At Tourism Expo Japan 2022, there is a special area for “starry sky tourism” as a new tourism material to realize the SDGs.
The booth of the Space Tourism Promotion Council, which is comprised of various facilities and organizations across the country involved in sky and space, offers a virtual stargazing experience with special goggles. Visitors can enjoy programs such as “A Slightly Sad Tale of Tanabata” and “World Star Climate” while listening to the commentary of a star sommelier.
At the front of the booth, a replica of the space suit (Extravehicular Activity Unit) that sustains astronauts’ lives during extravehicular activities on the International Space Station and the Moon’s surface will be on display. The surface is made of the same material as the real space suit, and visitors can actually touch it and take commemorative photos with it as if it were a panel showing their faces. The merchandise corner sells a variety of rare “space foods” such as gummies, takoyaki (octopus balls) and pudding, as well as other unique space-related sundries.
Also noteworthy is the booth of Misei Town, Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture, which was certified as a “starry sky protected area” by the International Dark Sky Association in 2021. This is the third town in Japan to receive this certification, following Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park in Okinawa and Kozushima Island in the Izu Islands, Tokyo, which is also known as the “World Heritage Site of the Starry Sky. This is the first time in Asia that a town has received this certification.
The town was recognized not only for its “beautiful starry sky,” but also for its long-standing efforts to reduce light pollution and protect the natural environment, as well as for its community-wide conservation activities. At the booth, a simple planetarium was set up to reproduce the night sky that Mihoshi Town is proud of. A staff member who is a member of the Ibara City Regional Development Cooperation Team and a planetarium planner will give a live explanation of the attraction of the planetarium. The starry sky experience is also available in VR.
© Source travel watch