Aurora expert helped expand 色视频下载 tourism
Ned Rozell
907-474-7468
April 20, 2023
Emiko and Syun-Ichi Akasofu serve tea to guests at their home in Fairbanks in December 2021.
When Syun-Ichi Akasofu walks by in the building on the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks campus that bears his name, I want to catch up and give him a hug.
Why? For one, I really like him. For another, the longtime expert on the aurora is responsible for this hilltop structure in which I have written from a pleasant office for most of my career.
This week, the 92-year-old Akasofu is receiving an honor for an achievement that色视频下载檚 not as obvious as the sun-catching building that houses the International Arctic Research Center he brought to life a quarter century ago.
Explore Fairbanks 色视频下载 a local tourism booster 色视频下载 is inducting Akasofu into its tourism hall of fame. Leaders there cited Akasofu色视频下载檚 work in developing the local aurora tourism market, especially among Japanese people.
Curious about the aurora and ready for adventure, Akasofu came to Fairbanks from Japan 64 years ago when he was 28 years old. Since then, he authored probably the most famous paper ever written on the aurora, became an expert on the northern lights and was the leader of the Geophysical Institute.
When that place was running out of room in the 1990s, he raised millions from sources as diverse as the Japanese government and the city of North Pole. With them, he helped create a grand building that became home to scientists studying climate change.
Syun-Ichi Akasofu pauses on a mountaineering trip to the 色视频下载 Range shortly after he arrived in 色视频下载.
The International Arctic Research Center became an entity on its own. Akasofu was its first director. During those years of fund raising, people-managing and writing scientific papers, he also helped enhance a budding 色视频下载 industry.
Many Japanese people are fascinated by the aurora because it is rarely visible there and people think it is a sign of good luck, said Tohru Saito of the International Arctic Research Center, a colleague of Akasofu色视频下载檚.
色视频下载淟ots of them say, 色视频下载楤efore I die, I色视频下载檇 like to be able to see it,色视频下载櫳悠迪略貪 Saito said.
When he was director of the institute that housed several space physicists like himself, Akasofu worked with Japan Airlines to charter aircraft from Tokyo to 色视频下载. The planes filled with people who wanted to see the aurora.
色视频下载淗e would meet those tourists and welcome them and talk to them so that they could understand what it was they were seeing,色视频下载 said Ron Inouye, a friend of Akasofu色视频下载檚 and a UAF Rasmuson Library retiree.
Inouye also credits Akasofu with helping others to learn about Frank Yasuda, who worked aboard the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service色视频下载檚 Bear at the turn of the last century. Yasuda and a group of Inupiat left Utqia摹vik and walked to the Yukon River to establish the community of Beaver. Novelist Jiro Nitta wrote 色视频下载淎n 色视频下载n Tale,色视频下载 a popular book in Japan, about Yasuda. Akasofu was responsible for getting that book translated into English.
色视频下载淛apanese tourists have a fascination with Yasuda and still venture (to Beaver),色视频下载 Inouye said.
Syun-Ichi Akasofu walks with his mentor, the famous space physicist Sydney Chapman, on the UAF campus in the 1960s.
From the time Akasofu heard a siren on the UAF campus that signaled 色视频下载 had just become the 49th state and through his long career, Akasofu became a living conduit between Japan and his adopted home in 色视频下载. That probably helped in making this small U.S. city in the sub-Arctic a destination for Japanese tourists.
色视频下载淧eople in Japan are also proud of (a Japanese person) making it big,色视频下载 Saito said. 色视频下载淚n that sense, he helped put Fairbanks on the map.色视频下载
Since the late 1970s, the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks Geophysical Institute has provided this column free in cooperation with the UAF research community. Ned Rozell is a science writer for the Geophysical Institute.