Japanese journalist and television reporter, the first Japanese citizen and the first journalist to travel into space. Akiyama was also the first fare-paying civilian passenger (non-professional astronaut) to participate in a spaceflight.

Akiyama earned his bachelor's degree at the International Christian University in Mitaka, Tokyo. In 1966 he joined the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), a Japanese television company, as a reporter. After working for the British Broadcasting Corporation World Service in London for four years (1967–71), he was transferred to the TBS Division of Foreign News and eventually served as the chief TBS correspondent in Washington, D.C., for four years (1984–88). In August 1989 Akiyama was selected for cosmonaut (astronaut) training for a commercial flight to the Soviet Mir space station. His journey was sponsored by TBS. The exact terms of the deal were not revealed, but the Soviets claimed to have received $14 million (other estimates are in the range of $10–$12 million), and the total expense of the trip and the ensuing broadcast for TBS is thought to have exceeded $20 million. It was the first commercial spaceflight in history.

Akiyama completed the cosmonaut training course at the Yury Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia, and flew into space aboard Soyuz TM-11 on Dec. 2, 1990. The mission, named Mir Kosmoreporter, lasted eight days, and Akiyama landed back on Earth on Soyuz TM-10 on Dec. 10, 1990. During the mission, Akiyama made daily television broadcasts for TBS, conducting live reports from the Mir space station.

After completing his spaceflight, Akiyama returned to TBS and eventually served as the deputy director of the TBS News Division. He resigned from TBS in 1995.