10 stargazing spots and observatories in Kanto
- Gunma Astronomical Observatory (weekends and holidays) and Fureai Observatory (Saturdays) allow telescope viewing without reservations for ¥300 for adults.
- Kawaguchi Science Museum (2nd and 4th Saturdays, lottery) and street-corner viewing in Chiba are free.
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka holds its next viewing November 28, with applications from 11:00 November 18 to 12:00 November 19.
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In Kanto, you can see stars either by applying for an observatory’s stargazing night or by going to a high-altitude place such as Nikko. You can look through a telescope without a reservation at Gunma Astronomical Observatory in Gunma (weekends, holidays and some other days) and Fureai Observatory in Ibaraki (Saturdays), and it is free at Kawaguchi Science Museum and the street-corner viewing in Kamogawa. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan near Tokyo and Kawaguchi use a lottery, so check the application dates first.
In short
- To look through a telescope without a reservation: Gunma Astronomical Observatory (adults ¥300) and Fureai Observatory (adults ¥300).
- Near central Tokyo: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka (next on November 28) and Kawaguchi Science Museum (2nd and 4th Saturdays).
- For a dark sky: Lake Chuzenji, Senjogahara and Kirifuri Plateau in Nikko.
- To stay overnight: Dodaira Observatory (staying is also possible on viewing nights).
Checked with official pages on November 1, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours may change.
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1. Dates, prices and booking at 10 stargazing spots and observatories in Kanto
Select a place’s name to jump to its section. Prices are for one adult.
| Place | Prefecture | When you can see | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAOJ Mitaka | Tokyo | Once in odd-numbered months (next on November 28) | — | Lottery (45 people each) |
| Kawaguchi Science Museum | Saitama | 2nd and 4th Saturdays | Free | Lottery (20 people each) |
| Dodaira Observatory | Saitama | 2nd and 4th Fridays (only the 2nd in December) | ¥200 | By phone (up to 50 people) |
| Gunma Astronomical Observatory | Gunma | Weekends, holidays and some other days | ¥300 | Not needed on weekends and holidays |
| Fureai Observatory | Ibaraki | Every Saturday | ¥300 | Not needed |
| Tsukuba Expo Center | Ibaraki | Once a month (November 21) | ¥600 | Application (100 people) |
| Street-corner viewing | Chiba | Once a month | Free | Not needed |
| Lake Chuzenji | Tochigi | Clear nights | — | — |
| Senjogahara | Tochigi | Clear nights | — | — |
| Kirifuri Plateau | Tochigi | Clear nights | — | — |
Source: each facility’s official site and the Nikko City Tourism Association’s guide (checked on November 1, 2026). A “—” means the official site gives no information on that item.
2. What to know when stargazing in Kanto
Observatory viewing nights are basically cancelled in cloud or rain. Kawaguchi cancels in cloud, rain or strong wind, Fureai Observatory decides by the weather 30 minutes before opening, and Dodaira Observatory decides on the day after 16:00. Only Tsukuba Expo Center switches to a planetarium talk when the weather is bad.
Some application periods are short. According to the National Astronomical Observatory’s regular stargazing page (Japanese), applications for the November 28 night run from 11:00 on November 18 to noon on November 19. Applications for Kawaguchi’s November 14 session closed at 12:00 on November 3, and for the November 28 session they run from 9:30 on November 10 to 12:00 on November 17.
In winter some places start earlier at night. Gunma Astronomical Observatory is open 18:00 to 21:00 from November to February, and Fureai Observatory 19:00 to 20:00 from late December to February.
When an observatory is at a high altitude, you also need to prepare for the road at night. The road to Dodaira Observatory is a narrow mountain road, and you reach the facility by car or on foot.
3. Observatories with viewing nights
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka
In fiscal 2026 the regular stargazing night is held once in odd-numbered months, and the next is on Saturday, November 28, in person. There are 2 groups, at 18:30 and 19:05, with 45 people each, applications of up to 5 people per entry, and applicants are notified of the results on November 24. Student staff explain the objects.
| Name | National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka City, Tokyo |
| Hours / Closed | Regular stargazing nights are held once in odd-numbered months |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Kawaguchi Science Museum
Night observation sessions are held after sunset on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, using a 65 cm reflecting telescope and a 20 cm refracting telescope. Participation is free, with 20 people per session, and a lottery is held if there are many applications. In November there are 2 sessions, at 18:00 and 18:40, and one application can cover up to 6 people.
| Name | Kawaguchi Science Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | Kawaguchi City, Saitama |
| Hours / Closed | Night observation sessions are held after sunset on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Dodaira Observatory Star and Green Creation Center
This facility in Tokigawa Town holds stargazing nights on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month from 19:00 to 21:00 (only the 2nd Friday in December). It is ¥200 for high school students and older, ¥100 for elementary and junior high school students and free for younger children, and free for people staying overnight. Reservations are taken by phone from 10 days before each night.
The gate is closed at night, so only overnight guests and people joining the stargazing night can enter. It is not an observation institution as an observatory but a facility for overnight stays and day camping.
| Name | Dodaira Observatory Star and Green Creation Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 1853 Oono, Tokigawa Town, Hiki District, Saitama |
| Hours / Closed | Stargazing nights are held on the 2nd and 4th Fridays 19:00–21:00 (only the 2nd Friday in December) |
| Phone | 0493-67-0130 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Gunma Astronomical Observatory
On weekends, holidays and some other nights you can enter without a reservation and look through a large telescope. It is ¥300 for adults, ¥200 for high school and university students and free for junior high school students and younger. The open days are on the official calendar, and from November to February it is 18:00 to 21:00 (reception 17:00 to 20:30). It is at an altitude of 885 m and has 150 cm and 65 cm telescopes.
| Name | Gunma Astronomical Observatory |
|---|---|
| Address | 6860-86 Nakayama, Takayama Village, Agatsuma District, Gunma |
| Hours / Closed | Night stargazing is November–February 18:00–21:00, March–October 19:00–22:00 (days on the official calendar) |
| Phone | 0279-70-5300 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Fureai Observatory (Shirosato Town)
This observatory at Fureai-no-Sato in Shirosato Town is open every Saturday, and no reservation is needed. Members of an astronomy club explain, and you look through a 400 mm telescope. It is ¥300 for adults, ¥200 for elementary and junior high school students and free for preschool children. One session is about 20 minutes, and the capacity is 50 people.
| Name | Fureai Observatory (Fureai-no-Sato) |
|---|---|
| Address | 4384 Kamiirino, Shirosato Town, Higashiibaraki District, Ibaraki |
| Hours / Closed | Every Saturday 20:30–21:45 (late December–February 19:00–20:00) |
| Phone | 029-288-5505 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Tsukuba Expo Center
This is a monthly stargazing night, and in November it is on Saturday the 21st from 18:30 to 20:30, with the theme of the Andromeda Galaxy. The fee is ¥600 (free for ages 3 and under) and the capacity is 100 people. Applications opened at noon on October 21.
| Name | Tsukuba Expo Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-9 Azuma, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki |
| Hours / Closed | Stargazing nights are held once a month |
| Phone | 029-858-1100 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Street-corner viewing (Kamogawa)
This is a stargazing night held once a month by a group working to build an observatory in Kamogawa City, on the roundabout at the west exit of JR Awa-Kamogawa Station. It is free and has continued since 2010. Check the date in the group’s notices. Because it is in front of a station, what you see is the Moon and planets.
| Name | Street-corner viewing (JR Awa-Kamogawa Station West Exit) |
|---|---|
| Address | In front of the west exit of JR Awa-Kamogawa Station, Kamogawa City, Chiba |
| Hours / Closed | Once a month |
| Phone | 04-7097-0214 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
4. Stargazing spots in Nikko
Nikko is high and has many dark places, so the tourist association introduces places for stargazing. They are not places with viewing nights, so you look up at the sky without a telescope. It gets quite cold in winter.
Lake Chuzenji
At 1,269 m above sea level, this lake lets you look at the stars above the lake and Mt. Nantai together from the Utagahama parking lot.
| Name | Lake Chuzenji (Utagahama parking lot) |
|---|---|
| Address | Chugushi, Nikko City, Tochigi (Utagahama parking lot) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Senjogahara
A flat marsh at about 1,400 m above sea level and a well-known stargazing place in Kanto. It is near Yumoto in Oku-Nikko.
| Name | Senjogahara |
|---|---|
| Address | Nikko City, Tochigi |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Kirifuri Plateau
Kirifuri Plateau Kisuge-daira Park is a grassland at 1,350 m to 1,600 m, where you can look out over the stars and the lights of the town together.
Common questions
| Name | Kirifuri Plateau Kisuge-daira Park |
|---|---|
| Address | 1531 Tokorono, Nikko City, Tochigi |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Where can I look through a telescope without a reservation?
Gunma Astronomical Observatory (weekends and holidays) and Fureai Observatory (Saturdays). Street-corner viewing in Kamogawa is also free and needs no booking.
Which ones use a lottery?
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka (applications for November 28 on November 18 and 19) and Kawaguchi Science Museum (applications for November 28 until 12:00 on November 17).
What happens in bad weather?
Viewing nights are basically cancelled in cloud or rain. Only Tsukuba Expo Center switches to a planetarium talk.
Sources
11 pages we checked
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka: regular stargazing nights
- Kawaguchi Science Museum: night observation sessions
- Dodaira Observatory (Tokigawa Town): stargazing nights
- Dodaira Observatory (Tokigawa Town): facility guide
- Gunma Astronomical Observatory: night stargazing
- Gunma Astronomical Observatory: admission fees
- Fureai-no-Sato: Fureai Observatory
- Tsukuba Expo Center: November stargazing night
- Kamogawa City Tourism Association: street-corner stargazing
- Nikko City Tourism Association: feature on stargazing spots in Nikko
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on November 1, 2026 (Japan time).
