For travelers interested in anything beyond planet Earth, Kagoshima prefecture’s JAXA Space Centers are the ideal locations to explore rockets, history, and the charms of the Japanese countryside. Here are some of the best spots to experience Japan’s annual rocket launches and learn about the history of the Japanese space exploration industry.

Because they are so far from any other land mass, local species have evolved separately from their mainland cousins and developed unique adaptations to their environment. I had two nights at Chichijima, so I booked two night tours: one for stargazing and one to see the island’s nocturnal wildlife.

Kimotsuki is situated in the southern tip of the Osumi Peninsula, one of two peninsulas making Kagoshima Prefecture. The town is dubbed "The Oriental Florida" because of its mild climate and abundant nature of mountain ranges and the Pacific Ocean behind it. In addition, it is also known for Uchinoura Space Center, one of the six rocket launch sites in Japan. Kagoshima is known as the Japanese rocket prefecture.

I live in Tokyo, the world’s largest metropolis, but my home is in the western region. Most tourists focus their attention on the busier areas like Ginza, Akihabara, Shibuya, or Shinjuku, but do not know of the many exciting places in western Tokyo along the Keio Line. For your next Tokyo vacation, here is are my top 15 fun recommendations in western Tokyo. Enjoy!

"There are still many unknown things in the cosmos. These large unknown issues cannot be solved by short-term research and many people have to get interested in those matters to solve them by taking a lot of time," he added,"I want young people to join such mystery solving."