Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The entire 18.58㎢ area of Kozushima Village has been certified as Tokyo’s first International Dark Sky Park on Dec. 2 supported by Tokyo government’s Treasure Islands Project.

The “International Dark Sky Places Program” is a certification program by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), an NPO headquartered in Arizona, USA aimed at celebrating efforts to protect and preserve night skies free from light pollution.

Maeda Hiroshi, mayor of Kozushima and the program manager of the accrediting body, said his village’s ‘International Dark Sky Park’ certification “is of deep significance to me, and I pledge to preserve Kozushima’s beautiful starry sky for generations to come.”

The project, second certified International Dark Sky Park in Japan, intends to improve tourism reception capabilities so that many visitors can come and enjoy starry sky tours, assured Mayor Hiroshi. 

With “only a four-hour boat ride from Tokyo. Kozushima’s protected starry night skies will undoubtedly inspire and awe many of Japan’s urban citizens who travel to the Island to experience the wonders of the cosmos,” said Mr. Adam Dalton, IDA Dark Sky Places Program Manager. 
 
The project is supported by Tokyo Government in partnership with Iwasaki Electric LTD “to develop a unique new dark sky appropriate lighting fixtures to be installed on the island, and innovative outreach underscore the immense work the applicants have undertaken,” said the program manager. 

It is one of the five categories in this program and, in addition to Kozushima Village, Iriomote Ishigaki National Park in Okinawa has also been certified.