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Notes

17 March 2019 (Sunday)


I participated in monthly meeting of Osaka Branch of Oriental Astronomical Association held at Oyodo Community Center, Osaka City.

14 (Thursday) - 15 (Friday) March 2019


I participated in 2019 spring annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of Japan, held at Hosei University, Koganei Campus, Koganei, Tokyo.

7 March 2019 (Thursday)


About 120 1st-grade pupils of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, visited the astronomical observatory atop the faculty building in the university, during their small trip to Wakayama University.

4 March 2019 (Monday)


I attended 13th annual meeting for Certificate of the Astronomy Guide, Star Sommelier, held at Osaka Prefectural Youth Marine Center, Misaki Town, Osaka Prefecture.

3 March 2019 (Sunday)


I talked at the symposium on early childhood science education fosucing on connection between pre-primary childcare and primary education, held at Harukas Campus of Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka City.

23 February 2019 (Saturday)


The graduation thesis, master thesis, and international student presentation of Department of Earth Science, academic year of 2018, was held at Wakayama Kenmin Bunka Kaikan, Wakayama City.

22 February 2019 (Friday)


I participated in Wakayama Univestiy diversity workshop on Gender equity and diversity.

20 February 2019 (Wednesday)


I and one of my students, Nakano Hiroto-kun visited Tachibana Special Needs School, Hirogawa-cho, Wakayama, and performed an astronomy education activity using the air-dome planetarium NEX and the PC universe simulator Mitaka projection.

16 February 2019 (Saturday)


We had a meeting for annual report of university-school collaboration, academic year 2018, coordinated by Faculty of Education, Wakayama University and Boards of Education of Wakayama Prefecture and other areas, held at Faculty of Education, Wakayama University. Together with Mr. Fumihito Kubo of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University and Mr. Masashi Maeda of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Mie University, we presented our year-long activity related to Stories of Tomorrow.

9 February 2019 (Saturday)


I participated in the annual open Education Conference, moral education and science classes, held at Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Mie University.

8 February 2019 (Friday)


I visited Wakayama Shin-ai Senior High School, a women's high school in Wakayama City, science club supervised by Mr. Susumu Yoshida. The students continued to work on the education material on Kepler's third law developed by one of my students. The students analyzed the motions of Jovian and Saturnian satellites using an image processing software Makali`i and derived the Kepler's 3rd law for satellite motions. As well as that, the students also understood a ratio of masses of Jupiter and Saturn through the Kepler's 3rd law. Related to topics of Ada's Adventures in Science, students share with us their dream of future study, including environmental science, mechanical engineering, and space science. This event is registered as an Event (Astronomy Education Workshop and Science Career Guidance at Wakayama Shin-ai Senior High School Science Club) of IAU100, 100th anniversary of the International Astronomical Union.

5 February 2019 (Tuesday)


Wakayama University astronomy education research seminar hosted a star party at JASSO Osaka Japanese Language Education Center, Osaka City. Ms. Lieza Crisostomo, a teacher-training international student who is a physics and earth science teacher at Philippine Science High School, was trained at the center last academic year. Her reseach topic is comparison of school curricula in astronomy between the Philippines and Japan. Together with Lieza-san and two Japanese graduate students, we shared evening sky using telescopes with about 30 international students from 18 countries, with in total about 40 inclusing staff of the center. We also projected Mitaka, a simulator visualizing the universe on the wall of the building, introducing our place in the vast universe. This event is registered as an Event (Star Party at Osaka Japanese Education Center) of IAU100, 100th anniversary of the International Astronomical Union.

2 February 2019 (Saturday)


I participated in annual meeting in school year of 2018 of Education Research at Fujitodai Elementary School, Wakayama City.

1 February 2019 (Friday)


I participated in 11th meeting on class design using ICT, held at Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama Universiy.

25 January 2019 (Friday)


I visited Wakayama Shin-ai Senior High School, a women's high school in Wakayama City, science club supervised by Mr. Susumu Yoshida. One of my students is developing an education material on Kepler's third law, and students worked on them. I also introduced Ada's Adventures in Science to the students.

22 December 2018 (Saturday)


I participated in an extraordinary general meeting of Astronomical Society of Japan on military affairs and astronomy, held at Kyoto University.

20 December 2018 (Thursday)


Continued from the activity on 11 December, students of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, 6th grade class of Mr. Fumihito Kubo, visited Wakayama University to create e-books using university computer room. The activity is one of the project, Stories of Tomorrow, an interdisciplinary primary school education research supported by European Commission. As pilot schools, two schools in Japan, Attached Elementary Schools, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University and Mie University join the project this year.

18 December 2018 (Tuesday)


I visited Satsukiyama Preschool at Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture, and performed astronomy outreach activity, including picture coloring activity of the Moon and meteors.

15 December 2018 (Saturday)


I and master course students participated in Kinki branch meeting of Japanese Society for Education and Popularization of Astronomy, held at Kacom, a city community center, Kakogawa, Hyogo. Our Wakayama University team presented NASE-Japan 2019 plan, the first course which will be held in Japan of NASE, Network for Astronomy School Education, a secondary school teacher training program developed by a working group of International Astronomical Union, and a report of recent progress of Stories of Tomorrow implemented at Attached Elementary Schools, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University and Mie University.

13 December 2018 (Thursday)


I and teacher training student, Ms. Lieza Crisostomo of Philippine Science High School, a physics and earth science teacher, who studies curriculum of school astronomy education in Wakayama University this year, participated in Wakayama Prefecture Senior High School Students Research Presentation held in Wakayama City. We interviewed some students and teachers about the school research projects.

11 December 2018 (Tuesday)


Students of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, 6th grade class of Mr. Fumihito Kubo, visited Wakayama University to create e-books using university computer room. The activity is one of the project, Stories of Tomorrow, an interdisciplinary primary school education research supported by European Commission. As pilot schools, two schools in Japan, Attached Elementary Schools, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University and Mie University join the project this year.


A star party was held at Kada Elementary School, Wakayama City, organized by Wakayama City Children Science Museum. A star guide certification course, Sommelier, Wakayama University course joined the star party. Though it was rainy, we enjoyed talk inside the room with students, parents, school staff, museum staff, and university students.

10 December 2018 (Monday)


I attended a meeting of Advisory Committee meeting of Kiso Observatory, Institute of Astronomy (IoA), University of Tokyo, held at Mitaka Campus of IoA, Tokyo. I visited International Astronomical Union Office for Astronomy Outreach office in National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and discuss about new topics and events of astronomy education with the staff.

8 December 2018 (Saturday)


I enjoyed an event of astronomy talk with several visually impaired children, their parents, and supporting staff of an NPO, books for weak eyesight children, held at a hall for Suita Citizen Public Activity Center, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture. We prepared the plaster 15 cm x 15 cm 3D tactile models of 400 km-wide lunar surface for each participants. The lunar models were cratered highland (at farside) and relatively smooth volcanic plain (at nearside), reconstructed from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data, open on the website Moon Nearside Farside in NASA 3D resoruces. The participants enjoyed reading the two different lunar features and the history that made the two when the Moon was young. A student, Matsunaga Kosuke-kun was a main guide for this activity. Other two students, Nakano Hiroto-kun and Sagisaka Kanae-san also helped the activity. A "sonic" astrophysicist Wanda Diaz Merced kindly introduced us Braille Books developed by NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. The children enjoyed NASA's great books.

7 December 2018 (Friday)


The special class for Kainan Senior High School, Wakayama Prefecture, was held at Wakayama University. Students tried to solve the pre-test used in NASE, a teacher training program developed by a working group of the International Astronomical Union. Graduate students helped the course as teaching assistants.

1 December 2018 (Saturday)


I participated in 2018 annual meeting of Kinki Branch of Society of Japan Science Teaching, held at Nara University of Education.

30 November 2018 (Friday)


I participated in 2018 annual meeting of Wakayama Prefecture Senior High School Science teacher's association, held at Wakayama Prefectural Educationl Center Manabi-no-Oka, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture.

21 November 2018 (Wednesday)


I participated in 1st symposium of Sora Tourism and 2nd general meeting of Sora Tourism Promotion Council held at Dentsu Headquarter, Shiodome, Tokyo. I visited Setagaya Art Museum, Setagaya, Tokyo, and discussed on early childhood science and art education with an art researcher.

17 (Saturday) - 18 (sunday) November 2018


Stundets I supervised who have prepared the handicraft spectrograph using grating sheet at Wakayama Youngster's Science Festival, held at Aeon Mall Wakayama, Wakayama City.

12 (Monday) and 15 (Thursday) November 2018


I participated in IAU Symposium 341 "Challenges in Panchromatic Galaxy Modelling with Next Generation Facilities" held at Osaka University Hall, Toyonaka, Osaka.

11 November 2018 (Sunday)


I participated in the lecture for high school students, IAU Symposium 341 satellite event, "Be an astronomer and aim at the top of the universe!" with my graduate students, held at Osaka Sangyo University, Umeda Satellite Room, Osaka City.

9 November 2018 (Friday)


I talked at Wakayama Prefecture Science Education Association, the association of elementary and junior high school science teachers, held in Wakayama City, titled, Global trend in astronomy education.

6 November 2018 (Tuesday)


I talked to mothers of 0 to 2-year-old children on "Topics about universe, Why? Why?" at Childcare Seminar, Kainan City Childcare Support Center Satsukiyama.

3 November 2018 (Saturday, holiday)


I participated in 44th annal meeting of Japan PTA (Parents Teachers Association) Kinki Branch held in Wakayama City.

27 October 2018 (Saturday)


I participated in the annual Education Conference as an adviser for science classes held at Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University.

7 October 2018 (Sunday)


I gave a lecture, "Feel the Universe," a course of teacher's license renewal at Wakayama University, Wakayama City; 30 teachers, from nurseries, kindergartens, preschools, primary schools, secondary schools participated in the lecture.

29 September 2018 (Saturday)


I participated in the annual meeting of Kyodai UchuKai, the gathering of people related to Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University, as one of the staff, held at Kyoto University.

25 September 2018 (Tuesday)


I visited Attached Junior High School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, Wakayama City, where two of my seminar students, Nakano Hiroto-kun and Hirata Koh-kun were practicing teacher's training under supervision of Mr. Shutaro Sakaihara.

20 (Thursday) - 21 (Friday) September 2018


I participated in 2018 autumnal annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of Japan, held at University of Hyogo, Himeji Campus for Engineering, Himeji, Hyogo. I served the chair of the session of astronomy education and others, and one of the organizing committee of Astronomy Education Forum, Open Science to support the collaborative work with citizen.

8 (Saturday) - 9 (Sunday) September 2018


I participated in 7th meeting of Science Education using Small Satellites, held at Kochi Mirai Science Center.

23 (Thursday) - 29 (Wednesday) August 2018


I participated in the 30th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union held at Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria. I presented a poster at Focus Meeting 14, IAU's role on global astronomy outreach: the latest challenges and bridging different communities, with the title "The 3D map astro/geo tour with your fingertips." On Friday 24 August, The second seminar on NASE, Network of Astronomy School Education, a teacher training course for secondary school teachers, "Kaleidoscope of experiences in Cultural Astronomy," held at the historical observatory, Kuffner Observatory, in suburban of Vienna City. I presented "Tanabata star festival," and discussed cultural astronomy with many participants.

11 August 2018 (Saturday, holiday)


I presented air-dome planetarium show and other astronomy education activity to children with parents, with Wakayama University students, at Child and childcare plaza of Chuo Ward, Osaka City.


I visited one of the Ronald McDonald Houses in Japan, Osaka-Suita House, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture with students.

8 August 2018 (Wednesday)


I talked at the symposium on early childhood science education fosucing on scientific experience in early childhood, held at Harukas Campus of Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka City.

6 (Monday) - 7 (Tuesday) August 2018


I participated in 32nd Annual Meeting of Astronomy Education, held at Keio University, Hiyoshi Campus, Yokohama City.

30 July 2018 (Monday)


I gave a special lecture about astronomy to 27 senior high school students, in 1st and 2nd grades, as a preparation seminar for Kinokuni Science Olympiad, a science contest for high school students in Wakayama Prefecture.

21 July 2018 (Saturday)


I gave a talk, "Instruction of presentation for undergraduate students; examples in astrnomy," at 14th Conference with staff of institutes of Japanese language education and institutes accepting students from abroad, held at Japan Student Service Organization Osaka Japanese Language Education Center, Osaka City.

17 (Tuesday) - 31 (Tuesday) July 2018


Mr. Dwiriyo Suryo, a senior undergraduate student of Bandung Institute of Technology (Institut Teknologi Bandung), Indonesia stayed our astronomy seminar for his overseas internship program. He learned about imaging observations using the CCD camera and 60-cm reflector of Astronomical Observatory, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University. He also enjoyed cultural interaction with Japanese students of our astronomy seminar.

16 July 2018 (Monday, holiday)


I attended 8th High School Students Astronomy Activity Presentation, as one of the commentators, held at Tennoji Campus of Osaka Kyoiku University, Osaka City.

1 (Sunday) - 7 (Friday) July 2018


Stories of Tomorrow is a story-telling STEAM education project for primary school using state-of-art multimedia resources, supported by European Commission. The Summer School of the project was held at Attica, Greece, organized by a Greek school, Ellinogermaniki Agogi, with other school science education projects. I together with two Japanese primary school teachers, Mr. Fumihito Kubo of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, and Mr. Masashi Maeda of Attached Elementary School, Faculty of Education, Mie University, participated in the Summer School as the Japanese team. Several dozen participants from several countries including school teachers of not only primary schools but also secondary schools, education and assessment researchers and science education NPO staff, exchanged the recent activities in schools and shared the latest technology and information which are useful for the projects. The Summer School consists of many workshops, lectures, developing new prototype of e-books and its presentation, and wonderful excursions in this beautiful and wonderful country rich in culture and nature. The school teachers not only obtained new methods for the projects but also realized that school science education would deepen the friendship on this planet.

26 June 2018 (Tuesday)


I visited Satsukiyama Preschool at Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture, and performed astronomy outreach activity, explaining in words pictures you are looking at, inspired by a workshop activity at the CAP2018 meeting in March, Fukuoka.

22 June 2018 (Friday)


I visited Takamatsu Elementary School, Wakayama City, where one of my seminar students, Matsunaka Kosuke-kun was practicing teacher's training.

16 June 2018 (Saturday)


I talked "Astronomy and Astronomy Education Connecting the People in the World" to many local senior high school students, at Intex Osaka, Osaka City.

13 June 2018 (Wednesday)


I visited Kamegawa Junior High School, Kainan City, Wakayama, and observed a class for 1st grade students on fern plant by Mr. Hiroshi Urata, who is also a student of graduate school of teacher education, Wakayama University.

29 April 2018 (Tuesday)


40 junior high school stundents of Hidaka High School, Wakayama, visited Wayakama University. I gave a small lecture using the universe simulator Mitaka.

28 April 2018 (Monday)


I visited the Publication Office and the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo, and discussed with staff about astronomy education and related topics.