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YM COLUMN ARCHIVE

January 13, 2010

From Kagoshima to Kyoto and to Hiroshima

I have almost recovered from my injury at the year-end due to the fall to the bath floor except previous injury in the same knee. I had a trouble in doing anything because of a pain in knee, but somehow I came back home alright from my visit to the three cities at the very beginning of a new year. The trip was to Kagoshima, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Quite strange enough, the coldest was the most southern city of Kagoshima followed by Hiroshima and Kyoto in this order, which defies the common wisdom of geography, and might have something to do with global warming.

Be that as it may, it was a fruitful trip in many ways. I was at the seminar for space education leaders in Kagoshima, which was gathered with warm hearts by youths and virile ages of men and women who wanted to do something for society and children. There I conveyed my passion for space education.

In Kyoto was the symposium titled “Why does mankind seek space?” co-hosted by The University of Kyoto and Kyoto Seika University, in which was performed presentations by not just faculty of science and engineering but also cultural and social sciences all mingled. It was probably the first time for such a large-scaled symposium under this title. I delivered just an ordinary lecture on “Advancing into space and future of Japan” but other guest speakers, Ms. Keiko Takemiya, cartoonist, and Mr. Tetsuo Yamaori, philosopher, attracted audiences’ interests maybe because they are rather unique in the world of space. The hosts said they would do it again next year and on, which I’m looking forward to.

In Hiroshima was carried out a classroom activity as one of event series entitled “Space and Information Science” that was planned by professors of Hiroshima City University for children of the third grade through to sixth grade of primary school and their parents. I chose the subject of my talk as “Space and Us” because most of the audience were primary school pupils, and prior to my talk I said, “Please relax and enjoy listening to my talk as if you are listening to your grandpa’s old story”, after which I started talking by recalling to the best of my memory what actually happened to me when I was of the same age as they were. I touched a little upon space before finishing the talk. As I was talking, I recalled long-forgotten memories that I miss so much to have been overwhelmed by a flood of emotions.

I welcome your opinions on this column to the following E-mail address.
matogawa@planetary.or.jp

(Translated by The Planetary Society of Japan)