• Down to earth: Former astronaut Toyohiro Akiyama, who now teaches agriculture at Kyoto University of Art and Design, believes that working on the land helps artistically minded students to open their minds and so nurture their creativity. | TOMOKO OTAKE
    Down to earth: Former astronaut Toyohiro Akiyama, who now teaches agriculture at Kyoto University of Art and Design, believes that working on the land helps artistically minded students to open their minds and so nurture their creativity. | TOMOKO OTAKE
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In December 1990, journalist Toyohiro Akiyama made headlines the world over when he blasted off aboard a Soviet rocket to become the very first “space correspondent” in history.

The Soyuz capsule with the 47-year-old Tokyo Broadcasting System reporter strapped inside later docked with the Mir space station as part of an unprecedented $10 million (¥1.5 billion) deal between the USSR’s cash-starved space agency and the ratings-hungry private TV network.

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