Saeko Hayashi recognized in Asia’s Women in STEM book

July 3, 2026
The University of Tokyo Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI)

Kavli IPMU Project Professor Saeko Hayashi

The University of Tokyo Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI) Project Professor Saeko Hayashi’s story of a young girl leaving her hometown with big dreams of uncovering the mysteries of the Universe has been featured in “Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Advancing SDGs in Asia”, a book published this month by The Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA).

The book features stories from 49 women researchers in 14 countries across Asia, including three researchers from Japan. Hayashi was selected by the Science Council of Japan as one of these three Japanese researchers. The other researchers were RIKEN Executive Director of Science and Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Team Director Motoko Kotani, and Shibaura Institute of Technology Department of Civil Engineering Professor Yukiko Hirabayashi.

The AASSA Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (WISE) Committee produced this book to showcase women leaders whose work has advanced five United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), and to emphasize the importance of increasing the visibility and leadership of women in STEM.

As a graduate student, Hayashi studied star and planetary system formation at observatories including the Nobeyama Radio Observatory in central Japan, becoming the first woman to earn a PhD in Astronomy from the University of Tokyo. Afterwards, she moved to Hawai’i to join the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), a 15-meter radio telescope for submm wave observations. There, she helped improve the telescope’s observational performance and take part in international collaborations.

The next project would be Hayashi’s biggest challenge. She became a trailblazer in designing, developing and commissioning the 8.3-m Subaru Telescope, all while famous astronomers around the world thought it would not be possible for the Japanese astronomy community to build such a facility. Beyond the research and engineering milestones of the telescope, Hayashi later founded the Public Outreach and Information Office, which organized public outreach programs and coordinated press releases. She focused significantly on interacting with the local community in Hawai’i, sharing information and encouraging girls and students from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in science and engineering.

From 2017 to 2019, Hayashi served as Vice President of the Astronomical Society of Japan, driving initiatives that supported more research integrity and gender equity. She currently continues similar efforts at Kavli IPMU as its Administrative Director, and continues to be involved in the making of TMT (Thirty Meter Telescope).

Hayashi has been highly regarded for her crucial contributions to astronomy research, building telescopes, and for her public work and leadership within organizations. Her story has been published under SDG4: Quality Education.