## HOBBY ##

Northern lights are the most beautiful and fantastic phenomena of the earth, I think. I've been to Alaska to see them almost every spring since 1996. Although I've seen them in Lapland, I prefer Alaska because I can feel them 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 them in the evening earlier and if I can see them off at dawn later than anyone else. I believe that I can touch their heart.
However, I've not been to Alaska since my Eskimo friend was killed in 2002 autumn. The sun is getting active again with the 11 years cycle, and it may be time to go back.

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" as summer-vacation homework, which might be the beginning. When I was a high school student, I was deeply 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. We alumin often drove to Mt. Fuji with a sleeping bag and stayed up all night looking at stars. In 2002, I got Ph.D of astronomy, and then posdoc research position in Germany. In 2005 autumn I came back to Japan, but in 2008 spring I moved out to Australia again. Now am working at Mt. Stromlo Observatory under the southern cross. 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 is southern islands 1600km away from Tokyo. I was surprised that it was the paradise, clear blue sea with white sand. Under the water, these islands are surrounded by tropical coral and fishes.
Then I have started diving. On 23rd Aug 2000, I got a scuba diving license of NAUI at Izu near Tokyo. I've dived in the Indian Ocean (2001), Mediterranean Sea (2002), Great Barrier Reef (2003, 2008), Red Sea (2004, 2005), and Hawaii (2006, 2008). Among these, my best place is Okinawa in northern Ishigaki and Red Sea in southern Egypt. I like chasing butterfly fish, hunting angel fish, floating among Anthias, and swiming along the drop-off, melted into the deep sea blue. 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! However, the key board player, Gen Ueda (1961-2008), was died in March 2008, which makes me free from Japan.
I have one more favorite band, which is a Japanese indies band, UTA. I went their live so often that we made friends. I wish they could 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, and chanced to work with Tsukakohei (1948-), who is a Japan-living-Korean dramatist awarded a Purple Ribbon Metal. After I moved to Germany, I have seen more than 50 opera at the Bayerische National Theater, and some in Wien and London. Now I'm tring to see Japanese movies. My favourites are Takashi Koizumi (1944-), Kazuo Kuroki (1930-2006), and Hayao Miyazaki (1941-).
Still, my most favorite company is our BISHOP, most favourite is a tragicomedy "A forest of one tree and an ocean of trees" (1997). The writer and director, Haruyuki Kurihara, becomes a novelist. 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 (1867-1916), Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972), Jyun'ichiro Tanisaki (1886-1965), and Kahuu Nagai (1879-1959). 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 (1975-).

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. I like somewhere shining, waterfront, wide, high, and fast. I like anything to ride, and my dream is to get flying license! The places I want to visit are Easter Island, Antarctica, and Moon.