Article by Viory
As the world marks the International Day of Human Space Flight, a resident of Kyoto has recalled witnessing the visit of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin during his tour of Japan in 1962.
Takao Nishimura, now 83, described the moment he saw Gagarin in person.
“I never dreamt that he would wave to me right in front of me. I felt happy,” he said. “My impression of him is that he was incredibly gentle. He was always smiling.”
Footage filmed on Sunday shows Nishimura returning to the location where he saw the first human in space as a young man, recalling how Gagarin greeted crowds from a vehicle during his visit.
“With both hands raised, he happily waved,” Nishimura said. “It looked like he was having a lot of fun.”
Following his April 12, 1961, spaceflight aboard Vostok 1, Gagarin embarked on a global tour often described as a ‘peace mission’, visiting more than 30 countries including India, Brazil, Egypt and Japan.
During the Kyoto visit, Nishimura took three photographs of the cosmonaut using a borrowed Canon SLR camera.
“The focus is a little soft, or maybe it’s just a bit blurry. But still, at least I managed to get a clear shot of Gagarin. So, for me, it’s the best photo I’ve ever taken,” he said.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight, when Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth in a mission lasting 108 minutes.
Article by Viory
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