July 28 - I recently had the honor to travel to Hawaii as the Emperor and Empress of Japan visited the state. During one reception in the town of Waimea on the Big Island, I met several Japanese scientists who had left Japan to work at the Subaru Telescope research facility. Their story fascinated me.

The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) built the Subaru Telescope in 1997 on the summit of Mauna Kea. It is one of 13 telescopes on that mountain that take advantage of the mountain's high altitude (4,207 meters above sea level) and distance from sources of light pollution. The telescope is so high up the mountain that when the astronomers visit, they must take a two-hour "acclimatization break" part way up to avoid altitude sickness. Scientists around the world use this Japanese telescope to observe astronomical phenomena and access this data through a high-speed computer network in Hilo.

I learned that of the 96 staff currently working at the facility, over half are Japanese engineers and scientists. In addition to conducting research at the facility, these scientists also make presentations to local audiences, give tours, and provide material for educators, the media, and academics. Their activities enrich the lives of the residents on the Big Island. The facility is also used to train the next generation of researchers from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai) in Japan and other universities.

I was impressed with the enthusiasm these scientists had for sharing their expertise with others, and their willingness to travel so far from Japan for their jobs. Of course, one of the scientists humbly confessed to me that he and his family loved living in Hawaii where he enjoyed the lush green landscape and year-round warm weather. After spending a week traveling in the state, I would have to agree with his assessment of the beautiful life on Hawaii!

Until next time,

Jim