Osaki observatory

Osaki observatory, also known as Kawatabi Observatory, sits in the countryside of Osaki City in Japan's Miyagi Prefecture. It is run by Tohoku University as part of its atmospheric and space research programme.

About Osaki observatory

The site is operated by the Planetary Plasma and Atmospheric Research Center (PPARC) at Tohoku University's Graduate School of Science. It sits on open grassland near Naruko-onsen in Osaki, chosen in 1982 for its clear, low-interference surroundings.

Research at the observatory

PPARC uses the Osaki site as part of a wider network of radio astronomical facilities, including a 30-metre VHF radio telescope used for studies of the upper atmosphere and the near-Earth space environment.

Location and getting there

The observatory is located in the hills near Naruko-onsen, a hot-spring area of Osaki City in Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of northern Japan.

Visiting Osaki observatory

As a university research facility, the site is not set up as a general tourist attraction. Anyone hoping to visit should contact Tohoku University's PPARC in advance to check on access.

See your named star from here

Radio telescopes like the ones run from Osaki work with precise sky coordinates every day. When you name a star through Star Register, you get that same kind of coordinate data for your own star, ready to look up in our catalogue or point a telescope at from anywhere with dark skies.