Megastar Planetarium by Takayuki Ohira

In a world dominated by glowing screens and fast-paced tech, there exists a rare invention that brings the cosmos into your room with staggering precision. It's called the MEGASTAR, and it's not just a planetarium projector—it's an astronomical masterpiece engineered by one of Japan's most fascinating inventors: Takayuki Ohira.

Takayuki Ohira is something of a legend in the niche world of optical engineering and planetarium design. Born in Kawasaki, Japan, he grew up gazing at the night sky, captivated by stars and celestial patterns. As a child, he built his first planetarium in a cardboard box. Fast forward to today, and he is the mastermind behind the MEGASTAR series—planetarium projectors so advanced, they've made it into the Guinness World Records and have been installed in planetariums and science museums around the globe.

What makes the MEGASTAR so special? For starters, it can project **over 22 million stars**. Traditional planetarium projectors might display a few thousand points of light, which is enough to simulate the night sky for casual stargazing. But Ohira wasn't satisfied with "good enough." He wanted the most accurate and immersive starfield possible. His MEGASTAR projectors use custom-designed lenses, ultra-precise light sources, and an intricate system of mechanical and optical components that simulate the true scale and density of our galaxy. The result is a sky so densely packed with stars, it feels like you've been transported to the most remote, light-pollution-free mountaintop.

The MEGASTAR II, one of the most famous models, gained international fame when it was featured in exhibitions and museums in Japan, Germany, and the United States. It received a Guinness World Record in 2004 for the most number of stars projected by a planetarium projector. Ohira's devices are compact yet powerful, often fitting into spaces where traditional dome-filling planetariums would never fit. His work has effectively democratized ultra-high-quality stargazing, bringing it from elite observatories to public science centers, museums, and even high-end home theaters.

What’s also fascinating is how Ohira merges science with a sense of storytelling and wonder. He believes planetariums should evoke emotion, not just deliver data. When you sit beneath one of his projections, you don’t just learn the names of constellations—you feel the vastness, the beauty, and the silence of space. Some exhibitions pair MEGASTAR projections with orchestral music or minimalist ambient soundscapes, creating an almost meditative experience.

For those who want to bring a taste of MEGASTAR magic home, Ohira also developed the **HOMESTAR** line of home-use planetarium projectors in collaboration with Sega Toys. These scaled-down versions use similar optical principles, allowing you to project up to 60,000 stars onto your ceiling. While it’s a far cry from the 22 million of the professional models, the HOMESTAR series is widely beloved among science enthusiasts, educators, and children alike. Some models even simulate shooting stars and constellation overlays, giving a layer of interactivity and engagement.

Beyond just the tech, what sets Ohira apart is his philosophy. He sees the planetarium as a portal—not just to space, but to our sense of wonder. In interviews, he often speaks about how important it is for people to reconnect with the stars in an increasingly disconnected digital world. He sees stargazing not just as scientific, but as deeply human.

Today, MEGASTAR planetariums can be found in locations like the Konica Minolta Planetarium in Tokyo, the National Museum of Emerging Science (Miraikan), and select science museums in Europe and the U.S. They've been used in art installations, film sets, and immersive concerts. Ohira’s work has blurred the line between science, art, and design.

Whether you’re a space nerd, a tech geek, or just someone who misses the stars, the MEGASTAR projectors remind us of the wonder that still exists in the universe. Thanks to Takayuki Ohira, the night sky is no longer out of reach—it might just be waiting in the room next door.