Saeko Hayashi: a Japanese astronomer in Hawaii

By Gabriella Bernardi

Before the last IAU2015 held at Honolulu in August , a press tour to the Observatories at Mauna Kea was arranged by the local organizers. During the visit the first astronomer I met was Saeko Hayashi, who was so kind to grant me an interview.

Professor Saeko Hayashi, which studies did you attend before starting your career at the Subaru Telescope in Mauna Kea?

My formal education is from the University of Tokyo, both undergraduate and graduate. At that time, not many universities had astronomy department. My work, after getting PhD from the University of Tokyo, was first here in Hawaii.

Worked for then Joint Astronomy Centre (notice the British spelling, for this institute was a joint consortium of UK, Canada, and Netherlands). Out of the two telescope JAC operated, UKIRT and JCMT, I mostly worked at JCMT (James Clark Maxwell Telescope), a 15-m radio telescope for sub-millimetric observations.

Then I moved to the headquarters of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan in Tokyo where the Subaru Telescope project started. Moved back to Hawaii as the telescope construction progressed, and staying here still.

Afterwards, which responsibilities did you hold in Hawaii?

During the commissioning phase, I was with the telescope optics group, and was responsible for the mirror coating and cleaning. Then, I moved to the operation as the new day crew group was founded as responsible for the day crew group.

One of my duties was to help transfer knowledge and skills from the construction team to the operation team. Can you imagine a Japanese woman controlling 11 American men? This would not happen in Japan.

Then I moved to the newly founded Public Information and Outreach Office as its head. Currently I do not call myself as an astronomer, since I am not leading research project.