TOKYO, Sept 1 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Toyohiro Akiyama, the first Japanese to fly into space and a former journalist, has died, a relative said Tuesday. He was 84, Kyodo News reported.
The Tokyo native became an astronaut through an internal screening process at Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc., staying at the Mir space station in December 1990 and becoming known for his first words in space, "Am I on air?"
After joining the broadcasting company in 1966, he covered politics and international affairs before serving as head of the company's Washington bureau. He applied to become an astronaut after he became an editor at the international affairs department.
Akiyama left broadcasting years after his return to Earth, saying he wanted to "focus on environmental issues while engaging in agriculture."
He moved to Fukushima Prefecture, where he farmed and continued to write. He lived in Mie Prefecture from 2017.
He was appointed professor in 2011 at what is now known as Kyoto University of the Arts.
-- BERNAMA-KYODO