Tokyo-Mitaka observatory

Tokyo-Mitaka Observatory sits in Mitaka, a western suburb of Tokyo, Japan, and today serves as the headquarters campus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). Its long history and mix of historic instruments and public exhibits make it one of Japan's most accessible astronomical sites.

About Tokyo-Mitaka Observatory

The observatory traces its roots to 1888, when it was founded as the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory in Iikura, Azabu, formed by merging the Tokyo Imperial University Astronomical Observatory, the Naval Meteorological Observatory, and the Geographical Bureau. As Tokyo's growing lights made observing harder, the observatory relocated to Mitaka in 1924. Since 1988 it has operated as the core campus of NAOJ, Japan's national body for astronomical research.

History

Founded in 1888 and rebuilt in Mitaka in 1924 to escape urban light pollution, the site has grown alongside Japanese astronomy for well over a century. Visitors can walk through the on-site Observatory History Museum, which preserves twentieth-century instruments, including a dome housing a 65cm refractor from the observatory's earlier decades.

Telescopes & research

Alongside its historic refractor, the Mitaka campus hosts active solar observation instruments such as the Solar Flare Telescope and Sunspot Telescope, plus the TAMA 300 gravitational wave detector. As NAOJ's administrative and research hub, it coordinates work carried out across Japan's wider observatory network.

Location & getting there

Tokyo-Mitaka Observatory is located in Mitaka, Tokyo, at roughly 35.67°N, 139.54°E — easily reached from central Tokyo, unlike many of Japan's mountain-top research stations. Its urban-edge setting is part of why the site now leans on its museum and public programming rather than deep-sky observation.

Visiting Tokyo-Mitaka Observatory

The campus hosts stargazing events and exhibitions and welcomes public visitors to its history museum. Opening hours and event schedules can change, so check the official NAOJ website before travelling.

See your named star from here

Because any telescope can be pointed at a set of coordinates, staff or visiting astronomers near Mitaka could in principle locate your named star's right ascension and declination from a dark-sky site nearby. Browse our star-naming packages or explore the full star catalogue to find yours.