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Makoto Suwa, JAXA Astronaut Press Conference

Makoto Suwa, JAXA Astronaut Press Conference=January 9,2026,Tokyo

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Makoto Suwa, JAXA Astronaut Press Conference

Makoto Suwa, JAXA Astronaut Press Conference=January 9,2026,Tokyo

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Makoto Suwa, JAXA Astronaut Press Conference

Makoto Suwa, JAXA Astronaut Press Conference=January 9,2026,Tokyo

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Makoto Suwa, JAXA Astronaut Press Conference

Makoto Suwa, JAXA Astronaut Press Conference=January 9,2026,Tokyo

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[Breaking News]Astronaut Suwa to fly to ISS possibly in 2027

TOKYO, Japan, Jan. 9 Kyodo - Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa holds a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 9, 2026, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said he will fly to the International Space Station, possibly in 2027, for a long-term mission. (Kyodo)

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Astronaut Suwa to fly to ISS possibly in 2027

Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa poses during a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 9, 2026, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said he will fly to the International Space Station, possibly in 2027, for a long-term mission.

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Astronaut Suwa to fly to ISS possibly in 2027

Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa poses during a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 9, 2026, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said he will fly to the International Space Station, possibly in 2027, for a long-term mission.

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Astronaut Suwa to fly to ISS possibly in 2027

Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa holds a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 9, 2026, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said he will fly to the International Space Station, possibly in 2027, for a long-term mission.

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Astronaut Suwa to fly to ISS possibly in 2027

Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa holds a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 9, 2026, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said he will fly to the International Space Station, possibly in 2027, for a long-term mission.

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Astronaut Suwa to fly to ISS possibly in 2027

Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa holds a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 9, 2026, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said he will fly to the International Space Station, possibly in 2027, for a long-term mission.

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Nagasaki Kunchi festival

Dragon dancers perform during a traditional Nagasaki Kunchi autumn festival at Suwa Shrine in the southwestern Japan city of Nagasaki on Oct. 7, 2025. The festival dating back to 1634 features exotic events and runs through Oct. 9.

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Nagasaki Kunchi festival

About 20 men spin a shrine-shaped float during a traditional Nagasaki Kunchi autumn festival at Suwa Shrine in the southwestern Japan city of Nagasaki on Oct. 7, 2025. The festival dating back to 1634 features exotic events and runs through Oct. 9.

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New JAXA astronauts Yoneda, Suwa

Photo taken on Oct. 24, 2024, shows newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts Ayu Yoneda (L) and Makoto Suwa at a JAXA office in Tokyo.

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New JAXA astronauts Yoneda, Suwa

Photo taken on Oct. 24, 2024, shows newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts Ayu Yoneda (L) and Makoto Suwa at a JAXA office in Tokyo.

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New JAXA astronaut Suwa

Photo taken on Oct. 24, 2024, shows newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Makoto Suwa at a JAXA office in Tokyo.

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New JAXA astronauts

TOKYO, Japan, Oct. 24 Kyodo - Ayu Yoneda and Makoto Suwa, newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts, pose for a photo at a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 23, 2024. (Kyodo)

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New JAXA astronauts

Ayu Yoneda (L) and Makoto Suwa, newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts, pose for a photo at a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 23, 2024.

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New JAXA astronauts

Ayu Yoneda (L) and Makoto Suwa, newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts, attend a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 23, 2024.

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New JAXA astronauts

Ayu Yoneda (L) and Makoto Suwa, newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts, pose for a photo at a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 23, 2024.

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New JAXA astronauts

Makoto Suwa, one of the two newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 23, 2024.

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Nagasaki Kunchi festival

People pull a boat-shaped float during the Nagasaki Kunchi festival at Suwa Shrine in the southwestern Japan city of Nagasaki on Oct. 7, 2024, the first day of the three-day traditional festival.

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Nagasaki Kunchi festival

People pull a dragon boat-shaped float during the Nagasaki Kunchi festival at Suwa Shrine in the southwestern Japan city of Nagasaki on Oct. 7, 2024, the first day of the three-day traditional festival.

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Nagasaki Kunchi festival

The three-day Nagasaki Kunchi festival opens with a dragon boat-shaped float at Suwa Shrine in the southwestern Japan city of Nagasaki on Oct. 7, 2024.

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Drone delivery test in central Japan

A drone carries a box containing water bottles and polyethylene tarpaulins during a test flight over Lake Suwa in Shimosuwa, Nagano Prefecture, on Oct. 13, 2023. Supermarket operator Aeon Retail Co. aims to open a new store in the central Japan city as early as 2025 and utilize drones for delivery and disaster relief.

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Traditional festival in Nagasaki

A float signifying a whale spouting water is carried at the Nagasaki Kunchi festival at Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 7, 2023, the opening day of the three-day festival dating back over 380 years.

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Joint interview with JAXA astronaut candidates

Joint interview of JAXA astronaut candidates. Photo shows, from left, Makoto Suwa and Ayu Yoneda.=Date:July 3, 2023,Place:Japan

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Joint interview with JAXA astronaut candidates

Joint interview of JAXA astronaut candidates. Photo shows, from left, Makoto Suwa and Ayu Yoneda.=Date:July 3, 2023,Place:Japan

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JAXA prospective astronauts

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) poses for a photo with Ayu Yoneda (R) and Makoto Suwa, prospective astronauts at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, at the premier's office in Tokyo on July 3, 2023.

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JAXA prospective astronauts

Ayu Yoneda (R) and Makoto Suwa, prospective astronauts at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, shake hands during a photo session in Tokyo on July 3, 2023.

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World Bank staffer, surgeon picked as Japan astronaut candidates

Japan's space agency said Tuesday that it has selected a World Bank employee and a surgeon as astronaut candidates in its first recruitment drive in more than 13 years, with expectations high that they may have the chance to join an international mission to the Moon. Makoto Suwa, 46, a disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank, and Ayu Yoneda, one of the youngest ever candidates at age 28 and a surgeon at the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, will join the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for two years of training. "I don't think the path ahead will be easy, but I hope to go to the Moon if possible," Yoneda told a press conference in Tokyo, as she expressed her joy after being picked from over 4,000 applicants, a record high. Suwa, who is the oldest candidate ever selected, said he felt "a great sense of responsibility," as he joined the press conference online from the United States, where he works.

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Doctor, World Bank official selected to be astronauts

Ayu Yoneda (L), a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center, attends a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected her to become an astronaut together with Makoto Suwa (on screen), a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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Doctor, World Bank official selected to be astronauts

Ayu Yoneda, a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center, attends a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected her to become an astronaut together with Makoto Suwa (on screen), a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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Doctor, World Bank official selected to be astronauts

Ayu Yoneda (L), a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center, virtually "shakes hands" with Makoto Suwa (on screen), a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank -- now in the United States -- during a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected them to become astronauts. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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World Bank official, doctor selected to be astronauts

Screenshot shows Makoto Suwa, a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank, attending an online press conference from the United States on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected him to become an astronaut together with Ayu Yoneda, a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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Doctor, World Bank official selected to be astronauts

Ayu Yoneda, a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected her to become an astronaut together with Makoto Suwa, a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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Japan's sake industry seeks to expand exports

SAITAMA, Japan - Naotaka Miyasaka, president of Miyasaka Brewing Co. in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, speaks about his company's overseas business strategy at a symposium aimed at promoting exports of sake and other made-in-Japan alcoholic beverages on Dec. 10, 2014, in Saitama north of Tokyo. The brewery is known for its "Masumi" brand of sake.

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Dragon boat float at Nagasaki Kunchi Festival

NAGASAKI, Japan - Photo shows a dragon boat float at Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 7, 2014, the opening day of the three-day Nagasaki Kunchi Festival that dates back 380 years.

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Dragon dance performed at Nagasaki Kunchi Festival

NAGASAKI, Japan - A dragon dance is performed at Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 7, 2014, the opening day of the three-day Nagasaki Kunchi Festival that dates back 380 years.

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Orca portable shrine seen in Nagasaki Kunchi festa

NAGASAKI, Japan - A portable shrine signifying orca is carried at the Nagasaki Kunchi festival at Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 7, 2014, the opening day of the three-day festival.

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Women's entry into Shinto priesthood increasing

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken Feb. 10, 2014 shows Mihoko Ishii (L), a female chief priest serving at the Suwa Shrine in Nambu, Aomori Prefecture, talking with a female worshipper and another priest at the shine.

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Shinto ritual on Lake Suwa

NAGANO, Japan - A Shinto ritual is held on the surface of the frozen Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture on Feb. 6, 2012 to predict the year's social situations and the prospects for crop harvests and weather from a streak of elevated ice cracks, a natural phenomenon observed two days earlier on the Nagano Prefecture lake for the first time in four years.

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Shinto ritual on Lake Suwa

NAGANO, Japan - A Shinto ritual is held on the surface of the frozen Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture on Feb. 6, 2012 to predict the year's social situations and the prospects for crop harvests and weather from a streak of elevated ice cracks, a natural phenomenon observed two days earlier on the Nagano Prefecture lake for the first time in four years.

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Streak of elevated ice cracks on Lake Suwa

NAGANO, Japan - Photo taken Feb. 4, 2012, shows a streak of elevated ice cracks on Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture. The phenomenon, caused by the difference in temperatures during the daytime and night, was observed for the first time in four years.

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Japan, France localities promote technology exchanges

SUWA, Japan - Representatives of industry support groups from Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, in central Japan, and the Haute-Savoie department in eastern France shake hands in Suwa on Oct. 13, 2011, after signing a partnership agreement including technology information exchanges to create new business.

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'Nagasaki Kunchi' festival

NAGASAKI, Japan - People dedicate a figure of a ''nambansen,'' or Portuguese ship, to Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki City on Oct. 7, 2010, the first day of the three-day festival called ''Nagasaki Kunchi,'' a local autumn festival with more than 370 years of history.

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'Nagasaki Kunchi' festival

NAGASAKI, Japan - A Chinese-style dragon is taken through Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki City on Oct. 7, 2010, the first day of the three-day festival called ''Nagasaki Kunchi,'' a local autumn festival with more than 370 years of history.

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'Nagasaki Kunchi' festival

NAGASAKI, Japan - A Chinese-style dragon is taken through Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki City on Oct. 7, 2010, the first day of the three-day festival called ''Nagasaki Kunchi,'' a local autumn festival with more than 370 years of history.

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Nagasaki Kunchi Festival begins

NAGASAKI, Japan - A dragon dance is performed in the Suwa Shrine's 370-year-old Nagasaki Kunchi Festival that began Oct. 7, 2009 in Nagasaki Prefecture.

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Aso, Hatoyama promote policies ahead of general election

SUWA, Japan - Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama (L) shakes hands with citizens in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, on July 30 after making a speech ahead of the Aug. 30 general election.

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Surrogate mother gives birth to own grandchild

NAGANO, Japan - Yahiro Netsu, director of the Suwa Maternity Clinic in Shimosuwa, Nagano Prefecture, speaks to reporters on Feb. 29 about the eighth surrogate birth at the clinic. Netsu said a woman in her 50s gave birth to her own grandson through surrogate birth on behalf of her daughter, who was born without a womb.