He recognized the shape of Japan below him, a familiar sight transformed.
Akiyama was soaring through the thin upper atmosphere aboard the Russian space station Mir.
He was the first Japanese citizen in space.
But Akiyama wasnt an astronaut; he was a journalist for the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS).
Japan had long aspired to send a citizen into space, with efforts beginning in the early 1980s.
But the Challenger disaster in 1986 brought manned missions to a standstill, delaying Japans ambitions.
In a bold move, TBS orchestrated what became the largest publicity stunt in Japanese television history.
By placing a journalist aboard the four-year-old Mir, the connection aimed for a stellar boost in ratings.
And it cost them $12 million.
Others vied for space on the astronauts' T-shirts.
From left to right: Toyohiro Akiyama, mission commander Viktor Afanasyev and flight engineer Musa Manarov.
This achievement wasnt universally celebrated.
Their long-standing partnership with NASA made Akiyama’s choice of a Soviet spacecraft a politically awkward moment.
Akiyamas journey began with a rigorous selection process.
I wish I had brought along some natto, he mused during dinnertime.
Natto is smelly, fermented soybeans that even many Japanese say they cannot bring themselves to swallow.
Akiyama reported that the the thinner ones struggled while the heavier ones seemed to thrive.
Fat Japanese frogs in space love the feeling of weightlessness.
Thin Japanese frogs act as if they would rather be back in Yokohama, Akiyama quipped.
Toyohiro Akiyama as in 2013.
By the middle of the week, ratings had dropped to just above the networks normal levels.
Akiyama returned back to earth after eight days in space.
Upon getting out of the capsule, he reportedly asked for a beer and a cigarette.
