List of Japanese astronauts

Parts of this article (those related to missing missions in astronaut table) need to be updated. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (September 2024)

Fourteen citizens of Japan have participated in space flights. Of these, eleven— nine men and two women—were professional astronauts, two were space tourists, and one was a journalist who participated in a commercial Soyuz space flight.

Two Japanese astronauts have been in space at the same time on two occasions :

Soichi Noguchi and Naoko Yamazaki from 5 April 2010 to 20 April 2010
Soichi Noguchi and Akihiko Hoshide from 23 April 2021 to 2 May 2021

Six of the eleven professional astronauts have retired, while five (colored) remain in active service.

#	Name	Mission(s) (dates)	Launch times	Total duration	Spacewalk times	Spacewalk duration	Notes
1	Toyohiro Akiyama (Japanese: 秋山豊寛) born 22 July 1942	Soyuz TM-11, 1990-12-02 - 1990-12-10	1	7 days 21 hours 54 minutes	0	0	The first journalist in space, first Japanese in space, first civilian on a commercial space flight, cosmonaut researcher, professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design
2	Mamoru Mohri (Japanese: 毛利衛) born 29 January 1948	Endeavour STS-47, 1992-09-12 - 1992-09-20 Endeavour STS-99, 2000-02-11 - 2000-02-22	2	19 days 04 hours 08 minutes	0	0	The first Japanese astronaut of an official Japanese space program, Doctor of Science in Chemistry, Payload specialist, specialist in flying.
3	Chiaki Mukai (Japanese: 向井千秋) born 6 May 1952	Columbia STS-65, 1994-07-08 - 1994-07-23 Discovery STS-95, 1998-10-29 - 1998-11-07	2	23 days 15 hours 39 minutes	0	0	The first female astronaut of Japan, cardiosurgeon, specialist in payload.
4	Koichi Wakata (Japanese: 若田光一) born 1 August 1963	Endeavour STS-72, 1996-01-11 - 1996-01-20 Discovery STS-92, 2000-10-11 - 2000-10-24 Discovery STS-119, ISS-18, 19, 20, Endeavour STS-127, 2009-03-15 - 2009-07-31 Soyuz TMA-11M, ISS-38, 39, 2013-11-07 - 2014-05-14 SpaceX Crew-5, ISS-68, 69, 2022-10-05 - 2023-03-12	5	504 days 18 hours 33 minutes	2	14 hours 02 minutes	Flight specialist, flight engineer, commander of ISS-39.
5	Takao Doi (Japanese: 土井隆雄) born 18 September 1954	Columbia STS-87, 1997-11-19 - 1997-12-05 Endeavour STS-123, 2008-03-11 - 2008-03-25	2	31 days 10 hours 45 minutes	2	12 hours 42 minutes	Doctor of Science in aerospace engineering Doctor of Astronomy; specialist in flying.
6	Soichi Noguchi (Japanese: 野口聡一) born 15 April 1965	Discovery STS-114, 2005-07-26 - 2005-08-09 Soyuz TMA-17, ISS-22, 23, 2009-12-20 - 2010-06-02 SpaceX Crew-1, ISS-64, ISS-65	3	344 days 9 hours 33 minutes	3	20 hours 05 minutes	Aeronautical engineer, flight specialist, flight engineer.
7	Akihiko Hoshide (Japanese: 星出彰彦) born 28 December 1968	Discovery STS-124, 2008-05-31 - 2008-06-14 Soyuz TMA-05M, ISS-32, 33, 2012-07-15 - 2012-11-19, SpaceX Crew-2, ISS-65, 2021-04-23 - 2021-11-09	3	340 days 11 hours 41 minutes	3	21 hours 03 minutes	Flight specialist, flight engineer.
8	Naoko Yamazaki (Japanese: 山崎直子) born 27 December 1970	Discovery STS-131, 2010-04-05 - 2010-04-20	1	15 days 02 hours 47 minutes	0	0	Aeronautical engineer, specialist in flying.
9	Satoshi Furukawa (Japanese: 古川聡) born 04 April 1964	Soyuz TMA-02M, ISS-28, 29, 2011-07-07 - 2011-11-22 SpaceX Crew-7, ISS-69 / 70, 2023-08-26 - 2024-03-12	2		0	0	Surgeon, flight engineer.
10	Kimiya Yui (Japanese: 油井亀美也) born 30 January 1970	Soyuz TMA-17M, ISS-44, 45, 2015-07-22 - 2015-12-11	1	141 days 16 hours 09 minutes	0	0	Colonel of the Air Force of Japan, flight engineer.
11	Takuya Onishi (Japanese: 大西卓哉) born 22 December 1975	Soyuz MS-01, ISS-48, ISS49, 2016-07-07 - 2016-10-30	1	115 days 02 hours 21 minutes	0	0	Flight engineer.
12	Norishige Kanai (Japanese: 金井宣茂) born 05 December 1976	Soyuz MS-07, ISS-54, 55, 2017-12-17 - 2018-06-03	1	168 days 05 hours 18 minutes	1	5 hours 57 minutes	Doctor, flight engineer.
13	Yusaku Maezawa (Japanese: 前澤友作) born 22 November 1975	Soyuz MS-20, 2021-12-08 - 2021-12-20	1	11 days 10 hours 9 minutes	0	0	Space tourist
14	Yozo Hirano (Japanese: 平野陽三) born 1985	Soyuz MS-20, 2021-12-08 - 2021-12-20	1	11 days 10 hours 9 minutes	0	0	Space tourist