Astro tour at Kumano-kodo

This tour offers stargazing and telescope viewing in the Kumano Kodo area. It is held on a part of the Kumano Kodo that follows the coastline, at Minabe Town, Wakayama Prefecture, near Senri Oji. While listening to the sound of the waves, you can enjoy the starry sky that people walking the Kumano Kodo trail have gazed up at since ancient times. The telescope used on the tour has an 11-inch aperture. The stargazing guide will point out and explain the best celestial bodies to look for the season, from the moon and planets to star clusters and nebulae. At the end of the tour, a commemorative photo will be taken against the starry night sky. The guide is Natsuki Tsunoda, President of STAR FOREST, who has gained experience as a stargazing guide and researcher at observatories in New Zealand. Tsunoda conducted in-depth research on star tourism at Wakayama University's Graduate School of Tourism, earning a master's degree. He has also engaged in a wide range of activities, including trying out for astronaut candidate selection tests and holding stargazing seminars around Japan. He will give you a richly packed 1-hour tour.