Makoto Suwa

is a Japanese climate scientist and astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Early life Suwa was born in Tokyo in 1977 and grew up in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. At a young age he visited the Expo 85 held at Tsukuba. While in elementary school he travelled to NASA where he met Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan.

Education and career Suwa graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1999. He received a Ph.D. in climate science from Princeton University, and a master of environment management degree from Duke University.

On 28 February 2022, JAXA selected Suwa as an astronaut candidate alongside Ayu Yoneda.

In September 2025, Suwa participated in the ESA CAVES 2025 course held in the Matese mountains in the Italian Apennines.

On 9 January 2025, JAXA announced that Suwa would be assigned to a long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2027.