2026 Hirono Makiba Observatory Starry Sky: A Full-Day Course

This is a day to enjoy the night sky at Hirono Makiba Observatory (ひろのまきば天文台) in Ono, Hirono Town, Kunohe District, Iwate Prefecture. Located on a plateau rated as offering some of the best stargazing conditions in Japan by a Ministry of the Environment survey, it is equipped with a 51cm-aperture reflecting telescope, one of the largest in northern Tohoku, as well as a solar telescope. Open 13:00-21:00 (admission accepted until 20:30), Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only; closed Monday through Thursday and from December 29 to January 3. Admission is 210 yen for adults (high-school age and up) and 100 yen for children (elementary/junior-high school). Michi-no-Eki Ono, about a 13-minute walk from the observatory, is the nearest rest stop.