The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) participated in APRIM 2026 in Hong Kong. Together with NAOJ’s parent organization, the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), it hosted an exhibition booth introducing the latest astronomical research, future projects, and educational opportunities.
APRIM (Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting) is a regional conference of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Held from May 4 to 8, 2026, the meeting brought together approximately 500 astronomers, researchers, and students from across the Asia-Pacific region to share scientific results and discuss future developments in astronomy.
During the conference, Satoshi Miyazaki, Director of the Subaru Telescope, presented the current status and future plans of the telescope. His talk highlighted scientific opportunities enabled by the newly commissioned ʻŌnohiʻula Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) and the next-generation adaptive optics project, ULTIMATE-Subaru.
Wako Aoki of the NAOJ TMT Project also gave an update on the latest progress of the Thirty Meter Telescope, one of the world's most ambitious next-generation astronomical observatories.
Figure 2: Wako Aoki presents the latest progress of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). (Credit: NAOJ)
On May 5, local middle and high school students visited the conference venue as part of a public outreach program. At the NAOJ/NINS booth, students toured the Subaru Telescope dome in VR and learned about astronomy using spectroscopy cards.
Figure 3: Visitors at the public outreach day on May 5. Wako Aoki introduced the Subaru Telescope and TMT to local high school students. (Credit: NAOJ)
The exhibition booth also introduced fellowship opportunities for international researchers and graduate education programs offered through the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI. Many visitors expressed interest in research opportunities available in Japan.
APRIM 2026 provided a valuable opportunity to connect with researchers, students, and members of the public from across the Asia-Pacific region. Through scientific presentations and outreach activities, Subaru Telescope shared its latest achievements and future vision while inspiring the next generation of astronomers.
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