Washington  - Astronaut Koichi Wakata's preparations to become the first Japanese crew member to live long-term aboard the International Space Station won't neglect his tastebuds.

Wakata will join the International Space Station's Expedition 18 this winter, joining US astronauts Michael Fincke and Sandra Magnus and Russian cosomonaut Yuri Lonchakov, who are set to launch aboard a Russian Soyuz in October.