## HOBBY ##

Northern lights are the most beautiful and fantastic phenomena of the earth, I think. I've been to Alaska to see it almost every spring since 1996. Although I've seen it in Lapland, I prefer Alaska because I can feel it in the deep forest. I also take pictures for my memory (see the photo on the top page).
I'm pleased to wait, wait, and wait for the lights to appear in the cold weather (-30 degree) all night (~10 hours). I'm happy if I can catch it in the evening earlier and if I can say good-bye at dawn later than anyone else. I believe that I can touch its heart.

I love stars, galaxies, and the Universe. When I was a child, I often went Goto Planetarium in Shibuya, Tokyo. When I was a 3rd-year junior-high school student, I wrote a report entitled "relativistic cosmology", which might be the beginning. When I was a high school student, I was impressed by a book "The brief history of the universe" by Steven W. Hawking.
To study astronomy, I began to study to enter the Univ. of Tokyo, and proceeded to the Department of Astronomy in 1995. In 2002, I got Ph.D of astronomy and posdoc research position in Germany. In the autumn 2005, I came back Japan, and am working at the National Astronomical Astronomical Observatory of Japan. My hobby turns to be my work. Everyday I'm making my galaxies in my computer. I'm also interested in observations. Recently, I've been to Subaru telescope for observing on the top of Mauna Kea (4200m) in Hawaii main island.

I love seas, I like just looking, swimming, and scuba diving. When I was in elementary school, I was competing in swimming. In 1997, I've been Okinawa for the first time, which are islands in the southern end of Japan. I was surprised that it was the paradise, clear blue sea with white sand. Under the water, these islands are surrounded by many kinds of pretty coral and tropical lovely fishes.
Then I started diving. On 23rd Aug 2000, I got a scuba diving license of NAUI at Izu, Japan. I've dived in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Great Barrier Reef, Red Sea, and Hawaii. I also take under-water pictures for my memory. Next, I want to get a license of boat sailing.

I like not only listening music but also playing it. I was singing in a rock band when I was a student. I love 70's western rock music (e.g., AEROSMITH, ROLLING STONES, QUEEN,...) and 80's Japanese rock music (ARB, ECHOES, Carmen Maki & Oz,...). My most favorite band is LA-PISSCH, which is a Japanese funky rock band and plays a kind of mixture music (like FISHBONE) including ska, punk. hard rock, blues... The melody is cute and the words are a bit strange... cool! I have one more favorite band, which is a Japanese indies band, UTA, and I hope they become famous.

I prefer performing a play to going to the theater. I've belonged to a drama club since I was in elementary school. In the university, I belonged a drama company, theater BISHOP, but stopped in 1998. Then I tried to see many kinds of plays for 4 years. After I moved to Germany, I have seen 50 opera at the Bayerische National Theater, that was very interesting, Still, my most favorite company is our BISHOP. Its writer and director is Haruyuki Kurihara. My wish is that his works are distributed to all over the world.

I like Japanese literature written a hundred years ago, especially Soseki Natsume, Yasunari Kawabata, Jyun'ichiro Tanisaki, and Kahuu Nagai. Stories are not special but simple, in the daily life, and sometimes boring. Instead, the deep mind of characters are written with artistic words, and the beauty and darkness of the human being is revealed. Among recent novelists, I was attracted by Keiichiro Hirano.

I can go anywhere by myself, if it's enough clean and safe. I don't have interests for peoples, food, shopping, museums, and buildings. However, I was impressed with churches and castles in Europe. What I like is somewhere shining, waterfront, wide, high, and fast. I like anything to ride, and my dream is to get flying license!