[プロフィール]
1957年東京都八王子市生まれ。独学で天文学を学び、東京三鷹の精密光学機器製作会社勤務を経て、東京渋谷の東急ハンズ開店準備室から光学機器理化学機器売り場開設担当。(財）科学教育研究会天文部担当、評議委員。
1982年頃より天文教室を主催。1984年山梨県大泉村（現北杜市大泉町）に移住。1985年念願の天体観測所群を併設した公開天文台「八ヶ岳南麓天文台・星の村」を開設。1995年までに11万人に宇宙を解説。1993年クシダームラマツ彗星(New Periodic Comet Kushida-Muramatsu)発見。1994年クシダ彗星(New Periodic Comet Kushida)発見。周期彗星の複数発見は国内初。
村松修氏と共同で40星以上の新小惑星（New Asteroids)発見。新天体の確認観測業務でも活躍する。1993年ＦＭ電波を利用した流星の電波観測中に地殻活動に先行する変動を発見。1995年の兵庫県南部地震の前に変動が現れていたことにショックを受け、天文台での公開業務を休止し、ＦＭ電波の伝播モニターによる地震前兆観測研究を本格化。地震前兆検知公開実験を開始。1995年から現在まで一日の休みもなく観測研究を続け現在に至る。

(株)八ヶ岳アストロビレッヂ 代表取締役
八ヶ岳南麓天文台 台長
元 理化学研究所非常勤研究員
日本天文学会会員 東亜天文学会会員
ＳＥＭＳ(Seismic electric magnetic signals・地震電磁気シグナル）
研究会コアメンバー

取得特許
ＶＨＦ電波を利用した地震予知法並びに装置の特許（日本、ロシア、アメリカ、中国、ホンコン）

論文・一般書
・Possibility of Earthquake Forecast by VHF Radio Observation in The VHF Band (理化学研究所
理研レビュー・大気電気学会地震電磁気論文集他)
・みつけたぞ ボクらの星 (ポプラ社)
・地震予報に挑む (ＰＨＰ研究所)

[profile]
Born in Hachioji, Tokyo in 1957, Kushida taught himself astronomy and, after working for a precision optics manufacturer in Mitaka, Tokyo, was given responsibility for establishing a section for the sale of optical devices and physics and chemistry equipment in preparation for the opening of Tokyu Hands in Shibuya. Kushida is responsible for astronomy at the Science Educational Foundation of Japan, where he is also a council member. He began teaching astronomy around 1982 and moved to Yamanashi Prefecture’s Oizumi Village (now Oizumi-machi, Hokuto City) in 1984. The following year he opened the Yatsugatake South Base Observatory and Astro Village, a public facility with numerous celestial observatories. By 1995 more than 110 thousand people had visited the facility to learn about space. Kushida discovered the new periodic comets Kushida-Muramatsu in 1993 and Kushida in 1994, becoming the first in Japan to discover multiple periodic comets. With Osamu Muramatsu, Kushida has discovered more than 40 new asteroids, and is active in observing new celestial bodies. In 1993, while conducting radio observation of meteors using FM radio waves, he discovered fluctuations that precede activity in the earth’s crust. Shocked to find that such fluctuations preceded the Southern Hyogo Prefecture Earthquake in 1995, he closed his observatory to the public and focused on research in earthquake prediction using FM radio wave transmission monitors. He also began conducting open tests in detecting earthquake precursers. Since 1995 he has continued his observation and research without so much as a day of rest.

President, Yatsugatake Astro Village, Inc.
Director, Yatsugatake South Base Observatory
Former adjunct researcher at RIKEN
Member, The Astronomical Society of Japan
Member, Oriental Astronomical Association
Core Member, Society for the Study of SEMS (Seismic Electromagnetic Signals)

Patents received in Japan, Russia, the US, China and Hong Kong for a method of forecasting earthquakes using VHF radio waves, and related devices.

Papers and Publications:
-Possibility of Earthquake Forecast by VHF Radio Observation (RIKEN Review, Society of Atmospheric Electricity of Japan Papers on Seismology and Electromagnetism)
-Mitsuketa zo! bokura no hoshi (I found it! A Star of Our Own) [Poplar Publishing]
-Jishin yoho ni idomu (The Challenge of Forecasting Earthquakes) [PHP]