When You Wish Upon a Star Open Talk Series at Hosei Tokyo

On 4 July 2026, our latest Open Talk Series session, “When You Wish Upon a Star — How do the wonders of the universe inspire arts, sciences and human evolution?”, was held at Global Lounge, 2F Ouchiyama Building, Ichigaya Campus, Hosei University, mainly organized by the HKU Alumni Network of Japan.

Dr Hippo Yam opened the session by tracing humanity's relationship with the stars—from ancient civilizations observing the night sky to today's lunar and planetary exploration missions. Drawing on his experience in the space industry, he shared how space exploration is driven not only by technological advancement, but also by curiosity, imagination, and humanity's enduring desire to understand our place in the universe.

The discussion that followed broadened the conversation beyond science. Professor Tomoaki Matsumoto brought perspectives from his research findings about the binary stars, while photographer misaki matsui reflected on how the night sky continues to inspire artistic expression and our emotional connection with nature.

Together, the panel explored how scientific discovery, creativity, and human curiosity have always evolved hand in hand. The audience contributed thoughtful questions ranging from how our daily lives are connected to space exploration to existence of aliens, making for a lively and engaging exchange of ideas.

Our sincere thanks to Dr Hippo Yam, Professor Tomoaki Matsumoto, and misaki matsui for sharing their insights, and to our co-host, the Global Education Center of Hosei University. We are also grateful to our supporting organisations—HKU Japanese Studies Programme, CUHK Department of Japanese Studies, HKUBS Alumni Network Japan, HKUST Alumni Network in Japan, and Commonverse—for making this event possible.