Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory, a privately run public observatory within walking distance of the Bikan Historical Area, marks its 100th anniversary this year (2026), 100 years after its founding in 1926.
To commemorate the occasion, the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory 100th Anniversary Forum was held on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at the adjacent Okayama University Institute of Plant Science and Resources.
Here is a report on the forum, which featured a keynote address related to the observatory, a panel discussion considering its future, and an exchange of views with participants.
The information presented is current as of the article’s publication in November 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Forum Overview
The Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory 100th Anniversary Forum was held to mark the 100th anniversary in 2026 of the observatory’s founding in 1926 as Japan’s first privately run public observatory.
The auditorium of the Ohara Institute for Agricultural Research, the predecessor of the Okayama University Institute of Plant Science and Resources where the forum was held, is also the place where it all began for Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory: the venue for a lecture commemorating its founding 100 years ago.
At this place with its historic ties, participants looked back on the past 100 years and considered together with local residents and others involved the question, “What kind of presence can the observatory have in the community of the future?”
First, Hara Hiroyuki, great-grandson of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory founder Hara Sumiji and its fourth director, took the stage to deliver the opening remarks.
In his remarks, Hara looked back on the history of the observatory’s founding through the passion and dedication of those who came before. He expressed his joy, gratitude, and deep emotion at holding the forum in a place with ties to the observatory, and voiced his hope that the forum would mark a new step toward the next 100 years.
For the first half, Mitachi Takashi, a visiting professor at Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Management, among other roles, delivered the keynote address.
In the second half, three panelists took the stage for a wide-ranging discussion of the future of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory, drawing on their respective expertise.
Keynote Address: “The Future of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory from the Perspective of Connecting Business, Culture, and Community Development”
In his keynote address, “The Future of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory from the Perspective of Connecting Business, Culture, and Community Development,” Mitachi spoke based on his many years of experience in business studies.
The Background to the Observatory’s Founding: Geographic Advantages and the History of the “Tenryo”
Mitachi noted that the founding of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory here in 1926 was influenced not only by Okayama’s climate, with its low rainfall and suitability for astronomical observation, but also by the history of local self-government fostered when the area was a tenryo (territory under direct shogunal control) during the Edo period.
Amid the Taisho-era boom in citizen science and the flourishing of popular culture, it became Japan’s first public observatory founded by private citizens rather than the state. The forum explored its origins and the significance of being a place where anyone can enjoy the starry sky.
Education in the Age of AI: The “Macroscopic Time Scale” Astronomy Provides
Mitachi also drew attention to the fact that astronomy was included among the liberal arts (the seven liberal arts) in medieval Europe. He said that astronomy’s perspective—understanding the world on a “time scale extending beyond one’s own lifetime” of tens of thousands or hundreds of millions of years—provides an education that fosters the insights and broad perspective unique to human beings in the age of AI.
The “Tangible Experience” of Looking at Real Stars and “Citizen Science”
Unlike virtual reality (VR) and similar technologies, the “tangible experience” of touching a substantial telescope and looking at real stars with one’s own eyes is an experience AI cannot replace.
Citing examples of “civic science” (citizen science), in which members of the public contribute to scientific research, such as image-classification projects using the Hubble Space Telescope, he highlighted the importance of public participation in advancing science, not just the work of scientists.
The Next 100 Years: Creating New Value Through Collaboration Across Fields and Community Development
To conclude his address, Mitachi proposed that Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory should be more than a historical facility, connecting astronomy with art, literature, history, education, and community development.
He envisioned a hub that creates new social and cultural value through hands-on education for the next generation and collaboration across different fields.
Panel Discussion: “The Future of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory, Told from Each Perspective”
In the second half, a panel discussion titled “The Future of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory, Told from Each Perspective” featured the following panelists.
- Mitachi Takashi (keynote speaker)
- Mishima Kazuhisa (curator, Kurashiki Science Center)
- Hara Hiroyuki (fourth director, Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory)
The moderator was Kurozumi Muneyoshi, a council member of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory and the next eighth head of Kurozumi-kyo.
Mishima Kazuhisa, a curator at Kurashiki Science Center who has spent more than 30 years sharing the wonders of celestial objects with many people through the starry sky, emphasized the historical value of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory, founded through the passion of many people and still in operation across many eras.
He also discussed education in today’s increasingly AI-driven world, arguing that “in an age when AI can instantly provide answers, the ‘concentrated experience of astronomical observation’—looking through a telescope oneself—is essential to children’s development.” He also explained the importance of connecting learning in the virtual space of a planetarium with real scientific experiences.
He also proposed initiatives such as a series of lectures deepening astronomical culture in the community, as a place of learning for adults as well. While preserving the ideals of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory as “the origin of privately run public observatories,” he highlighted the importance of continuing to bring authentic experiences to the community and the next generation.
Hara Hiroyuki, the fourth director of Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory, looked back once more on the passionate commitment of those who protected the facility, including by building a new observation dome on the grounds, even during the difficult wartime and postwar years, when the former Japanese military requisitioned the site.
“We want to firmly preserve the origins that have endured for 100 years and carry them forward into the next 100,” he said, emphasizing the observatory’s role as a place where children and local residents can easily enjoy the stars, making the most of its fortunate location in the heart of the city, close to JR Kurashiki Station and the Bikan Historical Area.
He spoke of a strong commitment to a future that moves forward together with the community, cherishing authentic experiences and human connections while also embracing collaboration across different fields.
Looking back on the forum, coordinator Kurozumi Muneyoshi redefined the 100 years of the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory as not merely the preservation of a building and its equipment, but as “an accumulation of people’s curiosity and passion, and their positive thoughts about making the future better.”
He said that everyone, including the participants gathered at the venue, was “a character in the story that will weave the next 100 years.” Calling on them to make this encounter a bond and create new value for the observatory together with the community, he brought the panel discussion to a close.
Exchanging ideas on shaping the community’s future
At the “Exchange of Ideas on Shaping the Community’s Future” that followed the panel discussion, a diverse range of participants—including local business owners, Kurashiki City Office staff, parents and children who are astronomy enthusiasts, and students—shared views such as the following.
- A sense that “fun experiences (such as events at the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory) can spark an interest in the stars”
- Creating routes that adults can get excited about and establishing street names
- Building cultural capital that goes beyond short-term figures
- Planning events that combine astronomy with other fields, such as sake and history
Rather than simply preserving history, this was a forward-looking exchange of ideas on how to make use of the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory across the entire city and pass it on to the next generation.
A tour of the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory was also held
After the forum, a tour of the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory was held for anyone who wished to join.
The residence on the grounds where Honda Minoru once lived has been renovated and now operates as the cafe “Hoshi no Hikari no Sumiwataru.”
Although the cafe was closed that day, visitors were able to take their time looking around the interior, where astronomy-related books were displayed alongside poems by Honda, which inspired the cafe’s name.
Although the cloudy weather prevented a stargazing session, staff gave an explanation of the astronomical telescope in the observation room.
At Shoho Hall, a multipurpose hall named after the pen name of founder Hara Sumiji, volunteer staff gave talks and sold observatory merchandise.
The Sumiji Hara & Minoru Honda Memorial Museum, converted from the dome-shaped observation room, was also specially opened to visitors.
The Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory also plans to hold the “Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory 100th Anniversary Birthday Ceremony & Stargazing Session” on Saturday, November 21, 2026, the anniversary of its founding. For details, please see the leaflet below.
Related events also held at the Kurashiki Science Center
The Kurashiki Science Center, where panelist Mishima works, is hosting a variety of events to mark the 100th anniversary of the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory.
The grounds also feature the former Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory sliding-roof observation room, relocated and restored from the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory, so why not visit that as well?
Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory 100th Anniversary Panel Exhibition
A panel exhibition introducing the early history and journey of the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory is currently being held in the planetarium lobby of the Kurashiki Science Center.
Discover how Japan’s first privately operated public observatory came to be established in the community and has been preserved through the years, through valuable records. Materials distributed by the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory are also available near the exhibition space.
- Venue
Kurashiki Science Center Planetarium Lobby - Exhibition
A panel exhibition introducing the history and journey of the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory
Special Planetarium Show: “Asking the Stars About Things: The Story of Minoru Honda and the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory”
A celebrated planetarium program produced in 2005 and set at the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory will be revived for a limited time to mark its 100th anniversary.
The dome will be filled with stories of those who devoted their passion to the stars, including the origins of the “privately operated public observatory,” which emerged in an era when only government-run observatories existed, and the achievements of Minoru Honda, a world-renowned amateur astronomer who discovered 12 comets and 11 novae during his lifetime.
- Show dates
Saturday, November 14, 2026; Sunday, November 15; Sunday, November 22; Monday, November 23 (holiday) - Show time
11:40 a.m. each day (Duration: approximately 50 minutes / The first half features an explanation of tonight’s starry sky) - Admission
Adults: ¥500 / High school students: ¥350 / Elementary and junior high school students: ¥250 - How to attend
No advance reservation required (Tickets are available at the reception desk from 9:00 a.m. on the day)
From the Writer
Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory was established with the support of many people, including Hara Sumiji and Ohara Magosaburo.
As a facility where anyone can observe the starry sky, its immeasurable contribution to astronomy education in the region over the past 100 years and its role in laying the foundations for Okayama, the Kingdom of Astronomy are beyond measure.
There is an observatory in the heart of town, and when you look up, the sky stretches out toward a vast world. This is an irreplaceable treasure that Kurashiki can be proud of. The aspirations of those who came before us, alive in this place, are being faithfully carried on by the people who have found their way here.
There was also some happy news to mark the centenary while this article was being written (November 2026). The IAU’s Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature announced that an asteroid had been named “Kuraten,” after Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory’s nickname, “Kuraten.”
Looking ahead to the next 100 years, “Kuraten” is creating a new trajectory. As an observatory in the heart of town, may it continue to share the wonders of the starry sky with many people.
Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory 100th Anniversary Forum Information
| Name | Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory 100th Anniversary Forum |
|---|---|
| Location | Ohara Conference Room, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Free |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a search term to find articles on this site
After experiencing the stories of the stars and the people who came before us at the Kurashiki Science Center, we also recommend visiting the Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory in person and touring both sites. Experience firsthand Kurashiki’s starry-sky culture, steeped in 100 years of history.