The TENPLA Project: Communicating Astronomy with the Public in Japan

The TENPLA project (pronounced as “ten-pla”, like a famous Japanese food “Tempura”) is designed to communicate Astronomy with the public in Japan. We have been working to suggest various ways to enjoy astronomy. We have organised star gazing parties, science cafes, and lectures. We have made many goodies which make people interested in astronomy (e.g. “Astronomical Toilet Paper”). We have also provided opportunities to communicate with each other for people who have interests in such activities. In this paper we present a broad overview of the TENPLA project.