primary school, Rosa Doran and José Saraiva from Portugal and Jens Koslowsky from Greece. We also discussed with school principal about the project.

14 March 2018 (Wednesday)


I participated in 2018 spring annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of Japan, held at Chiba University, Chiba.

10 (Saturday) - 11 (Sunday) March 2018


I participated in GTTP in Mitaka 2018, the teacher training program held at National Astronomical Obseravtory of Japan, Tokyo, organized by GTTP.

9 March 2018 (Friday)


The 61st Seminar of KaSpI, Kansai Space Initiative, held at i-site Namba campus of Osaka Prefecture University. Professor Yoshifumi Inatani of Department of Space Flight Systems, ISAS/JAXA, gave a lecture future of space development and next goal of rocket development.

4 March 2018 (Sunday)


I attended 12th annual meeting for Certificate of the Astronomy Guide, held at Himeji City's Municipal Castle Research Center, Himeji City, Hyogo.

3 March 2018 (Saturday)


The graduation thesis presentation of Department of Earth Science, academic year of 2017, was held at Earth Science Experiment Room, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University.

1 March 2018 (Thursday)


About 90 1st-grade pupils of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, visited the astronomical observatory atop the faculty building in the university, during their small trip to Wakayama University.

20 February 2018 (Tuesday)


I visited Izumi Child Kindergarten at Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture, and performed astronomy outreach activity.

17 February 2018 (Saturday)


The symposium on fatherhood held at Matsushita Hall, Wakayama University, in central Wakayama City. I served as the cordinator of the panel discussion, "Various Images of the Father."

10 February 2018 (Saturday)


I participated in the 11th annal meeting of the Unit of Synergetic Studies for Space, Kyoto University, "Can the human beging become the aliens? Challenge through space education," held at Kyoto University.

8 February 2018 (Thursday)


Four first-grade students of Attached Junior High School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, visited the astronomical observatory atop the faculty building in the university, as part of their Integrated Study.

6 February 2018 (Tuesday)


I talked about my childcare experience to mothers of 0 to 2-year-old children at Childcare Seminar, Kainan City Childcare Support Center Satsukiyama.

3 February 2018 (Saturday)


I participated in the annual open Education Conference, home economics and science classes, held at Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Mie University.

19 December 2017 (Tuesday)


I visited Hikari Nursery School at Fujiidera City, Osaka Prefecture, and performed astronomy outreach activity.

10 December 2017 (Sunday)


I enjoyed an event of astronomy talk with several visually impaired children, their parents, and supporting staff of an NPO, books for weak eyesight children, held at a hall for childcare and youth, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture. We prepared the plaster 15 cm x 15 cm 3-D model map of Kinki area with emphasis of height by five. The original 3-D model map was made by the 3-D printer with the real map data. I talked the general view of topography and explained the dynamics of the surface of our planet Earth. Three undergraduate students of Wakayama University helped the activity.

7 December 2017 (Thursday)


The special class for Kainan Senior High School, Wakayama Prefecture, was held at Wakayama University. Students drew orbits of planets Mercury and Mars trying to understand the ellipcical orbits of the planets with the position of the Sun on one of the foci of the ellipse, with the aid of a graduate student.

5 December 2017 (Tuesday)


I visited Satsukiyama Preschool at Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture, and performed astronomy outreach activity.

25 November 2017 (Saturday)


I participated in 2017 annual meeting of Kinki Branch of Society of Japan Science Teaching, held at Otsu Campus of Shiga University.

24 November 2017 (Friday)


I participated in 2017 annual meeting of Wakayama Prefecture Senior High School Science teacher's association, held at Wakayama Prefectural Educationl Center Manabi-no-Oka, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture.

19 November 2017 (Sunday)


I participated in "Children's Restaurant Summit in Osaka" held in Osaka City, organized by Welfare Division, Osaka Prefecture.

14 November 2017 (Tuesday)


I talked about astronomy and astonomers to 21 boys and 12 girls of 3rd-grade junior high school students of Higashi Junior High School, Wakayama City.

12 November 2017 (Sunday)


Stundets I supervised who have prepared the 3-D projection of the astronomy simulator, Mitaka, at Wakayama Youngster's Science Festival, held at Wakayama University.

11 November 2017 (Saturday)


I talked with junior high school stundents at the event for junior high school stundents to introduce various professions, "Junior Challenge Japan," held at Kidzania Koshien, Nishinomiya City, Japan. I was one of the guest, as the astronomer, in the Social Party of the events.

28 October 2017 (Saturday)


I participated in the annual Education Conference as an adviser for science classes held at Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University.

21 October 2017 (Saturday)


I together with two of my seminar students, Yamamoto Kohei-kun and Konda Tomoya-kun, visited Wakayama Sakura Special Education School, and talked about starry sky to students, parents, and teachers, using the air dome planetarium, PC projection of simulated evening sky, and some hand-made craft telescopes.

13 October 2017 (Friday)


I visited Wakayama Shin-ai Senior High School, Wakayama City, to gave a lecture and workshop of astronomy image processing using world-wide data archive system, as an activity of Super Global High School project.

10 October 2017 (Tuesday)


I attended the entrance ceremony of October 2017 new students of Osaka Japanese Language Education Center, Japan Student Services Organization, held at Osaka International House, Osaka City.

4 October 2017 (Wednesday)


I talked about the Mooon and the universe, using the universe simulator Mitaka on the PC, to about 20 children and parents at the bookstore cafe plug, Wakayama City, as one of the events of the Moon Watching Cafe, organized by students and staff of Faculty of Tourism, Wakayama University. Some primary school boys asked me awesome questions! What is gravity? Why the Moon is round? They are little real scientists!

30 September 2017 (Saturday)


I participated in the annual meeting of Kyodai UchuKai, the gathering of people related to Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University, as one of the staff, held at Kyoto University.

28 September 2017 (Thursday)


About 100 1st and 2nd-grade pupils of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, visited the astronomical observatory atop the faculty building in the university, during their small trip to Wakayama University.

27 September 2017 (Wednesday)


I attended a meeting of Advisory Committee meeting of Kiso Observatory, Institute of Astronomy (IoA), University of Tokyo, held at Mitaka Campus of IoA, Tokyo. I visited International Astronomical Union Office for Astronomy Outreach office in National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and discuss about new topics and events of astronomy education with the staff.

26 September 2017 (Tuesday)


I visited Satsukiyama Preschool at Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture, and performed astronomy outreach activity.

21 September 2017 (Thursday)


I visited Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, Wakayama City, where one of my seminar students, Kita Kaisei-kun was practicing teacher's training After that, I participated in the summative seminar of the subject of science in which a research demonstration class by Matsunaga Kosuke-kun and its reflection conference were held.

16 (Saturday) - 17 (Sunday) September 2017


I participated in the 71st annual meeting of Japan Society of Earth Science Education, held at Kobe University, Kobe City.

15 September 2017 (Friday)


I visited Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, Wakayama City, where one of my seminar students, Matsunaga Kosuke-kun was practicing teacher's training.

12 (Tuesday) - 13 (Wednesday) September 2017


I participated in 2017 autumnal annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of Japan, held at Hokkaido University, Sapporo. I served as one of the organizing committee of Astronomy Education Forum, Pro-Am Collaboration of Astronomical Observations and Its Future Prospects.

22 August 2017 (Tuesday)


I visited Hikari Nursery School at Fujiidera City, Osaka Prefecture, and performed astronomy outreach activity.

11 August 2017 (Friday, holiday)


I presented air-dome planetarium show and other astronomy education activity to children from 2 year old to junior high school student with parents, with Wakayama University students, at Child and childcare plaza of Chuo Ward, Osaka City.

10 August 2017 (Thursday)


I talked at the symposium on early childhood science education fosucing on connection between pre-primary childcare and primary education, held at Harukas Campus of Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka City.

6 (Sunday) - 8 (Tuesday) August 2017


I participated in 31st Annual Meeting of Astronomy Education, held at Nishi-Hongwanji Temple Monbou Kaikan, Kyoto City.

4 August 2017 (Friday)


I participated in Summer Homework 2017 workshop, especially the booth by Kidzania Koshien, held at Intex Osaka, Osaka City.


I participated in 2nd Kansai Education ICT Exhibition, held at Intex Osaka, Osaka City.

31 July 2017 (Monday)


Several students of Wakayama Shin-ai Senior High School are now tackling with astronomy image processing using world-wide data archive system, as an activity of Super Global High School project. I visited the school and gave a lecture.

26 July 2017 (Wednesday)


I gave a special lecture about astronomy to 25 senior high school students, in 1st and 2nd grades, as a preparation seminar for Kinokuni Science Olympiad, a science contest for high school students in Wakayama Prefecture.

17 July 2017 (Monday, holiday)


I attended 7th High School Students Astronomy Activity Presentation, as one of the commentators, held at Tennoji Campus of Osaka Kyoiku University, Osaka City.

2 July (Sunday) - 10 July (Monday) 2017


I participated in The International Symposium on Education in Astronomy and Astrobiology held at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. I was one of the scientific organizing committee, and I also presented my poster. After the symposium, I visited Leiden University, Observatory, office of Universe Awareness.

30 June 2017 (Friday)


I visited Takamatsu Elementary School, Wakayama City, where one of my seminar students, Konda Tomoya-kun was practicing teacher's training.

28 June 2017 (Wednesday)


I visited Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, and saw an open science class of 4th grade by Mr. Atsuyoshi Baba. I attended the conference of the class as an advisor.

22 June 2017 (Thursday)


I visited Matsue Elementary School, Wakayama City, where one of my seminar students, Yamamoto Kohei-kun was practicing teacher's training.

20 June 2017 (Tuesday)


I visited Satsukiyama Preschool at Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture, and performed astronomy outreach activity.

17 June 2017 (Saturday)


I gave a lecture, "Feel the Universe," a course of teacher's license renewal at Wakayama University, Wakayama City; 35 teachers, from nurseries, kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, and local education board participated in the lecture.

16 June 2017 (Friday)


I visited Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, and saw an open science class of 5th grade by Mr. Jin Yamasaki. I attended the conference of the class as an advisor.

12 June 2017 (Monday)


I visited Kimoto Elementary School, Wakayama City, where one of my seminar students, Maeno Karin-san was practicing teacher's training.

10 June 2017 (Saturday)


I talked at Aridagawa Town Astronomy Club Talk, held at Kanaya Culture and Health Center, Aridagawa Town, Wakayama Prefecture. I talked about Office of Astronomy for Development, International Astronomical Union, and related astronomy education and outreach activities.

2 June 2017 (Friday)


I visited Kishi Minami Elementary School, Wakayama City, where one of my seminar students, Suga Hiroki-kun was practicing teacher's training.

17 May 2017 (Wednesday)


I talked "New curret of astronomy education in the world" at the annual meeting of Osaka Prefecture Senior High School Earth Science Association, held at Osaka Science Museum. I discussed with many high school teachers.

5 (Wednesday) - 6 (Thursday) April 2017


I attended Universe Awareness (UNAWE) Japan Workshop, held at Hotel KKR Numazu Hamayu, Numazu, Shizuoka. The UNAWE managers in Leiden Observatory, the Netherlands, UNAWE and Space Scoop Japan staff, and staff related to IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach in National Astronomical Observatory of Japan met together and discussed various things related to UNAWE.