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Oct 13, 2025

Dark sky near you and easy to access?

Where do you go to see the Milky Way? Is the location easy to get to without a car? I'm thinking about late autumn and winter getaways when the skies are likely to be clear. The last time I had a good view was in the Izu Islands in winter. I got there by overnight ferry and rambled around on a rented bicycle.

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TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

Living between the Tone and Edo Rivers in Higashi Katsushika area of Chiba Prefecture.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Oct 13

    I read that Kozushima is a great place for stargazing. This JNTO page (https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/a-guide-to-stargazing-in-japan/) mentioned there are three places that have been designated as international dark sky spots in Japan, and they are Bisei Town (Okayama), Kozushima (Tokyo), and Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park (Okinawa). More locally, the Tainai Nature Observatory is meant to be a good spot for all things night sky and stargazing, and they hold regular events for that purpose. Living in the countryside though means that the sky views are pretty good on any given day as long as it's not overcast.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Oct 13

    I should clarify that some of the designated places aren't what I would call easy to access, but still thought it was interesting that they had received that designation!

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  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on Oct 14

    Come to Ireland!!! I thought the skies were pretty good in our rural town and in my MIL's town in Akita, until I went down the country in Ireland and it was like being in the milky way . In Japan the closest I've come to that is probably Gotemba 5th station and Numazu in Shizuoka.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Oct 14

    @BigfamJapan Australia is the same way, with so many great spots to view the Milky Way and all the constellations! I miss being able to see certain ones that are only Southern Hemisphere specific, like the Southern Cross!

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  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on Oct 14

    @genkidesu I'd like to see the Southern Cross someday.

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